Do you sometimes jump on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook to completely unwind and watch funny cat videos? We do too, maybe even more often than we’d like to admit 🙂 But during such lazy scrolling, we often come across content that, while it might seem amusing at first glance, should never have been made when it comes to feline safety and well-being. Today, we take a closer look at them. Stay with us, fabCat, and let’s talk about cat video trends that we would immediately condemn to extinction. We’re curious what materials would make it to your list.

The Cucumber Scare 

It’s old, yet still alive. The trend of scaring cats with a cucumber has probably been encountered by every fabCat who has spent even a moment in the cat internet. People, hunting for a “funny” reaction, place a cucumber behind an unsuspecting kitty, the cat turns around and leaps away as if burned. The laughter of the recorders is endless, but no one stops to think about how the cat must feel at that moment. These creatures are incredibly sensitive about their safety and usually don’t let anyone sneak up on them by surprise. So if an object suddenly appears behind them that wasn’t there before, it’s no wonder that fear mixed with shock triggers their escape mode.

We need to say STOP to this trend. Cats don’t understand the concept of a joke; these tricks don’t amuse them. They won’t come back to the person recording with a “haha, that was good.” They might, however, lose trust in their Guardian, lose confidence in their own territory, cause destruction in the house while fleeing, and most importantly, injure themselves by crashing into anything in their path. It’s a pointless risk. After all, cats can be funny on their own, without the need for a scare element.

Self-Serve Toy

This trend resurfaces in the cat world about every few years and always annoys us just as much. You probably know those “toys” where a collar or harness with a ball or feather attached to a string is put on the cat? This toy dangles in front of the cat’s face, so naturally, the cat starts to chase it. And just like that, we have a funny video of a cat running in circles and frantically chasing a prey they… can’t catch. Is this fun for the cat? Absolutely not! It’s a source of frustration and a tragic invention that no behaviorist would ever approve of. It’s like the proverbial carrot on a stick – sure, the donkey will follow it, but they’re unaware that they won’t get anything in return. Such a toy for a cat is a highway to irritation, frustration, an unfinished hunting cycle, and serious behavioral problems in the context of play. Even worse, there are versions with a laser light. We strongly advise against them.

Costume Party for Cats

There are cats that, for various reasons, have to come to terms with the necessity of wearing clothes. Many of them don’t mind because it makes them warm and comfortable. However, if dressing a cat in an outfit is not dictated by medical or breed needs (as is the case with hairless cats, for example), dressing cats in funny costumes is just a poor move. Why? Many of these costumes are simply elaborate, complicated outfits that are obviously uncomfortable for the cat. These aren’t just harnesses with wings attached but fully enclosed clothing that makes the cat’s movements unnatural and restricted. Why do it? For holidays, Halloween, for children’s entertainment, or just to make a funny video. Is it really worth stressing the cat out for a few likes from strangers on the internet and 5 minutes of fame? The answer is only one: a big, juicy NO.

Kitty – The Horror Star

Unfortunately, we’re not talking about the cute cat from the picture above. Going back to the cucumber mentioned earlier, it seems that the trend of scaring cats for views doesn’t end in the vegetable aisle. We recently came across several compilations of “funny videos” where cat Guardians scare their unsuspecting cats in various ways, and the cats jump up, fall off the couch, crash into door frames, or climb the wardrobe like Spider-Man. The panic in their eyes makes us immediately tear up. And some unprintable words come to mind. This just can’t be done! Every such reaction costs the cat huge amounts of energy to quickly get out of a dangerous situation, which in fact was staged by the “loving” Guardian to appeal to cat lovers on TikTok. Of course, sometimes a cat might get scared of something purely by accident while the Guardian has the camera on. But that’s a tiny percentage of all the videos made under this trend. Amateur horror cinema in a cat version gets a triple NO from us.

Dancing with (Cat) Stars

Theoretically the least harmful trend, if someone plans it skillfully, but we believe it’s still an idea you shouldn’t try at home. We’re talking about music trends that have taken over TikTok and short-form video platforms – yes, some cat Guardians use their feline stars to attract a larger audience. Is it sometimes funny? Sure. Some Guardians have recordings of their cats playing or lounging that perfectly match the music, and voila, a funny compilation is ready. We have absolutely no problem with those. However, we can’t get past the videos where a cat is placed on a table or the Guardian’s lap, and their paws or entire body are moved by the Guardian in time with the music, against the cat’s will. The cats usually sit in these videos passively because they simply don’t know how to get out of the situation. But that doesn’t mean they accept what’s happening to them. You won’t find this kind of “fun” on any list of feline priorities, fabCat.

We know that among you, we have truly responsible, loving Guardians, and we’re sure that most of these trends with your furballs wouldn’t even cross your mind. However, if you have other suggestions for “funny” videos that could easily make it onto our list, let us know in the comments. Considering everything we’ve already seen online, we dread to think what might not have reached us yet.