A playful cat from Denver, Colorado, has become a viral sensation after getting a real gold tooth to replace one she broke while chewing on a toy.
The cat, named Tofu, belongs to 22-year-old Clarrisse Bosman. In a TikTok video posted under the username @tofus_owner, Bosman shared the moment, writing: “When Tofu broke her tooth and the vet gave her real gold grills for $5,000.” The clip has since drawn more than 10.9 million views and 1.8 million likes.
Bosman told Newsweek that the accident happened in December 2024, while she was visiting family out of state. Her fiancé, who was taking care of Tofu, discovered the cat had cracked a front tooth, exposing the pulp. The likely culprit was a balsa wood music box Tofu had been chewing on.
“This isn’t her first time chewing things she shouldn’t,” Bosman said. “She once bit into one of my instrument reeds and had to go to the vet.”
Tofu was adopted from Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colorado, where she had been brought in as a stray at just 10 months old. “She caught our attention by rubbing against the bars and flopping into her water bowl. That’s how she got the name Tofu—because she plops and flops,” Bosman recalled.
After the tooth injury, a feline dental specialist gave Bosman two choices: remove the damaged tooth or save it with a root canal and gold crown. Since Tofu is under 3 years old and otherwise healthy, Bosman chose the crown.
Most of the $5,000 cost didn’t come from the gold itself, but from the procedure. This included blood work, anesthesia, the root canal, a professional cleaning, X-rays, other extractions, and medications. The crown is made of a hypoallergenic alloy containing gold, silver, palladium, indium, zinc, and iridium.
Tofu’s story also comes with a reminder: cats love to chew, but it can be dangerous. Experts at Cornell Feline Health Center recommend offering chew-safe toys, limiting access to unsafe objects, and using pet-safe deterrent sprays to discourage destructive chewing.
The internet quickly fell in love with Tofu’s shiny new smile. One commenter wrote: “That’s so cute, honestly. When she passes, you can turn it into jewelry.” Another said: “Was it necessary? No. Was it a nice thing to do for her comfort? Absolutely.”
Tofu now sports her gold crown proudly—and has become an unexpected symbol of feline luxury.
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