Pet parents will drop anything at a moment’s notice when their furry friend is not feeling 100 percent, but sometimes the diagnosis is not always what owners expect.
Sidney Morgan, who is known on TikTok as @sydnimini, noticed her cat Abby was walking around with one of her paws up and limping as if she injured it. Morgan told Newsweek that she originally freaked out and called the vet like any owner would have done. She needed to find out what was bothering Abby.
“They ran a bunch of tests and couldn’t find anything wrong,” Morgan said. “We went to a specialist and still found nothing wrong.”
When she finally got the diagnosis, it wasn’t what she expected. About $1,000 later, Morgan was told her cat might be having a possible behavioral issue and she put two and two together. Abby put on an act to get more attention.
@sydnimini/TikTok
Morgan realized Abby was pretending to be injured at the same time that her dog was getting extra attention. She explained that her dog had a bad case of heartworm after its previous owners weren’t keeping up with vet care. Abby was clearly jealous of the special treatment.
“She learned treats and attention come when you are sick,” Morgan said.
The March 16 TikTok video quickly went viral, reaching over 6 million views, 1.2 million likes, and 3,450 comments as of Monday.
“It’s a miracle she can walk again,” commented a TikTok user.
The funniest part is Morgan is giving her attention and Abby still doesn’t want it.
One commenter wrote: “As she’s running away from your attention.”
This wouldn’t be the first time a cat faked something to get its way, and it definitely won’t be the last. A TikTok user with a similar experience said, “One time my cat had a little eye infection when he was a kitten and he got extra treats so now when he wants treats he squints an eye and pretends it’s hurt.”
Lucky for Abby, her manipulative ways have worked, although, it just cost Morgan about the same as it would have cost if Abby truly broke her leg or paw. Treating a fracture or break typically runs between $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the vet facility, severity, and your location.
“She does it every once in a while as I try to make sure to give her the attention she deserves,” Morgan said.
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.