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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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Owners may often wish that their pets could talk, but sometimes there's no need, as their faces say it all. In a viral Instagram video, Umi the cat appears to be 'speechless,' leaving internet users in fits of laughter.
Racking up more than 7.8 million views, the July 4 video shared to an account dedicated to two felines @umi.and.yuki, the gray cat seems to be staring at her owner in disbelief; so much so, that her jaw even drops.
Paired with a viral sound of terrible singing, the on-screen text written from the cat's point of view reads: "Your human is singing another made-up song about you and you're debating if waiting for the treat is worth it."
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Even though the video doesn't feature the owner's real singing, the scenario is most likely true. Research has previously revealed that cat owners do indeed sing to their pets. The 2019 survey of 1,261 U.S. adult dog and cat owners, conducted by Seattle-based pet-sitting website Rover, found that 70 percent of feline owners made up new songs all the time or sang to their pets at least sometimes.
Lyrics aren't the only thing owners make up, but nicknames too. The results found that 70 percent have one to five nicknames for their pet.
At the time of writing, the video has more than 315,000 likes and over 700 comments. It seems users are able to sympathize with the cat whose "poor ears" are mentioned in the caption.
"That look is priceless!!" posted one user, and another wrote: "Me telling my cat he's a pretty princess and he's trying to get away from me."
"My cat will slap me if I sing too much. Like girl enough with dem singing," added a third commenter.
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Other feline owners will most likely be familiar with the above comment; after all, cats are best known for their attitudes. Jo Cora Wriglesworth, a certified clinical animal behaviorist, told Newsweek about body language when it comes to an annoyed cat. While she doesn't mention singing, there are many reasons why a feline may become annoyed by its owner's behavior.
Wriglesworth said: "Frustration occurs if the cat does not get what it wants, such as an owner who tries to cuddle the cat when the cat is clearly a 'no hugs' kind of animal. Or an owner who does not provide enough options for the cat to live an enriched life. A large cat living in a small flat, for example, with no opportunities to climb or hide away or engage in mental stimulation might be frustrated for much of the time, which will often lead to grumpy behavior."
Newsweek reached out to @umi.and.yuki for comment via email. 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 life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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