Several years after the death of her husband, a woman took out a pile of his clothes. While sorting the apparel, she let their cat sniff it. The feline’s reaction moved her deeply, an emotion that viewers felt as well.
The woman, who goes by the username @Topaz119, posted the clip to TikTok explaining:
“My husband was killed a couple years ago. Today I brought out a couple of his shirts. This is the only animal we still have that knew him. Watch her reaction.”
In the touching video, viewers can see the couple’s tabby cat landing on the clothes, then sniffing them long and insistently.
The feline finally buries her head in the fabric. Her owner concludes in a sweet caption: “My heart hurts. She remembers”
Posted at the end of March, the video has now gone viral on TikTok. The nostalgic tabby has earned more than 2.2 million views and 300k likes. Likewise, media such as Newsweek have relayed the story.
Tiktok’s emotional reaction
Many Internet users have expressed their thoughts on this sentimental video. Commenter @riversmooth shared a poetic quote by renowned author Harry Beston:
“Gifted with an extension of senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we will never hear”
Another user, @adeles_fineart, gave additional clarification on the feline’s attitude stating:
“The mouth opening, this action helps the organ to process the scent more deeply than your cat’s nose can and sends signals to your cat’s brain.”
After presenting their condolences to the cat’s owner for her loss, some commenters offered her practical ideas on what to do with her late husband’s remaining garments.
A follower recommended she make a pillowcase of the shirts, another suggested she transform them into a plaid cover for the cat.
@Topaz119 acknowledged her audience in a gracious message:
“Thank you so very much for all the support & prayers. I’m beyond grateful for you all. I will get through all your amazing comments! ❤️”
Proof of cats’ affectionate nature
Cats become incredibly attached to their humans, despite their reputation for being more independent and aloof.
A study whose results were released in September 2019 supported this. The study, conducted on dozens of kittens at Oregon State University, found that cats can form deep connections with their owners.
These results indicate that cats’ emotions are more flexible and complex than people give them credit for.
They genuinely develop trusting relationships with others and seek comfort in people.