When her senior cat didn't show up to greet her at the door, a woman from Massachusetts went into panic, and the heart-stopping moment, caught on pet cam, has gone viral on social media.
The clip, shared in March under the username @_jrx3, shows the poster searching for her orange cat, Junior, as he failed to greet her like he usually does. After looking around the house, she walks into the bedroom, where he is sound asleep.
Still shaken, the poster wakes him up, and gives him a big hug as he lifts his head up to acknowledge her, before slapping her on the wrist for interrupting his sleep.
"When your cat is 16 and didn't immediately greet you at the door," she says in the clip. A caption adds: "The slap at the end."
As they get older, cats have less energy; some may develop mobility problems, and most will also start sleeping more. Senior cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in one day, says the Heron's Crossing veterinarian's website.
Aging about four times faster than humans, cats have a much shorter life span, and so they are also considered seniors a lot earlier than us. Generally, felines are referred to as seniors around 11 to 14 years, which is the equivalent of a human "senior" between the age of 60 and 72 years old.
Cats over 14 years of age are known as "geriatric" and are comparable to humans around 76 to 100 years or more.
Along with a loss of energy, aging felines also start losing their sense of smell and may get impaired vision or hearing, among other physical issues. They can also experience a cognitive decline and display similar symptoms of dementia.
Some senior cats may find it hard to navigate their environment, so you can help them by placing multiple food and water bowls in easily accessible places. Providing a large litter tray with low walls will also help prevent accidents.
Senior cats may not be as agile as they once were, so placing steps where your feline may need to climb on and off furniture can help them get around easier.
The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 5.3 million views and almost 1 million likes on the platform.
One user, Jessica, wrote: "The relief when u finally see [your] cat after being worried for it."
NICUmamawithatoddler posted: "The fact you went looking for your cat before setting down or taking anything off tells me that cat is living its best life and couldn't be more loved."
Zombie Dolly added: "The relief you feel when you see they're alive."
Newsweek reached out to @_jrx3 for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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