The owner of a 16-year-old cat named Fibi turned the TV onto a wildlife channel to see the feline's reaction, but she didn't expect her unusual response.
In a video shared on TikTok in November under the username @queenfibi1, the tabby can be seen lying on the couch, enjoying a quiet moment with her owner when she turns on the TV to see what Fibi does.
"I turned the cat TV on and my cat did something she had never done before. Let's see how long she takes to even notice it. It's on..." reads the caption.
After about 10 seconds, the senior cat finally notices the birds and squirrels on the TV, and starts getting interested. But soon she begins to wonder where these creatures are coming from, and she starts investigating.
"Couldn't figure it where are they all coming form. Smart as she is... She wanted to get to the bottom of it," says the caption. Meanwhile Fibi is checking the back on the TV, hoping she'll catch her prey, looking puzzled and disappointed when she cannot find anything.
Many cat owners catch their fur-babies watching the TV, looking like they're paying attention to it. But can they actually see what's on it? Science says possibly.
According to U.K. animal charity Cats Protection, some studies have found that felines are indeed able to identify images on TV, however, the way their brain processes these images is still unknown.
Your cat may stare at the television for two possible reasons: they are either stimulated by what's on it; or they are being disturbed by it.
But how can you tell which one it is? If their eyes have narrow pupils and their ears and whiskers are pointed forward, they may be stimulated by the image on the TV. On the other hand, if their pupils are dilated and their ears flat, it means that they may be stressed by what is on screen.
When Fibi recognized the prey on TV she instinctively began to chase and hunt it. That's because cats are hunters by nature, a trait they have inherited from their ancestors, who needed to hunt for their survival in the wild.
While hunting sure is fun for cats, eating prey can also be dangerous for them, especially mice, which can carry diseases, parasites and even poison. That's why it's probably better for you to remove their catch instead of letting them eat it.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 208,900 views and 4,432 likes on the platform.
One user, Taina Hannuniemi, commented: "You cant fool them."
Jade H873 said: "I'm afraid my cats will knock over my expensive 75-in TV to get the birds..."
Sarahlou added: "My cat sits there glued to it for about 5 minutes then she's bored of it."
Newsweek reached out to @queenfibi1 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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