“She Tried to Help Him” — Cat Gets Emotional When Mufasa Dies in ‘The Lion King’
Does your cat watch TV? Fortunately, there are plenty of programs available for cats to view from Keeping Up With the Kattarshians (yes, a parody of Keeping Up With the Kardashians featuring cats) to anything listed on our master list of cat-themed movies and shows for National Cat Day, which is technically on Oct. 29. However, all cat owners know that every day is a day to celebrate their fabulous felines.
The Quirks of Cat Behavior
Another thing cat owners surely know is that cats can be very picky and often march to the beat of their own drum. You may buy them a scratch post, but there’s always a good chance they’ll hate it and claw your couch to smithereens instead. Not to mention that you may think you found the perfect program to watch with your cat on TV, but they end up sleeping through the whole thing.
A Lion King Surprise
That said, have you ever had a time when you’re watching something random, and all of a sudden your cat comes alive and seems to be watching with you? That’s what happened to one woman after pressing play on The Lion King while her cats were in the room.
The Emotional Reaction
A woman’s cat watches ‘The Lion King’ and appears to have a lot of emotions about Mufasa’s death. In a video shared by TikTok user Paulina Sada (@paulinasada), her two cats can be seen looking up at the TV screen, as if they were also watching the movie. One of her cats, Suki, appears to be completely enthralled by the Disney classic. Suki hops onto the console stand beneath the TV to get an up-close look at the screen and a front-row seat for the film. Meanwhile, the other cat loses interest and wanders away.
Understanding a Cat’s Reaction
Suki continues to quietly watch the movie, completely engrossed, until the scene where Mufasa tragically falls. As Mufasa nears his death, Suki begins frantically clawing the screen. When he finally falls, Suki lets out a few distressed meows in response. After that scene, Suki checks out and walks away from the TV, making it very clear that she is no longer interested in the movie.
Response from Viewers
Users couldn’t get over how on point Suki’s reactions to the film were. Many were convinced that Suki the cat understood the film in full, showcasing an emotional response that mirrored that of a human. Despite claims that cats don’t possess the cognitive and reasoning capabilities to process images and sounds into more complicated thoughts, many cat owners on TikTok seem to be convinced their feline friends enjoy and understand TV.
Complex Inner Workings of Cats
Further research may be needed to truly comprehend the complex inner workings of a cat’s mind in relation to TV. As evidenced by videos of cats watching their shows as if they were humans, some cats meow at their owners if they aren’t paying attention or become fussy if their owners turn the TV off while they’re watching. Perhaps cats are indeed understanding our shows better than we think.
