A rescue cat has gone viral for her unusual antics whenever she wants attention, as internet users can’t cope with her dramatic routine.
Cat owner Meg Valenti, 29, took to social media (@_______marge_______ on TikTok) to reveal the unexpected lengths her cat will go to whenever she needs more attention. During the video, Velenti explained that her cat, named Pesto, often tends to fake a leg injury whenever her owner is preoccupied, before then revealing Pesto’s theatrical display.
Valenti, of Chicago, Illinois, told Newsweek that Pesto does this routine “almost daily.” She will refuse to put weight on one leg and limp around the house until she’s received sufficient attention. Of course, the specific leg changes every time depending on the cat’s whim.
“She is the most affectionate animal I have ever met, and the most food motivated. All she wants is attention and treats,” Valenti said.
Whenever Pesto needs more fuss from her owners, she will either do the fake leg injury or simply climb all over them instead. She’s not the most subtle cat, and when she’s hungry, she makes a point to “meow very loudly” to make them aware.
Pesto was rescued as a stray, so while her precise age is unclear, her owners estimate that she’s around 5 years old.
Valenti and her fiancé, Jake Calthorpe, were incredibly worried about Pesto when they first noticed her limping. As a result, Valenti asked her veterinarian friend to come over and take a look at Pesto’s leg, leading to the discovery of “how great an actress Pesto really is.”
“Her antics bring us so much joy. As soon as we learned she was not actually injured, it became a funny bit,” Valenti told Newsweek.
The bemused owner couldn’t resist sharing a video online showing Pesto’s theatrics. In just a matter of days, the video has gone viral on TikTok with over 925,100 views and more than 203,200 likes at the time of writing.
The online response to the video is beyond anything Valenti imagined, and it turns out that many fellow cat owners can relate to this level of performance.
Valenti continued: “Most of my friends have seen this in person, but I was shocked to see how many other cat owners also encounter this drama.”
Hundreds of social media users have taken to the comments section to laud Pesto’s display, leading to more than 900 comments on the viral TikTok video so far.
One comment reads: “Meowryl Streep over there.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “This is FRYING ME. Cats are so manipulative I love it.”
Another person said: “Wow, acting performance of a generation.”
While one commenter joked: “We just witnessed a miracle.”
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