An orange cat named Lucyfur has captured hearts online after a video showed her patiently waiting for her toy dog to “eat” before starting her own meal.
The now-viral TikTok clip, posted in January by user @tobielder, shows Lucyfur carrying a small stuffed dachshund to her food dish. Instead of digging into her meal, she lies beside the toy, resting her head on it as if waiting for it to eat first.
“She drags this dog toy to her food dish when I feed her and she waits for him to eat,” the caption reads. “Sometimes she waits a few hours. It breaks my heart. I wish she was born with a brain.”
Despite the lighthearted tone, the video has moved thousands of viewers. The clip has gained over 142,600 views and 12,000 likes, with many people sharing stories of similar behavior in their pets.
Animal behavior expert Mikel Delgado, from Rover, told Newsweek that the act is not as strange as it may seem. She explained that it likely stems from a cat’s hunting instincts.
“When cats hunt, they often carry their prey to a safe space before eating it. That’s what your cat is doing—recreating the hunting sequence with a toy,” Delgado said. “Bringing the toy to her food bowl reflects a natural behavior pattern.”
She added that while some might think the behavior shows loneliness, carrying toys doesn’t necessarily mean the cat feels isolated.
“It’s possible she’s lonely, but carrying a toy isn’t a direct sign of that,” she explained.
The Phoenix Veterinary Center notes that common signs of loneliness in cats include changes in sleep habits, litter-box issues, destructive behavior, aggression, or frequent vocalization.
On TikTok, viewers were quick to show their affection for Lucyfur. “Clearly, the dog toy needs his own food dish. And you think she’s the one without a brain? Sheesh!!” one user commented.
Another said, “Why does this make me emotional? We don’t deserve animals—this is so, so cute.”
One viewer shared a personal story: “I had a cat years ago who used to do this with his toy beanie baby kitty. It was so adorable.”
Lucyfur’s gentle routine may seem unusual, but for many pet owners, it’s a reminder of just how deeply animals can charm and surprise us with their unique ways of expressing themselves.
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