Tears at Rescue Cat's 'Terrified' Reaction to Thinking Owner Is Leaving Her
A cat's devastating reaction after being left alone for eight hours has left the internet in tears, after her owner showed her pet hiding underneath the bed in fright.
The viral clip showed the terrified state that owner Ellen Bieber found her cat in after she spent the night away.
Bieber shared the video on TikTok (@nala_meets_world) on March 2. It has now amassed over 3.3 million views, and more than 616,000 likes.
Cat-food brand Purina suggests that felines are usually fine to be left alone for up to eight hours, as long as they have everything they need, including food, fresh water and a clean litter tray. The pets should also have plenty of space to roam around, rather than being shut in one room.
Like many pets, cats prefer routine in their lives, so if that changes or something out of the ordinary occurs, then they will be attuned to that. If the pet is particularly nervous or clingy, Purina suggests using a cat sitter, having neighbours check in on them, or taking them to a cattery.
Fortunately, once Bieber returned home, Nala's nerves gradually eased. The cat came to see that it was just one bad night, nothing more.
Explaining on the TikTok video, Bieber wrote that she had to "unexpectedly leave" Nala overnight. However, when she returned the next morning, Nala "looked so terrified" and refused to "come out from under the bed." As Bieber tried to encourage Nala to come out with her favorite cat food, she was reluctant to accept it.
The caption alongside the video read: "This absolutely wrecked me." Bieber said that Nala hadn't seemed this timid and nervous since she was initially rescued two years ago.
After gaining so much attention online, Bieber told Newsweek about Nala's nervous tendencies. She said she's always been a "scaredy cat" since they brought her home.
Bieber added: "She was left alone for eight hours, as my fiancé was out of town on a business trip and I got scared of sleeping at our house without him. So I made the decision to go sleep at my parents' house late in the evening.
"I'm not exactly sure why she reacted this way. It may have been the combination of her watching my fiancé pack a suitcase and leave, then me leaving a couple of hours later. Or maybe something spooked her in the house," Bieber said.
"We found her outside of a restaurant almost two years ago, and she was semi-feral. So, it's been a process getting her comfortable being a house cat, but she's making good progress every day."
Thankfully, it didn't take Nala long before she regained her trust and felt comfortable in the house again. Bieber has said she's doing great and is "totally back to normal."
Many people who watched the video online hated seeing Nala look so worried. They offered their support, giving Bieber insights and advice about making cats more comfortable when left alone.
However, not all of the responses were as helpful and empathetic. Some people sought to criticize Bieber and blast her for leaving the cat alone overnight.
Bieber told Newsweek: "The reaction has been mostly positive and supportive. Most people are leaving comments regarding how to keep her more comfortable while I'm gone. They've suggested leaving the lights and television on, or getting indoor cameras fitted.
"Other people were, of course, telling me that I'm an awful cat mom for doing this to her, but it's the internet so, of course, there will be people saying that," Bieber said.
Among the more positive comments left on the video, one person wrote: "She will be okay! She was in her safe house with all your smells. Ultimately it may make her more secure – you came back!"
Another person commented: "She thought she was alone again, I'm in tears."
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