'Cowboy Cat' Riding Around on the Back of a Horse Delights Internet

It seems unlikely that something as large as a horse would even bother looking down at a cat, however, according to TikTok, it's possible for the two to become very close friends.

In a video posted to the account @theranchkitty with over 1.8 million views, a black and white cat can be seen sitting comfortably atop a large chestnut horse, as it ambles around its stable.

Cats and horses clearly have the potential to become best friends, but there can be other benefits to letting your cat roam freely around the stables.

"Barn cats are often employed as a natural form of mouse control, which is important," according to a report by Natalie Voss in Acreage Life magazine. "Mice can destroy tack and equipment," Voss writes, adding that if not stored properly, the rodents will chew and burrow into winter blankets. "And of course, mice can carry diseases that can endanger you and your horse."

Not all cats are cut out to be mouse cats or live in the barn, and to turn a cat into a barn dweller can take some planning.

"Experts say it's best to acclimate a cat to your barn when it is still young but mostly grown—around four to eight months old," say Acreage Life. "Kittens aren't recommended for barn life because they can be easily caught by coyotes or hawks.

"Declawed cats should not be placed in a barn. Older adult felines will often leave in an attempt to find their way back to the place they came from. The cat will also need to have some experience with hunting, climbing, and self-defense outside before they can be expected to do well, so you'll need to know a bit about their background to know if they will work."

Working cats will supplement their diets with the snacks that they catch, but they still need to be fed.

"Although working cats are likely to hunt and to keep rodent populations down, it is essential they are still fed for them to work efficiently," say Cats Protection. "A complete cat food diet must be fed daily. A hungry mouser is not a happy hunter."

Working outdoor cats might disappear for days at a time, rarely, if ever, seeking out human interaction.

"Feral cats often spend most of their time undetected working where they cannot be seen," add Cats Protection. "As they are frightened of human interaction they are happy to lay low and come out to hunt when it is quieter. However, in some cases we have cats that will become more sociable over time and you may see them at feeding times or simply lounging on the hay bales."

"Symbiotic relationship," commented one user. "cowboy cat," said another, as a third wrote: "Kitty knows better how to horse ride than me."

Newsweek reached out to @theranchkitty via TikTok for comment.

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