A cat owner burst into laughter after her kitten started limping as she realized the dramatic reason was nothing serious.
The clip, shared on Instagram by Fairfield County resident April Russell, shows her six‑month‑old cat Jijibells stepping near a sink before dramatically lifting her paw and reacting as if something terrible has happened. The moment struck a chord online, racking up more than 1.1 million views as viewers piled into the comments to share their own pets’ antics.
“Jijibells is about six months old. She does stuff like this every day. Especially with water,” Russell told Newsweek. “I hardly ever share videos on Instagram but this was so funny to me. I expected maybe a handful of friends to see it, so this is insane to me.”
Russell said the kitten came into the family just before the holidays. “We actually brought her home on Christmas Eve,” she said, explaining that her 18‑year‑old daughter found Jijibells on Craigslist. “She’s just been the sweetest little thing.”
The family has four other cats, but Jijibells has already carved out her own niche in the household. According to Russell, the kitten is especially attached to one particular companion. “She loves her ‘big brother’ Small Boy the best,” she said. “She is obsessed with the sink.”
That obsession appears to be at the heart of the viral clip, which resonated with fellow cat owners who recognized the behavior immediately.
“Nobody likes walking in wet socks,” one commenter, mrkittenface, wrote. Another user, sandrapumba, added, “My cat does exactly the same thing.” Others leaned into the theatrics, with one declaring, “She a queen,” while another joked, “That’s akin to an injury.”
Russell said the attention has been surprising for another reason as well. “Honestly part of why this has been so wild is that I’ve been working on a nonprofit around making science more accessible, and then this is what blows up,” she said.
Despite her new-found internet fame, Russell said Jijibells hasn’t changed—still reacting dramatically to water and continuing her daily routines. For viewers, though, her performance has provided a relatable reminder of why pet videos so often take off online.
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.
Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our Al assistant, to help produce this story. Learn more about Martyn.