A cat owner’s bewilderment over her pet’s unusual drinking method turned into a realization that has tickled internet users.
A viral TikTok video showed her feline’s peculiar habit of dipping its paw into a water glass, then licking the water off—but then revealed it to be a direct imitation of the owner’s own snack-time ritual. Since the clip was posted, it has received almost 700,000 views.
“My cat’s been drinking water like this and turns out she got it from me,” the creator captioned the video, which shows her dunking an Oreo into a glass. The camera then pans to her cat, who is seen mimicking the action with its paw.
The revelation sparked a wave of comments from TikTok users, many of whom have experienced their own pets’ surprising mimicry.
“How often do you dunk Oreos for her to imitate you?” one commenter wrote.
Other users shared equally hilarious examples of their pets copying human behaviors.
“I have a touch lamp that has three modes, dim, semi dim and bright,” another person posted. “I always cycle through the three two times because I get confused as to which one it’s on. My cat started to do the same thing.”
“My cat started doing that when I had a sick kitten,” a third commenter shared. “I had to keep dipping a rag into warm water to clean the kitten’s eyes. The cat started dipping her paw and licking it off.”
The phenomenon of cats dipping their paws into water, while unusual to some, is actually a recognized behavior in the feline world. As the telehealth vet service PangoVet said in a blog post, the reason cats paw at their water bowls is a “bit of a mystery”—but there are several strong explanations.
One common theory, echoed by a TikTok commenter, is that cats may have a hard time gauging water levels. “They may not know if there even is water in the bowl,” PangoVet said. “Therefore, they may dip their paw in to see where it is at.” This is often due to their extra-sensitive whiskers, which can be uncomfortable if constantly touching the sides of a deep or narrow bowl.
“In an attempt to reach the water without upsetting their whiskers, cats may try to ‘scoop’ up the water with their paw,” the blog post read.
Other reasons cats might paw at their water include a preference for moving water as they might in the wild; stress; territory marking; or simply being “curious and playful.” However, rare, persistent changes in drinking behavior, especially if accompanied by other symptoms, could indicate a medical problem, warranting a vet checkup.
Newsweek reached out to @girlsst4rsforall for comment via TikTok.
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