A cat called Billie appears to be suffering from pet identity issues after she was filmed wagging her tail like a dog.
In a video posted to Reddit under the handle Not_robot_100, Billie's neighbor captured footage of the feline's barking mad behavior in a clip that's been upvoted over 4,000 times on the social media platform. "Somebody please tell me what kind of dog is this?" they wrote alongside the video.
Cats and dogs may make for markedly different pets, but they do have some surprising similarities. For example, research has shown that, despite projecting an image of aloofness and independence, cats are actually as loyal to their owners as dogs are.
In a 2019 study published in the journal Current Biology, 70 cats were placed in an unfamiliar room alongside their owner for two minutes. Once the time was up, the owner left the room, leaving the cat alone for two minutes before returning.
Researchers found that, upon their owner returning, 64.3 percent of the cats in the experiment showed signs of "secure attachment" i.e. they became more relaxed and sought attention from their owner, while also exploring their surroundings.
In similar studies, 65 percent of children and 58 percent of puppies showed similar signs of secure attachment, suggesting cats are just as, if not more, loyal than canines when it comes to their owners.
But while loyalty might be one shared trait between the two pet types, tail wagging of the sort seen in this Reddit video is definitely not.
Billie's neighbor, who prefers to stay anonymous, told Newsweek they filmed the incident because "it's so cute and it's pretty unusual behavior for a cat." They added: "She does that a lot but it doesn't seem like she's annoyed at anything. Her brother doesn't do it though."
In the video, Billie can be seen peering out of her catflap at something as her tail wags furiously. Her neighbor may have an explanation for that though. "I think in the video she was looking at birds outside. Maybe she's just intrigued at something? Not too sure."
Whatever the case, Billie's antics have generated plenty of comments on Reddit.
One user branded her a "puppycat" with another describing the feline as "a gray white-pawed catriever." Others seemed to break into song, with one Redditor writing: "how much is that kitty in the window? The one with that waggly tail."
One user even shared his experience of having a dog that acted like a cat. "My dog did the opposite and would 'groom' herself after eating because she grew up with a cat," they said. "She would clean her whole body with her tongue after meals. She was—after all—still a dog and would rub and roll and snort on the carpet too."
Then there were those who offered up an entirely logical explanation. "My cat does this when he sees a bug/bird/rat from outside. It's like they go into hunt mode," one viewer said. Another added: "My cat doesn't do this but she'll absolutely growl when she sees people walk by the house out front."
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.
