A common argument about cats is that they aren’t affectionate pets; however, a throwback video of a cat running to greet her owners challenges that idea.
The pet camera video taken nearly a year ago was reposted to the TikTok account @shadow.the.house.panther on September 25, bringing in over 688,400 views and 102,300 likes as of Friday. The black cat, Shadow, was on the window sill overlooking the driveway. She wanted to be the first to spot them whenever they returned.
Soon enough, they came home, and Shadow perked up. In disbelief, she let out a few meows. She stayed glued to the window to double-check it was her humans before leaping off and running downstairs.
The welcoming committee of one meowed the entire way to the front door. She was crying for them to hurry up.
The owner told Newsweek via TikTok that Shadow similarly greets them all the time.
“She even does it if one of us is in the house,” she said. “She’ll run to greet the other. Shadow was definitely a dog in a previous life.”
@shadow.the.house.panther/TikTok
Dogs are notorious for giving their owners a warm welcome, but Shadow is one example of a cat who does the same. An article from Vet Explains shared a few reasons why cats might join the welcoming committee.
Cats who greet their owners have likely formed a strong bond and want to show their affection. Some felines welcome guests into their homes because they seek attention and social interaction. In this instance, they could also be marking people as territory.
While the gesture is sincere, sometimes there is a hidden meaning behind a cat’s greeting: food. They might expect a meal when their owners arrive home. Cats thrive on routine, which means their greeting could be due to their need to establish a secure and stable daily pattern.
Viewer Reactions
TikTok viewers instantly melted over the cat’s reaction to her parents returning. Now that they knew she was waiting for them, people demanded the owners take action.
“You do realize…you’re never supposed to leave from now on,” wrote a viewer.
Guessing what was likely going through Shadow’s mind, a TikTok user said: “Mom’s home! Mom’s home!”
Another commented: “‘Mom, mom, mom,’ is what I heard.”
A fourth person commented: “And people have the nerve to say ‘cats don’t love you.’ They certainly do! Both my cats always greet me at the door.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
