A cat owner has shared how he lets his senior cat know he is home for the day with a gentle gesture.
"Normally I don't like to disturb her beauty rest," Joel, 49, from Canada told Newsweek. "But her reactions were just so adorable that I couldn't help myself."
In a video shared on Reddit with over 7,000 upvotes, Joel, who didn't give a surname, shared the moment he arrived home after work and headed to the window where 15-year-old Lily was sleeping.
With a gentle tap on the glass, Joel woke Lily who had an adorable reaction, delighted to see her owner home.
"She's usually waiting for me just inside the front entrance, sitting on a little ottoman while watching the door," Joel said. "She's almost like a little puppy."
Lily, now a senior cat, has become something of a local legend among Joel's friends and family. Her personality, equal parts regal and goofy, has inspired a running joke: that she's Joel's "cat-wife."
"I'm a single dad," he said. "So the joke is that Lily considers herself my cat-wife."
While cats might not be known for their big greetings, a 2019 study by Oregon State University tested cats who were separated from their owners for two minutes at a time.
They found that most cats exhibit secure attachment to their owner, similar to human infants and dogs.
Study co-author Kristyn Vitale said: "We have this stereotype that cats don't depend on their owners. But it makes sense [that they would], because they are still living in a state of dependency in human homes."
Joel was inspired to share the video of the moment on Reddit, thinking that others would also enjoy the adorable moment.
"I've shared pictures and videos of her in the past here and there on different subreddits like r/cats," he said. "I guess it's just kind of fun to see how other people react to seeing her because she has such a unique personality that I think brings a lot of joy into the world. She does for me at least."
People were delighted by the greeting and shared their reactions in the comments. "That's the kind of ritual that makes a house a home," said one commenter.
While another wrote: "That's such a cute way to greet Lily!"
This isn't the first time a human and cat greeting as delighted the internet. Last year the way one cat greets her owner every day gained thousands of walks online as she crossed the path in the street to say hello.
While another cat's adorable reaction to her owner walking through the door also gained viral attention. Pudding, a 5-month-old kitten is always so excited to see her owner that the first thing she does is jump onto her shoulders.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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