Cat’s Spicy Reaction to Vet Has Internet in Stitches: ‘Chose Violence’

A video of cat that was not pleased to be at a veterinarian’s clinic has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was posted by @danteveteriner, who is a veterinarian, according to his Instagram profile. The video, captured in Ankara, the Turkish capital, has had 18.3 million views since it was first posted on November 19.

The footage shows a man opening a cat carrier in what appears to be a veterinary clinic. As the cover is lifted, the feline inside is seen immediately swatting its paws towards him, while hissing and showing its teeth.

The man makes several attempts to approach the cat while holding a packet in his hand. The feline nearly falls off the counter while aggressively pawing at the man before later doing the same while sitting on a weight scale.

A November 2021 study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association explained: “Cats’ aggressive reactions during physical examination can have various origins. Some cats have phobias toward unfamiliar people or things before the first veterinary visit, so that it becomes a negative experience despite careful and gentle handling attempts.”

Other felines are compliant at first but have a negative experience at the clinic “such that subsequent visits elicit fearful responses,” the study said.

In both cases, “a sensitization mechanism leads to increasingly negative experiences that reinforce the cat’s negative reactions,” which often sees the felines displaying “avoidance behaviors” even before they’re brought to the clinic, according to the study.

Aggression is among the most common feline behavioral problems observed by animal behaviorists, notes the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Swatting or quick strikes with the front paws, as shown by the cat in the latest viral clip, can be a defensive form of feline aggression.

The ASPCA says: “Fear aggression can occur when a cat perceives a threat, and it escalates if he can’t escape. The more threatening the person, animal, object or sound seems to the cat, the more heightened his fear reaction will be.

“Often the best way to deal with a defensively aggressive cat is to simply avoid him until he calms down,” the nonprofit advises.

‘Spicy Kitty’

The cat’s reaction in the latest viral post has left the Internet in stitches.

BIG MAMMA wrote: “AS A RETIRED VET TECHNICIAN, THIS IS PRETTY COMMON.”

Diana Capalb noted: “just a morning without coffee, that’s all.”

Bianca Krister simply said: “kung fu Cat, I love it.”

User pallet artist said: “kitty woke up and [chose] violence.”

Just Judit noted: “aww… no matter the language barrier we know exactly what is being done and said. spicy kitty; kind man.”

User suzannespencecuite agreed that the feline was “SPICY!!!! LLOLLLL.”

Newsweek has contacted the original poster via TikTok and email. This video has not been independently verified.

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