A mischievous tabby cat is winning hearts online for its clever way of following the rules—just barely.
In a TikTok video that has gained over 122,000 likes since being posted on May 7, the cat is seen lounging on the back of a couch. Nearby sits a baby’s bed, which the cat knows is off-limits. Rather than climbing fully onto it, the cat settles beside it and gently rests one paw on the forbidden cushion—testing boundaries without technically breaking them.
“He knows he isn’t allowed to sleep on the baby’s bed,” the TikTok user wrote in the caption. “He’s testing me.”
The video sparked a flood of comments from fellow cat owners who instantly recognized the behavior. “This is also entrapment. There is no reason for the bed to be in such a perfect napping place,” joked one viewer.
Another commented, “That doesn’t even look comfortable—he’s just being ornery,” while others shared their own experiences with feline mischief. “I have a cat just like this, and I 100% believe the behaviors are intentional. They know,” one user wrote.
Science appears to back that up. A 2020 study published in the journal Animals found that cats can recognize and respond to human and feline emotions using both visual and sound cues. The researchers concluded that cats adjust their behavior based on the emotions they perceive.
In simpler terms, cats are good at “reading the room”—and possibly good at bending its rules, too.
Many viewers said their own cats push boundaries in similarly subtle ways. One commenter shared: “I was talking to my boyfriend about how much I hate scratching noises… my cat started scratching while staring at me. Petty.”
Some responses were more wistful than frustrated. “I wish my cats did stuff like this instead of just ignoring me,” another said. “Maybe it’s because I only say ‘no’ and never punish them.”
Whether the tabby’s actions were calculated or just cozy, viewers agree: it’s a perfect example of feline logic—rules are meant to be followed, unless you can find a way around them with just one paw.
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