Cat Has Unexpected Reaction to Noticing His Reflection for the First Time

After five years of living, one might think cats have learned all they can, but a cat named Butters has shown he is still discovering things, and himself, at this stage in life.

Butters lived in Alaska with owner Connor Robinson. It wasn't until April 13 that this 5-year-old cat realized a mirror showed something staring back at him. He discovered his reflection and, well, the reaction wasn't quite what Robinson was expecting.

Robinson adopted Butters when he was a kitten and always used to hold him up in front of the mirror, but the reflection must've never clicked and he never reacted. This time, however, Butters started growling and hissing at himself when he noticed his reflection, Robinson told Newsweek.

Robinson shared the unusual reaction in a TikTok video posted to the account @crobsauce. The caption reads: "In this episode of weird cat behavior: Butters woke up today and noticed his reflection for the first time ever after 5 years of life."

Robinson started recording when he heard Butters because it never happened before. He thought it was funny but then it continued and Butters would sit outside the door waiting for himself to come out.

This new and unusual behavior for Butters concerned Robinson. He reached out to the vet who assured him it was typical cat behavior. Butters has only just now noticed himself because he never locked in on himself before, the vet explained.

The vet also said it could be due to the recent change in cat litter. Robinson switched to a new brand of litter and the different smell could have triggered some anger.

Robinson said he put towels over the mirrors to stop Butters from seeing himself. He doesn't want Butters to hurt himself while angrily looking at his reflection. And luckily, Robinson has already noticed a difference with the hissing and growling becoming less with each day.

Butters might give a little grumble as he walks past his reflection, but he'll continue on his way instead of stopping and hissing.

Viewer Reactions

The TikTok video had over 2.3 million views, 400,000 likes, and 2,099 comments as of Thursday.

"I have the exact same reaction in the morning," joked one viewer.

Another chimed in: "I don't like what I see in the mirror either Butters."

Some TikTok users are sharing their cat's similar experiences: "My cat randomly went through this?! So weird, she cool now though."

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