Cat Who Looks Like He's 'Trying to Sneeze' Delights Pet Lovers
A rescue cat's unusual facial expression is proving to be a source of much amusement and discussion among feline fans online.
Ollie the cat's open mouth display was captured in a clip shared to Reddit user posting under the handle Bigbballguy, who asked to be referred to as simply Osi.
"Ollie is a Himalayan cat," Osi told Newsweek. "I filmed this whilst pet sitting for my sister. He's always been a bit different from all the other cats I've been around. He's quite enigmatic. Usually people end up taking their phones out to capture whatever odd thing he's getting into."
While dogs are happy to head off on walks or indulge in games of fetch, cats make for decidedly more complex pets. According to a 2021 study published in the academic journal Animals, cats are capable of exhibiting seven distinct personality traits.
Using a comprehensive questionnaire developed using a dataset of more than 4,300 cats and 26 different breeds, researchers were able to identify traits such as activity/playfulness, fearfulness, sociability towards humans, sociability towards cats, aggression towards humans, litterbox issues, and even excessive grooming.
It's not entirely clear what is going on with Ollie in this particular clip, but pet fans were happy to put forward lots of theories.
"He's trying to sneeze and you're just getting all up in his face," one wrote with another joking: "I have definitely been as high as this cat is."
Osi had his own theory as to what was taking place though.
"Ollie was exhibiting the 'flehmen response' which happens when a cat likes the smell of something," he explained. "They curl their upper lip, closing their nostrils, and inhale and hold it in for a better understanding of whatever they're sniffing."
That description certainly appears to align with what is presented in the clip. Ollie looks to be enamored with the scent of something, as if taking in the smell of a gourmet meal.
It certainly makes for unusual viewing but then Osi and his family have always had a soft spot for usual cats in need of help.
"When we were younger, we were checking into a flight to fly home from LAX. Me and my two sisters. We saw a cat in a cage, covered in fleas, worms, etc. There was a note that said, 'take me, please. I need a home,'" Osi said.
"We flew home with her, not saying a word to our parents until we landed, who were in North Carolina at the time and hadn't a clue. She made a full recovery and is still around."
Ollie was adopted a few years later, adding another big character to this fast flourishing feline family. Something tells us this isn't the last we've seen of this curious cat family.
