A social media video of a tabby cat's shock at meeting his new foster sibling, another tabby cat, has left the internet in hysterics. The viral video captured Marley the cat's wide-eyed stare and stunned expression as he laid eyes on the other cat, named Myah, for the very first time. After staring Myah down, Marley then let out a menacing snarl and bared his teeth to show his dominance to his new companion.
The video had been captioned: "I'm dying at his faces."
@marleymalin I just found this old video from when Marley was first meeting our foster Myah and I’m dying at his faces #catsoftiktok
♬ original sound - Marley
The U.K. animal welfare charity Cats Protection says that advance planning is needed before a new cat or kitten is introduced to a household that already has a pet cat, or else the pair may struggle to see eye to eye. This is even more prevalent in dynamics like the one shared in the TikTok post where the incoming cat looks to be a different age or to have a different temperament to the existing cat. The charity advises owners to let the cats meet outdoors before they get acquainted indoors, to avoid scraps over territory or toys.
"The first stage of their integration is to introduce them by scent alone. One suggestion is to get two soft socks and gently stroke one on each cat. Then place the sock in the other cat's room and monitor their response. If he hisses, or if he seems agitated, remove the sock," Cats Protection writes online.
"Then, in a couple of days, you can reintroduce it. Next, you mingle the scents of both cats on one sock and rub it on the furniture at cat height so they get used to living together."
"Once relaxed, the next stage is for them to see each other, but not be able to get at each other," the charity adds on its website.
Cats Protection suggests doing this through a mesh or glass door or childproof gate. Then, once they're happy enough facing each other, the final stage is to remove the barrier.
"Attach toys to either end of a string, so both can play. The idea is to get them to associate seeing each other with activities they enjoy, such as eating and playing," the animal-welfare organization writes.
Since it was shared on the social media platform on 28 June by @MarleyMarlin, the TikTok post has been liked by over 1.8 million users and commented on more than 7,600 times.
"The disbelief in his eyes," one user wrote.
"She is completely unbothered by Marley and his dramatics," another user added.
The TikTok post can be seen here.
Newsweek reached out to @MarleyMalin via TikTok for comment, but in the meantime, you can try not to laugh at these 2023 Comedy Pet Photography Awards, but we don't think you'll be able to withstand them. Or you might be impressed by this cat's ability to swim 'better than most humans'—or this cat's "superhero" pose as it leaped from roof to roof.
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.
