Owner forgets to refill food bowl, wakes up to “punishment” from cats

Pet owners often feel like they are in a similar situation to parents, as their furry friends don’t appreciate them sleeping in. This was the case for one woman who recently shared a clip of what happened when she wasn’t awake in time for breakfast.

The video, shared by Isabella (@isabellarenaise), shows her three cats sitting at the bottom of the stairs, staring at her while surrounded by shredded toilet paper.

The text layered over the video, which has over 682,000 views, explains: “I didn’t refill their food bowl before I went to sleep, so this is the punishment.”

Zooming in on their faces, she says, “Sometimes I don’t like you guys,” while the caption reads: “God forbid I sleep in on a Saturday.”

Do Cats Like a Feeding Routine?

Cats are creatures of habit, according to VCA Animal Hospital, and their bodies adapt to expect food at consistent times each day.

Like humans, cats have a simple stomach structure. Once a cat eats, the stomach empties within a few hours as food moves into the small intestine. After about eight–10 hours, an empty stomach signals the brain, triggering hunger. Because of this, feeding your cat at least twice a day is ideal.

What Do Cats Eat?

In many cases, cats may try and pinch food from their owner’s plate or cry for food, despite being fed. Newsweek previously reported on what felines can and cannot eat. It’s important to ensure they avoid onions, chocolate, and even milk.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to stick to canned cat food. Teresa Keiger, a Cat Fanciers’ Association all-breed judge, previously told Newsweek that owners must remember that cats are “obligate carnivores.”

She said: “They must have meat in their diets. Cats cannot manufacture taurine, an essential amino acid, and must obtain it from eating meat.

“Humans and dogs are omnivores, meaning that we can manufacture taurine and don’t need it from an outside source. When choosing cat foods, make certain that meat or meat by-products are the first ingredients listed.”

TikTok Reacts

As of Tuesday, the February 16 clip has over 98,000 likes and more than 1,000 comments.

“They said, ‘And sometimes we like our bowl to be full,’” joked one user. However, owners are advised against this, as free feeding is not recommended.

“They all want to make sure they witness your reaction,” said another user, while a third warned: “Yes. Cats are vindictive. Don’t cross them!”

“They say, ‘We are skin and bones. Feed me or suffer,’” added a fourth commenter.

Newsweek reached out to @isabellarenaise for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.