Hearts Melt as Cat 'Falls in Love' With Balloon and Carries it in His Mouth

A cat called Loki has melted hearts all over social media after a video of him falling in love with his blue balloon went viral.

The footage, shared on TikTok on February 17 by the cat's owner, under the username Lokidoestricks, shows Loki holding up his balloon around the house with a rope. His owner used this instead of a ribbon, so he wouldn't "accidentally choke on a string!"

The video quickly gained popularity online, receiving more than 3.8 million views and 1 million likes.

The clip comes with a caption that reads: "The first time Loki saw a balloon he loved it so much that he kept taking it up to the glass door so he could look at his reflection and see himself holding it." Another adds: "The cat who falls in love with everything."

According to Hill's Pet Nutrition, despite what you may see on TV and in videos online, most cats cannot recognize themselves in a mirror, even if they seem to be staring at it.

Hill's website states: "When they spot a mirrored kitty, some cats will duck behind the mirror to look for the other cat, some will ignore the reflection and others will 'act wary or aggressive towards what appears to be another cat able to counteract [her] own gestures perfectly."

Hill's research suggests that cats, even though able to see what's in the mirror in front of them, like many other animals, don't have the mental capabilities to connect that they're actually seeing a reflection of themselves.

User cchhrriissllyynn commented that "cats carrying things in their tiny little mouths is the absolute cutest thing ever I get tears in my eyes."

Shelby wrote: "I love cats carrying things," while praseodymium added: "He recognizes himself in a reflection?? He hella smart."

Mmm toasty commented: "AW OH MY GOD I THOUGHT IT WAS TIED TO HIM. HES ACTUALLY HOLDING IT." And Everyone posted: "screams [cries] sobs violently."

User morgan wrote, "thanks i just burst into tears," while gracelessnight added: "the first time my cat saw a balloon she freaked out and peed on the rug." User Ilookatrandomstuff added: "My cat carry's his toys around and then just drops them."

Lil mads wrote: "I just recently gave my cats a balloon and one has just been pulling it from room to room!" And krystleconfusesherself posted: "my cat will burn the house down if she sees a balloon." User thefurbabygang added: "I so wanna snuggle him."

Newsweek reached out to Lokidoestricks for comment via Instagram. We could not verify the details of the case.