Often cats and dogs are considered polar opposites—but are they really? One woman has recently shared why she believes her cat is more like a dog in a viral video.
On March, 14, pet owner Chloe told TikTok users in a video that she “ordered a cat and accidentally got a dog.” The clip shows her black white and ginger tortoiseshell cat, Biscuit.
She tells the feline to sit before throwing her a treat. The feline then launches herself up into the air to catch it. The owner says, “I don’t even know if that’s a dog, but it’s definitely not a cat.”
Racking up 1.4 million views, the footage shows Biscuit leaping into the air, landing on two feet, and obeying the ‘sit’ command every time.
In the end, Chloe asks her followers if she is supposed to walk her cat or not.
The video shared to @chlo.chlo.money has amassed over 344,000 likes at the time of writing. TikTok users are impressed by the cat’s ability to catch things.
One comment with over 24,000 likes said: “Did she just grab that treat out of mid air with both hands ????”
Chloe replied: “YES and put it in her mouth before she hits the ground like??”
A third comment with 20,800 likes said: “I WANT A CAT DOG.”
“Clearly that’s an athlete,” praised a fourth.
A fifth user said: “Cats are so much smarter than people give them credit for.”
Pryanett/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Indeed, felines are intelligent animals and capable of learning tricks, just like their canine counterparts.
An article titled “How to Train a Cat” was published by The British Psychological Society in 2022, an adaptation of author Zazie Todd’s book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. It dispels the myth that cats are untrainable and talks about the techniques of cat training.
The article highlights how cats, like dogs, require rewards to learn. But it’s important to ensure they are small as weight gain is an issue for felines. There are many ways a feline can learn, per the article:
- Operant conditioning: Cats learn behaviors based on rewards or consequences.
- Positive reinforcement: Rewarding cats with treats encourages good behavior.
- Negative punishment: Removing something good reduces bad behavior.
- Aversive methods: Punishing methods can harm cat welfare and relationships.
- Extinction: Without rewards, a cat’s learned behavior fades away.
“Other types of learning include paying attention to something because they see that you are paying attention to it (social facilitation),” states the article. It also points out that scientists have found that a kitten is more likely to try something if they’ve seen an adult cat do it.
Newsweek reached out to @chlo.chlo.money for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.