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A video of a cat appearing carefree while lounging on a bed perched by a window has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received over 517,000 views.
The short clip shared by TikTok user @jumpthereaper showed a cat lying with her belly up on an elevated cat bed propped up against a window.
When a cat is lying down with its belly exposed, its body stretched out and its mouth closed, these are the signs of a relaxed and happy pet, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSCPA), the U.K.-based charity.
A message overlaid on the video read: "This is my cat living rent free. Just sunbathing."
A caption shared with the post said: "Should she pay rent??
Pet ownership has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people continue to work from home.
Interest in pet adoptions surged across the globe during the early phase of the pandemic, according to a May 2021 study in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
A March 2021 survey, conducted by OnePoll in partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital in Portland, Oregon, found that 1 in 3 people—and nearly 1 in 2 people from Generation Z (those born from 1996 to 2012)—said they got a new pet during the pandemic.
An April 2020 survey of 1,008 people aged 24 and older in the U.S., conducted by the Harris Poll and published by Statista, a market and consumer data platform, said cat owners in the U.S. spent an estimated total of $687 per year on their cats.
The highest cost was reported to be cat food, followed by veterinary care/vaccinations, supplies (excluding food) and pet insurance.
Many pet owners may be wondering why the cost of veterinary care is so high.
In an article for VCA, one of North America's largest animal hospital chains, veterinarians Ryan Llera and Lynn Buzhardt said: "Some people may be shocked at veterinary fees because they are not prepared for them, they do not understand the charges, and/or they do not have a third party to defray the cost. All of these factors influence pet owner perception of veterinary fees."
They went on: "In short, a veterinary hospital is more than a human hospital. It is a primary care physician's office, plus a radiology center, plus a laboratory, plus a rehabilitation clinic, plus a day care center, plus a pharmacy, plus a food store...which means that there are a variety of charges on one bill."
The cat in the video has left users on TikTok in stitches.
User ItsKiki wrote: "I have the same one for my cat and he acts like luxury personified in it."
Squid said: "I made a mistake getting a window perch [for] my cat cuz now he never cuddles with me [angry face emoji with air blowing out of nose]," to which the original poster replied, "This is so true [laugh out loud]."
Buzzin80 simply said the cat is "Living it up [crying, laughing emojis]," while user @kellykel_ _ _ _ _ said the pet is "Chillin with no effort [crying, laughing emojis]."
ORAHN FSAI wrote the cat must be thinking, "I'm the boss so yeah [frowning face and crying, laughing emojis]."
Newsweek has reached out to the original poster for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more