'Pawsome': Bespoke Escape Route for Cats From Top-Floor Window Impresses Internet

A purpose-built cat obstacle course has caught the eye of the internet after a TikTok went viral.

Posted in November 2021, the video shows two cats heading out of an upstairs window, down a set of purpose-built steps and a further vertical shelf set to reach the ground.

With over 210,000 views, the video has caught the attention of cat lovers. "I am seriously impressed!" wrote one commenter, while another shared: "Lucky cats to have their own little exit."

TikToker junglebookcats04 owns four cats—Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera and Sheer Khan. In the comments, she shared that they live in a first-floor apartment and, as they're unable to have a cat flap, they got creative instead.

"My partner did not want a cat flap so he created another way!" wrote junglebookcats04.

The innovative solution isn't just a hit with the felines, with TikTok users delighting over the structure: "That's so lovely to see," wrote one user. "That's super pawsome! Love it!" said another.

A recent Pet Policies and Amenities Survey quizzed 22,000 apartment and student-housing renters and found that 26 percent of pet-owning residents acquired a pet during the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage rose to 39 percent when factoring in student renters only.

Some of the states with the largest share of apartment dwellers are New York, North Dakota, California, Maryland, Nevada, and Texas. Another survey found that in 2021, around 70 percent of all households in the U.S. owned a pet. This is around a 25 percent increase from 1988.

However, some commenters questioned the need for such an extravagant cat escape route, with one commenter writing: "They don't need all that."

Indeed, many people do choose not to let pet cats explore the outdoors, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) actually encourages the public to keep cats confined to minimize the risks to the cat, wildlife, humans and the environment.

The AVMA stateS that: "Free-roaming cats may have a reduced life span and be exposed to injury, suffering, and death from vehicles; attacks from other animals; euthanasia; human cruelty; poisons; traps; and weather extremes."

But the owner of these adventurous cats made it clear in the comments that her cats truly enjoy their outdoor life: "They are cats.. Cats are meant to be outdoors."

In other comments, users pointed out potentially unwanted issues with the custom-built solution: "I wonder if they invite their little cat friends over when you're gone!" wrote one user. While another joked: "Burglar ladders, all the rage back in the day!"

junglebookcats04 later confirmed that all doors and windows are locked when nobody is home, and that the ladders are not strong enough to hold human weight.

Newsweek has reached out to junglebookcats04 for comment.