Reason Why Cat Sleeps Alone in Bathtub Breaks Hearts: 'Crying'

A video of a cat with behavioral problems that sleeps alone in a bathtub has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was shared by Norliza Kamardin (@lizkammie), a TikTok user based in Singapore. It has had 4.4 million views since first being posted on November 21.

A caption shared with the post said: "Tommy is autistic and the other cats won't play with him."

Kamardin, who works in sales, told Newsweek that Tommy is a tabby cat. "I have 15 other cats that I rescued. Tommy was caged since he was a kitten and was only released a year later when I rescued him," the poster said.

A message overlaid on the latest clip said: "When none of the other cats wants to be his friend because of his behavioral issues." The footage showed Tommy sitting in an empty bathtub, with a small ball toy near the drain hole.

As the camera got closer to Tommy, who was staring up at the camera with a blank expression, a subsequent message read: "Every night he will sleep in the bathtub alone."

Can Cats Be Autistic?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is "a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges," explained the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There is no scientific evidence showing that cats can be autistic, according to a November 2023 article for Catster reviewed by veterinarian Dr. Luqman Javed.

However, our feline companions can display behaviors that are exhibited by those on the autism spectrum, the article adds.

Some of these behaviors can include the following:

• Having difficulty relating to others.
• Avoiding eye contact and wanting to be left alone.
• Not wanting to be held, touched or cuddled.
• Appearing interested in others but not being able to communicate or play effectively with them.
• Repeating the same actions over again.
• Having trouble adjusting to changes in routine.

Tommy's need to hide in the bathtub is unsurprising, as hiding can be a sign that a cat is experiencing stress, which can be triggered by interactions in their environment.

Hiding is a way for cats to deal with the stress and can help your pet to calm down, author and cat behavior expert Pam Johnson-Bennett told Newsweek in March 2022.

"Having the choice to hide is valuable to cats because it's a stress coping mechanism. It enables them to be invisible in an environment so they have the time and safety to assess what's going on," the author said.

Cats like to be able to hide whenever they're confronted by stressful situations, Zazie Todd, the author of PURR: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy, also previously told Newsweek. "Their natural response is to run and hide rather than fight."

Physical signs of stress in a cat can include a swishing tail, ears seen flattened back against the head or turned sideways, hair on the back raised or them crouching or slinking away.

'So Sad'

According to Kamardin, Tommy lacks social and survival skills, "hence the other cats find him strange and will not go near him."

He is "jumpy all the time and I guess he's trying to adapt with the space he's having now," the poster said, adding "he still feels safe in a confined environment due to his childhood."

The cat in the latest viral clip has left TikTok users in tears.

User @Ellie.goode wrote "...this makes me so sad."

User @bowiesleftsock said "....i'm crying poor lil guy needs a hug."

User bunny noted: "...AWW I WANNA BE HIS FRIEND."

John wrote: "Please make the bath comfy for him. It's his safe place. Probably the only place he can sleep peacefully in the mind."

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