Hearts Break at What Cat Spotted Doing in Church: ‘Poor Baby’ – ryan

A churchgoer’s video quickly went viral online as it captured an unexpected visitor getting holy water, which left TikTok users heartbroken and divided in the comments section.

TikTok user @mattreal17 of the Philippines stood at the back of a filled church while music played and mass started. However, he became distracted when, in his direct line of sight, he spotted a white and orange cat pop up among those sitting. No one turned around or seemed to care, but @mattreal17 couldn’t help but want to capture the moment.

He slyly pulled out his phone and started recording. The cat put its two front paws on the edge of the holy water dish, bent its head and started slurping up the water as fast as possible. The feline continued to drink the entirety of the 12-second video, squinting its eyes in satisfaction for quenching its thirst.

Newsweek reached out to @mattreal17 via TikTok for additional comment.

As of Friday, the video amassed over 11.7 million views, 2.1 million likes and 17,200 comments on TikTok. Users felt conflicted in the comments section about whether to laugh or feel bad for the cat.

Many users’ immediate reaction was to laugh and call the feline the “holy cat.” They claimed the cat drank the water to cleanse itself of its sins and regain nine lives. However, others saw a different picture.

“It’s not funny, he’s just thirsty,” wrote one user.

Another echoed: “Must be so thirsty. Poor baby.”

And a third pointed out: “But that waters dirty everyone’s been dipping in there. Bby (sic) deserves clean water.”

The video, which was posted on April 9, raised questions about whether people should leave water for stray or outdoor cats.

The Environmental Literacy Council, an independent, nonprofit organization of scientists, economists, and educators, shared in an article earlier this year that leaving water out for these cats is compassionate and kind, which greatly impacts their health and wellbeing.

While all cats require water to survive, stray cats especially benefit from water bowls because of their challenging living conditions. A dry spell or cold winters freezing their access to water can cause strays to become dehydrated. The article stated that stray cats can only survive without water for about two to three days.

Those wanting to leave water out for cats should always err on the side of caution as you should avoid direct contact to prevent the spread of disease. It’s also advised to always wash your hands after contact with them or their supplies and do not give water if you don’t want the cats to return since they might view you as a reliable water source.

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