A forgetful kitty with hearing and memory problems has gotten over three million likes on social media. Qatsby, the mixed-breed cat, is characterized by her owners as having “special needs” and frequently forgets where her family is in her home.
The deaf cat has gone viral on TikTok after her owner shared a clip of the moggie calling for help after getting ‘lost’ at home.
According to Need to Know, Qatsby was hit by a car in Qatar, which left her deaf and likely brain-damaged. After the accident, the moggy was rescued and put up for adoption.
A British woman named Becky Wicks adopted Qatsby, and the feline now lives with the 32-year-old woman and her fiancé. Of her beloved pet, Becky said:
“Qatsby really stood out as having a cute cheeky look and we liked that she had to be a housecat because of her disabilities,”
It took Qatsby some time to adjust to life at home after being in a shelter. Despite her infirmities, the puss leads a happy life. Her mistress remarked:
” It doesn’t hold her back at all. She is this ball of loud silly energy but still loves to sit on our laps and be affectionate too.”
Due to her condition, the cat communicates with ear-splitting meows. As a result, Becky and her partner have an abundance of earplugs to help them handle the noise whenever someone visits. The woman noted:
“She’s calmed down a lot, but we still have to warn guests and supply them with earplugs because there is nothing you can do to adjust the volume on a deaf cat!”
The viral video
Becky recently posted a video of her special needs cat meowing for help. In the clip, which has been viewed eighteen million times and has more than three million likes, you can hear the moggie long before you see her.
The film starts in the living area and then pans toward the kitchen. Qatsby is “complaining” because she has no idea where her parents are.
Becky slowly approaches, reassuring the pet of her presence, but Qatsby whimpers uncertainly. The feline cannot pinpoint which direction her mother is coming from, so she glances to different corners of the room before spotting a familiar face.
Then, Qatsby greets her owner with a very loud meow. Simply seeing her owner brought her back to her senses.
The TikTok account features other cheerful videos. In one of them, Becky lifts her bed sheets to reveal Qatsby snoozing underneath.
Instead of talking to Qatsby, Becky says they use essential hand signals to communicate. Becky explains:
“We’ve managed to train her to recognize some basic hand signals like: come here, dinner time, stop. And I still talk to her, if she can see my face, as she picks up on my communication even if she cannot hear the audio.”
Furthermore, her owner labels Qatsby as an incredibly emotionally perceptive animal. Becky is certain her pet can sense her state of mind, she declared :
“I have C-PTSD, Bipolar, and Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and she’s very much part of my treatment plan; she has a sixth sense for when I’m not OK.
Becky would like to encourage people looking for pets to consider adopting a cat with a disability or additional needs.
“They are often overlooked at shelters, but there’s a lot of love waiting in these cats for the right humans.”