by Kevin Burton
Ronnie, Lakin, call your office.
A very on-task and talented cat has gone viral on TikTok, brought to my attention by Melissa Fleur-Afshar, writing for Newsweek.
“A woman’s surprise at discovering that her cat had been routinely pulling down her kitchen window blind every evening, despite thinking her boyfriend was doing so, has left viewers online in stitches.”
“The pet owner took to TikTok with a short video that has captivated viewers on the platform with its filming of the unexpected culprit behind her nightly mystery,” Fleur-Afshar wrote.
“The clip, posted by the cat’s owner under @juju.beebee on Feb. 11, has been viewed more than 212,000 times and has garnered 45,000 likes, sparking amusement in the comments.”
“Viewers were able to see the cat’s owner walk into their kitchen, where they caught their cat in the act—standing on a kitchen appliance, using both its mouth and paws to pull down the window blinds.”
“An overlaid text on the video read: “I genuinely thought it was my boyfriend who pulled the window blind down every night until I caught our cat doing this.”
“‘New chili skill unlocked,’ the cat’s owner said in the caption.”
My first thought upon reading this was, hey this is news I can use. One of our two cats, Lakin the acrobat, could easily pull off such a feat. She’s smart enough, and she’s been caught on the kitchen counter more than once.
Lakin routinely performs the dog-like task of dragging her favorite toy from the box where I keep it, out of the box and up the staircase and deposits it in the middle of a walkway where I can not possibly miss it.
“Daddy, I want to play,” she is obviously saying.
But this pulling of blinds? What could Lakin do that is similar to help the Burton household?
My second thought was of Pandora’s box. Empowered to pull the blinds or open the curtains, where would it all stop? What jobs would she delegate to Ronnie, our more earthbound cat? How would Jeannette and I get control of the house back?
“For a while, the woman had assumed her boyfriend was responsible for the blinds moving every night. It was only when she walked in at the right moment that she saw her pet orchestrating the unusual behavior,” Fleur-Afshar wrote. “The short but amusing video captures the cat’s dedication—standing on an elevated surface, gripping the blind cord with its paws, and pulling it downward with precision.”
Lakin is quite capable of precision, but what more?
“Many TikTok users have expressed their laughter at the viral moment in the comments, with some noting that this behavior is not uncommon for feline companions. Cats, known for their mischievous and inquisitive nature, often develop peculiar habits, and this particular feline’s nightly ritual has resonated with audiences. Several have shared how similarly their own pets behave.”
“It is his one house chore and he is doing great,” one viewer said. Another added: “My cat sits in front of a wall and meows. I wonder where these smart cats are made.”
“He is like jeez mom it is dark out close the blind or the street will be looking in just finishing the evening chores,” a third viewer said.
“Another added: ‘He said you are welcome.’”
“‘Mine will jump on the blinds and hang off them,’” another said.
“Another added: ‘He is just doing his daily chores while minding his own business.’”
“‘See, he IS paying the rent,’” another commented. ‘Clever boy.’”
“‘Does not want the daylight waking him up from those 20 hours of sleep bliss,’” a different viewer said.
“Another added: “My cats just chewed the blinds string in half and literally destroyed our blinds.’””
“‘So smart, good kitty, no burglars shall peek into your windows,’” another said.
If I were this cat’s owner, I would definitely allow the cat to continue this chore. That would perhaps keep his mind off other things.
As for me, I’m going to do all I can to keep Lakin from reading this blog post.
Page 7 