'Ugly' Way Cat Sleeps Branded a Nightmare by Owner

Rescue cat Mo, short for Morgan Freeman, has been melting hearts online after his endearing sleeping antics gained viral attention.

His owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, has been sharing videos of their beloved cat on TikTok, under the handle @ morganfreemanthecat, where Mo has been causing quite a stir thanks to his unusual sleeping faces.

After adopting Mo when he was around a year old, the owner said he has always slept in unusual positions.

"At first I was extremely concerned and took him to two separate vets to make sure it was nothing more serious, and they both said he just has VERY vivid dreams or nightmares," the owner told Newsweek.

People online can't get enough of Mo's unusual sleeping, including some intense twitching and eye flickering. His deep slumber is being referred to as "ugly" sleeping.

"Mo loves to cuddle and often falls asleep with his head propped up in odd ways," his owner said. "Sometimes he'll make the silliest faces or shake his head, which is how that first video went viral."

Anyone familiar with cats will know just how much they love to sleep, spending an average 15 of 24 hours a day snoozing. But the amount of time cats spend in deep sleep is much shorter, usually just 25 percent of their time sleeping.

Cats tend to remain alert to threats, or potential predators—this is why you'll often see cats sleeping with heads still upright, or even sitting up. Thanks to a unique sleep-wake cycle, a cat's hearing remains active during most of their sleep, allowing them to stay alert to potential dangers and wake very quickly.

"I always knew Mo was special, but my friends and family were starting to lose interest in my constant stream of cat videos," his owner said. "I wanted to prove a point and find a new audience who would appreciate him as much as I do."

With more than 50,000 followers and multiple videos with millions of views, the internet seems to love Mo a much as his owner does—ugly sleeping and all.

"I wish to be this level of asleep," said one commenter on the viral video, while another joked: "Call an exorcist."

"The love and support we've received have been incredible. I'm grateful that others see in Mo what I do—pure joy and unconditional love," his owner said.

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.