A couple’s attempt at a cozy, at-home date night on their porch took an unexpected turn in a video on TikTok.
In the clipthey captured the hilarious scene when their indoor cat scaled the glass door leading to their porch with an almost desperate urgency, clearly suffering from a severe case of feline “fear of missing out” (FOMO). Since the video was posted, it has received over 586,000 views and over 110,000 likes.
“Trying to have a cute outside date at home, then there’s our indoor cat,” the creator, @amandabrookeee8, captioned the video. “Guy has major FOMO.” As the couple enjoys their dinner on the porch, their cat is seen literally climbing the glass door that separates them from the outside world. With its paws splayed and an intense gaze, the cat’s plea to join the dinner is persistent.
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The video instantly stunned viewers with the cat’s flexibility.
“Thought his paws had suction grip on the window for a second there,” one person wrote.
The relatable struggle of pets wanting to be where their humans are, especially when food is involved, resonated deeply with viewers. Many shared their own experiences with overly attached felines.
“You go outside for five minutes and they act like they’ll never see you again!” one person wrote. “Like ‘Babe, I’m just eating my dinner (without) you trying to steal it—I’ll be RIGHT BACK!”
Why Cats Crave the High Ground
The cat’s ascent on the door, while funny, also touches upon a common feline behavior: their love for high places.
According to a blog post from PetMD, there are several instinctual reasons why cats prefer elevated spaces. As both predator and prey animals, cats instinctively seek vantage points to “both observe their surroundings for food and protect themselves from attack by a larger predator.” From an elevated spot, cats can engage in activities like “exploring, watching wildlife through windows, eating and even sleeping.”
While the cat in the video wasn’t necessarily seeking a high perch for safety from a predator, its intense desire to observe the “wildlife”—its humans—and potentially hunt for snacks from an elevated position is a display of these innate behaviors. PetMD also noted that cats might seek high spots “to avoid noise and commotion from other members of the household,” or even to “claim territory,” especially in multi-cat homes.
For some cat owners, the solution to their feline’s outdoor envy has involved creative solutions. One TikTok commenter shared, “My cat did this! We got him a stroller and he sits outside with us.” Another user recounted a similar attempt to appease their outdoor-curious cats, though unsuccessful: “We built our cats a ‘catio,'” they wrote. “Now they just scream at us from inside that instead.”
Newsweek reached out to @amandabrookeee8 for comment via TikTok.
