A fascinating video has gone viral on TikTok, which shows a man taking a sunset stroll with a stray cat along the shoreline of an unspecified remote island beach.
In the 110-second clip, uploaded by user @mermaid.kayleigh, her husband, user @camgrantphoto, walks alongside the kitty and witnesses it doing something quite remarkable.The industrious feline, apparently lovingly named “Midnight” by staff in the resort, notices a splash in the nearby shallow water and abruptly stops to assess the situation. A few seconds later, it identifies the source of the splash — a small fish — and leaps into action.
After successfully catching its prey, the moggy takes a leisurely stroll with the fish in its mouth to some nearby deckchairs, where it gleefully tucks into it. Thus, the moggy starts the day with a healthy meal in a beautiful setting.
The video spurred TikTok into action, with users impressed by Midnight’s predatory skills and in awe of the cat’s seemingly idyllic lifestyle.
How did TikTok react?
Those who admired the cat’s lifestyle said things like, “Living their best life, sunset walks on the beach, fresh fish, the kitty is thriving,” “how is this the most beautiful video. wild cat eating fish on an island by the sea at sunset…” and “Omg him eating his fish, on a beach chair at sunset. He’s living the dream.”
Others were impressed by the cat’s intelligence, commenting things like, “what a resourceful little baby,” “I like how he doesn’t want to get sand on his fresh catch,” “why is no one blown away by the fact that he took the fish all the way up to a clean surface to put it down and then eat it?! that can is a genius” and “she knows to eat it on the chair so sand wouldn’t get on it. cats are so smart.”
Some were concerned for the fish, with comments of that nature including, “Was I the only one thinking that poor fish was eaten alive” and “Does this hurt the fish?”
Hygiene-conscious users referenced the fact that the cat took the fish to a beach chair to eat it, writing things like, “100% would not believe that the blood stain I found on a beach chair was from a wildcat eating a freshly caught fish on it in the sunset,” “Fish guts on the $100/hr chair rental,” and “Ofc he went to the fabric.”
Of course, some cat owners couldn’t help but compare the stray to their domesticated pet cats, with comments about that including, “My cat will only eat a certain brand of food,” “i had to take my cat 3 times to the vet bc my mom gave him a small of piece of raw fish without me knowing,” “The way my cat pukes for a day and a half if she eats dry food….” and “Looked at my cat and sighed.”
One user commented on the freshness of the cat’s diet, writing, “Forget farm to table. It’s sea to beach chair.” According to the cat website Catster, it’s estimated that there are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats in the United States. It’s hard to imagine many of them having a diet or lifestyle as good as Midnight’s.