Vet issues pet safety advice after TikTok Halloween cat video divides the Internet

Black kitten sitting inside plastic jack-o-lantern
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A Halloween cat has scared the life out of a real life feline furkid in a viral TikTok video that has been watched over 48 million times.

It’s just as well that cats apparently have nine lives because this little black and white kitty certainly used up one of his after coming face-to-face with a Halloween cat skeleton that came to life.

In the clip posted by @bhtyler98, the cat can be seen cautiously approaching the skeleton to check it out before pausing and reaching out its paw to touch it.

That all would have been fine if it weren’t for the fact that the spooky Halloween cat suddenly opens its mouth, letting out a meow while its eyes begin to glow red.

Clearly freaked out (and who could blame him?!), the cat darts for the door before the video comes to an end.

@bhtyler98

##catsoftiktok

♬ original sound - user4739460964044

While the clips popularity is certainly impressive, TikTokers have had mixed views on whether the contents are funny or just plain mean with @GreyCar1111 commenting: "Hilarious! We watched this at least five times." Flavorfiend added “9 lives left him quick!"

However, some animal lovers were less than impressed with many calling the clip ‘mean’ and @ball.loverofficial asking “do you guys seriously think scaring a cat on purpose is funny?”

While plenty of netizens saw the funny side, Mikkel Becker of VetStreet says it’s important to minimize scary hazards during the holidays.

"Keep your cat's daily routine as normal as possible—stick with their usual feeding and play times, for example," he said. "Think twice about decorations that might frighten your feline, particularly those that move, make sound or include flashing lights or billowing smoke."

Kathryn Williams
Freelance writer

Kathryn is a freelance writer who has been a member of the PetsRadar family since it launched in 2020. Highly experienced in her field, she's driven by a desire to provide pet parents with accurate, timely, and informative content that enables them to provide their fur friends with everything they need to thrive. Kathryn works closely with vets and trainers to ensure all articles offer the most up-to-date information across a range of pet-related fields, from insights into health and behavior issues to tips on products and training. When she’s not busy crafting the perfect sentence for her features, buying guides and news pieces, she can be found hanging out with her family (which includes one super sassy cat), drinking copious amounts of Jasmine tea and reading all the books.