A couple from Los Angeles took their Scottish fold cat on a long-haul flight—what happened next has left internet users in hysterics.
In a viral Instagram video shared in January under the username @phoebe.thescottishfold, the white-and-orange cat can be seen hugging her dad while sitting on his lap, before turning to her mom, who is sitting in a different row, and giving her the “side eye.”
“My girl cat giving me the side eye on the plane while cuddling with her boyfriend (he’s my husband),” the caption says. “I will forever be the spare human.”
The poster, 28-year-old Samantha Resurreccion, told Newsweek that her cat, Phoebe is very much a daddy’s girl, and her entire Instagram page is full of videos about her being the “third wheel” between her husband and her cat.
“In this particular clip, we were flying back from New York City to Los Angeles, and my husband and I were seated separately,” Resurreccion said.
“When I looked over at Phoebe, she locked eyes with me and then immediately started cuddling my husband, which was so funny and painfully relatable. That moment ended up resonating with a lot of people and unexpectedly went viral.”
It is not unusual for cats to pick a favorite person and treat everyone else as a spare, but what makes them choose one particular human over everybody else?
Union Lake Veterinary Hospital explains that felines often pick one favorite person based on their interactions with them.
Contrary to popular belief, cats aren’t aloof so much as selective, and they tend to bond more with the human who makes the greatest effort to understand their cues and behaviors. The person who communicates well with the feline and responds to its needs becomes the favorite.
A cat’s own personality and breed also influence its choice—for example, relaxed felines may favor calm, quiet people, while playful cats may prefer someone who engages them in activity.
To strengthen the bond with your feline, experts suggest spending quality time with them, engaging in activities they enjoy, learning to interpret feline body language, and offering regular gentle physical affection.
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The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 7 million views and more than 474,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Teresaallen1776, commented: “Welcome to being the side chick. I was the side chick with our first female cat. She would even try to get in between us on the sofa.”
Mapleflavoured said: “That’s her husband now.”
Gabnoxious wrote: “My worst fear. Getting the cat I’ve dreamed of and it loves him more.”
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.