First off, I’m a *huge* animal person. I’ve got a goldfish named Finny McCool, and he’s basically my best friend (don’t tell my actual friends, they wouldn’t get it). So, anything that involves animals being sad just hits *different*. But then you get into the whole “is it real?” debate, and that’s where things get messy.
Some peeps are *convinced* these cats know exactly what’s going on. Like, they see their human on the screen, hear their voice, and their little kitty hearts just *break*. They’re reaching out with their paws, trying to cuddle the screen, all that jazz. I saw one where the cat was totally glued to the screen, purring and stuff. How can that *not* be heartbreaking, y’know?
But then there’s the other side. The cynical side. The “get real, it’s just a cat” side. These guys are all like, “Cats are just after warmth! The phone’s probably warm, duh!” Or they’re saying the cat just likes the moving images or the *sounds*, and it’s all just… coincidence. Like, *really*? You think a cat can’t recognize its owner? It’s messed up, and honestly, I think it’s kind of a lame take.
I mean, I get it. We humans are prone to anthropomorphizing *everything*. We give our pets feelings they might not actually have. We project. But still… there’s something about these videos that feels… genuine, you know? It hits you right in the feels.
Okay, so here’s where it gets a little personal. My great-aunt Mildred (god rest her soul) had this HUGE, fluffy Persian cat named Princess Fluffybutt (I kid you not). When Mildred passed away, Princess Fluffybutt was totally lost. She kept wandering around, meowing, looking for her. I swear, the cat *knew*. She was grieving.
So, yeah, maybe these videos are staged. Maybe some people are just trying to get internet points by filming their cats doing random stuff. Maybe I’m being a total sap. But after seeing how Princess Fluffybutt reacted to my aunt’s death, I kinda think cats are way smarter and way more emotionally intelligent than we give them credit for.
And also, like, even if it *is* fake… so what? We’re all just trying to find some comfort in this crazy world, right? If a fake video of a cat watching its dead owner gives someone a little bit of hope or makes them feel less alone, then who are we to judge? It’s the internet, things are fake ALL the time. Let’s just roll with it.
