Animals come in to our lives and sadly, they often leave them again all too soon, so it’s important to take the time to spend quality moments with them that you’ll never forget.
One TikTok user doing just that is Delia, who always makes sure she makes time for the hobbies of her ginger cat Applesauce.
In a video, which has over 6.2 million views, Delia can be seen peering out of the window, Applesauce next to her, his toes curled over the windowsill, observing the outside world.
At one point he turns to her with an affectionate look on his face, and they continue their “hobby.”
“Making sure I make time for his hobbies,” reads the text.
Some cat owners like Delia are lucky to be able to easily bond with their cats, while others need to work a bit harder, or have resigned themselves to a stoic nonchalance.
If your relationship falls into the latter category, never fear, there are things you can do to strengthen the bond with your cat.
“Learn to ‘speak cat’!,” suggests Feliway’s website suggests. “Pay attention to their body language so that you can understand what they are saying to you—check out their ear position, their eyes, how they hold their tail and their body, so that you know what action to take to make them feel comfortable.”
Another way of communicating with your cat is to blink slowly at them.
“Slow blinking is a positive form of communicating with your cat, but never stare directly into their eyes, as this can be seen as a threat,” add Feliway.
As well as things you can do, there are also things you can avoid to get on better with your cat.
“Never force your cat to interact with you—allow them to come to you when they are ready,” suggest Feliway.
Grooming is a great way to bond with your cat and kill two birds with one stone.
Larisa Stefanuyk/Getty Images
Grooming not only strengthens your bond, as it is a pleasurable experience for your cat, but it also gives you an opportunity to give them a quick once over and check for any medical issues.
Grooming, feeding and playing all help strengthen your bond with your cat, but additionally, “cats prefer when you have a calming presence, consistent patterns, and predictable movements and exhibit cat-friendly, welcoming body language,” write Rover on their site.
Users on TikTok loved the sweet video.
“I used to do this with my cat, we were born on the same day so I practically grew up with him. He died when we were 17,” shared one user.
“He’s so grateful,” wrote another.
Newsweek has reached out to Delia via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.