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By Lucy NotarantonioShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA TikTok clip showing a white cat looking after her sick owner has gone viral, earning over 8 million views in two days.
The video uploaded on November 23 by @gretta_zou shows a small amount of kibble on the bed, before the camera pans to a fluffy feline sitting on the floor. Text layered over the video explains: “I’ve been sick in bed for three days with no appetite, woke up from a nap and found some kibble on my bed. Turns out my cat was worried I might be hungry. She’s the sweetest in the world.”
Gretta doesn’t specify what illness she has, but it’s common for people to feel under the weather at this time of the year. According to John Hopkin’s medicine, every year, between 5 percent and 20 percent of Americans get the flu, sending many to the hospital with severe complications.
Newsweek previously spoke to dietitian Kayla Farrell from FRESH Communications about the top foods to eat and avoid to not get sick during the autumn. Unsurprisingly, cat food wasn’t on the list. Instead, people are advised to focus on protein sources, Greek yogurt, citrus fruits, fresh garlic and ginger to boost their immune system.
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Farrell told Newsweek that too much alcohol and caffeine can compromise your immune system, along with fried and processed foods.
"Both fried and processed foods are typically high in unhealthy fats, salt, and preservatives that can contribute to inflammation and suppress immune function," Farrell said. "These foods often contain compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that occur during cooking at high temperatures, like frying." AGEs, said Farrell, could "negatively affect the gut microbiome, which plays a key role in immune health."
...In this case, it isn’t the food that has drawn attention, but the cat’s random act of kindness. After all, cats often have a bad reputation for only thinking about themselves.
“‘A CAT sharing FOOD? Girl she loves you,” said one comment with over 255,000 likes.
“Tell me you at least pretended to eat it just to ease her little mind,” said another.
But not all users are convinced that the cat had good intentions. A third user said: “She maybe worried your hungry - she’s definitely worried you will expire and [won't] be able to feed her.”
The following day, the cat brought the owner a dead mouse and placed it in the same spot. UK-based charity Cats Protection explains that some owners mistakenly think cats bring prey home as a generous gift to show love or provide for their family. Another common myth is that cats are trying to teach their owners how to hunt, presenting a successful catch as an example.
In reality, cats bring these “gifts” home because home is where they feel safest. After catching prey, they may not want to eat it right away or leave it somewhere another animal could steal it. Instead, they carry it back to their core territory, where they can eat it undisturbed or store it for later. While it isn’t meant as a present for you, it can still be seen as a sign of affection, because it shows they feel secure with you.
Newsweek reached out to @gretta_zou for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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