A social media video showing a cat falling off a cliff and being tied to a rope similar to a dog’s to protect it has shocked internet viewers.
The TikTok post was shared by @AliceOnTheRoad on April 17 and has over 8.3 million views. The clip is captioned “Why cats love danger so much.” This shows Pepin the cat standing on the edge of a cliff with his van-dwelling owners on a trip to the scenic spot.
“I travel with my cat in a van, and we camp near a big cliff,” said the cat’s owner, Alice, who did not want to be named. News week. “My cat was roaming free but was very excited about the big drop, so I had no choice but to put him on a leash even though he was very upset and still wanted to explore,” Alice added.
Although it is difficult to instill new behaviors in cats, they can be trained to do as they are told over time, according to animal insurance company Pumpkin. “Even though cats do not instinctively cooperate with people, they can follow commands and perform tricks just like dogs. Cat training provides positive mental and physical stimulation for cats, which helps to reduce anxiety, aggression or other destructive. Cat behaviors,” says the company.
Similar to how dogs are trained, cat owners who want to teach their pet a new trick or two are advised to employ positive reinforcement in therapy and avoid distractions during training.
A voice-over in the viral video described the moment as the “first time” Pepin the cat had been leashed by his owners, causing him to get upset.
“But we had a very good reason. This is where we spent the night and the cliff was huge, but our cat still wants to play with his life. So he is in the ‘cat jail’ all day. Now.”
@aliceontheroad Why do cats love danger so much?
♬ Child Original – Aliceontheroad
What do the comments say?
The TikTok post has been liked more than 1.5 million times and has been commented on by nearly 3,000 users.
“My cat jumps 100 percent.[f.] He thinks he’s indestructible,” one user wrote.
“I know my cat and he doesn’t jump, but he likes to explore rocks and find a way to get down the cliff,” Alice replied.
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