A playful orange kitten named Cookie has captured hearts across the internet after a pet camera recorded his energetic attempts to wake his owner at 5 a.m.
The viral TikTok video, posted in April by user @itscookiecat, shows Cookie bouncing all over the bed, ignoring boundaries as he focuses his efforts on his sleeping “mom.” Although another person is also in the bed, Cookie’s attention is solely on her. The caption reads: “Someone had the 5 a.m. zoomies and wanted mom to play too.”
Cookie’s behavior, while chaotic, is actually normal for cats. Felines are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. This trait comes from their wild ancestors, who hunted during these hours for better success and safety. Over time, domestic cats have kept this instinct—and their ability to see in low light supports it.
While it may be endearing at first, constant nighttime activity can disrupt sleep. Experts suggest that if a cat regularly wakes its owner at odd hours, it’s worth checking for underlying issues. These could include pain from arthritis or dental disease, signs of feline dementia, or mating behavior if the cat hasn’t been spayed or neutered.
To help reduce nighttime zoomies, veterinarians recommend engaging cats in active play before bedtime and limiting long naps during the day. Creating a separate sleeping area with warm bedding and toys can also help cats stay occupied without disturbing their owners.
Cookie’s video has struck a chord online, gaining over 6.3 million views and nearly 400,000 likes. Viewers flooded the comments with relatable reactions. One user, Jennifer Carrington, joked, “That baby would have been on the other side of the door lol.” Another, Captain.fing.obvious, added, “I don’t understand how people can sleep with cats in the room.”
Brianna Nicole compared the moment to a classic movie scene: “It’s giving when Simba was trying to wake Mufasa up early in the morning.”
For Cookie, it was just another morning of fun—but for his mom, it was a very early wake-up call.
