‘Needs His Own Disney Movie’

It’s often said that you’re either a cat person or a dog person, but you can’t possibly be both. However, Dudley, the cross-eyed black cat, appears to have won over the internet with his adorable facial expressions and melted everyone’s hearts.

Ever since Dudley was brought home in July 2021, it was clear that he was special and had the sweetest nature. And though he may look a bit different, and people often have their reservations about him, Juan Cuervo told Newsweek that being cross-eyed “doesn’t affect Dudley” negatively at all, and he’s really just like any other pet.

Cuervo from Brooklyn, New York, has always loved Dudley, who belongs to his girlfriend Charlotte Greffin, but in March he decided it was finally time to share him with the world. In an adorable TikTok post from last week, he revealed several images of the cat on the social media platform under the username @cuervoshots. The post delighted many, already gaining more than 892,400 views and over 102,900 likes in a matter of days.

“People sometimes think his eye affect him and his vision, but once they get to know him, they realize it has no effect on his personality,” Cuervo said. “When it comes to strangers, he’s pretty shy but he will definitely keep an eye on you from a distance.

“He’s generally really curious, he is more submissive than our other cat, so he usually follows her lead. He loves Charlotte more than anything and can be held by her for hours, and he also begs to be carried around by her. He’s a complete mush.”

Being cross-eyed is when the pupils of both eyes are permanently pointing towards the nose, and according to PetMD, it’s rather common among cats. It’s thought to be a result of an abnormality in the muscles and nerves that control eye movement, but it often has no bearing on a cat’s quality of life.

The impact on a cat’s vision can vary depending on the severity and the cause of the crossed eyes, known in medical terms as medial strabismus. It can affect their depth perception, meaning they have more difficulty judging distances, but cats will usually adapt well and be able to manage with what they can see.

Despite being born cross-eyed, Dudley is “absolutely perfect” to his humans, and they have loved seeing the positive response to him on social media. Since going viral, he’s become quite the sensation and TikTok users want to see plenty more of him.

Speaking about the social media reaction, Cuervo told Newsweek: “When I first posted the video, I was just at my desk working and noticed him staring into space – which he sometimes likes to do. I took my phone out and decided to film it, and it spread like wildfire. This all feels very validating because we’ve always known he’s special, and we’re just happy that everyone else has been showing him so much love.”

Social media isn’t always known for being the most uplifting of spaces, but the reaction to Dudley has been so heartening for Cuervo to see. The viral post has gained over 800 comments already, as people are full of support and love for the cross-eyed kitty.

“omg stop it he’s the cutest thing,” commented on TikTok user.

Another user responded: “he needs his own Disney movie.”

While a third TikTok user wrote: “I love all cats but there’s something special about cross eyes cats that absolutely melts my heart.”

Do you have any 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.