A kitten called Gatsby has melted the hearts of social-media users after his owner shared a video featuring his adventures at the beach in Florida.
In a post shared on Instagram earlier in July, under the username @harrys407, the small white-and-gray kitten can be seen wearing a pineapple-print sun hat as he strolls through a Florida beach, enjoying the water wetting his paws.
A caption shared with the clip reads: “Gatsby’s adventure retreat in Orlando Florida! Hang out with Gatsby and explore some amazing places DM [direct-message] to book your next adventure!”
While Gatsby clearly loves the water, most other cats don’t share this preference. It is quite common for feline to try their best to stay away from the wet stuff. But why do they hate water so much?
Britannica says that one of the reasons behind their hate for water is that their species evolved in dry climates with little exposure to rivers or lakes, making it an unfamiliar element for them.
Another reason could be that cats are not about happy about wetting their fur. In fact, they spend a great part of their day grooming. Wet fur is very uncomfortable for them because it takes ages to dry, which, in nature, would make the cat easier for predators to catch.
However, this may also be due to past experiences, like accidentally falling in the bathtub, which can make the cat fearful of water for the rest of its life.
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 75.9 million views and more than 6.3 million likes on the platform.
One user, jackrabbit_67, commented: “How do you keep Gatsby from taking off? I have an 8 week old nugget and he fires off like a rocket to go explore. I’m harness training him but I can’t fathom letting him free.”
Tracyleetaylor5260 posted: “I love seeing all these kitties out on trips with their parents! I’d be so afraid mine would run off in a strange place!”
Dysb66 added: “Build him a ship and give him a little pirate hat.”
Newsweek reached out to @harrys407 for comment via email and Instagram comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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