Woman took pregnancy test as a joke when her cat started lying on her belly — but the unexpected results left her speechless

Sometimes, pets may act out of character or react to something we ourselves haven’t noticed yet. That’s exactly what happened to one TikTok user whose cat’s behavior ended up revealing something much bigger than she could have imagined. When the usually aloof kitten suddenly started resting on his owner's belly, she had no idea it could be a subtle sign of something wonderful. 

As reported by Newsweek, TikTok user Julia, also known by the handle @juliaa120230, shared a video that quickly went viral, showing her cat gently resting on her stomach. The caption read, “When you accidentally [sic] out your pregnancy way too early cause you were just making jokes and have to go silent for months until you're in the 'safe zone.'” In the onscreen texts of the clip, she shared, “When the cat who hasn’t sat on your lap since you were pregnant in 2012 starts sitting on your belly again in 2023… when the kitten that only ever sleeps on your chest starts insisting he sleeps on your lower belly so now you really do have to go take a pregnancy test.” The video later shows an ultrasound confirming the news.

Susan Nilson, a cat and dog behavior specialist from The Cat and Dog House, told the outlet that while there’s no solid scientific proof cats can detect pregnancy, there are some possibilities. “It's entirely plausible that this cat is picking up on the hormonal changes linked to pregnancy—even before the pregnancy was officially confirmed—because they can alter a person's scent,” she explained. Nilson also pointed out the cat’s steady gaze and alert but relaxed body language. “It looks like the cat has dilated pupils. This is a sign of emotional arousal, and it can be either positive or negative...he definitely seems to have his eyes and ears on something.”

Nilson offered a few other theories as well. Cats have sensitive hearing, and while there's no research to confirm they can hear a baby's heartbeat, it can't be fully ruled out. She suggested another possibility behind the kitten's intent staring. “The cat may have caught the light glimmering on her belly piercing and is paying close attention in case he decides to pounce on it for a fun game,” she said. "The cat also looks like he might start kneading the woman's belly with his paws at any moment. This is a behavior some adult cats retain from kittenhood when they knead on their mother's belly to self-soothe and stimulate milk production… I wouldn’t want to call it either way. But I wouldn’t rule anything out either.”

The video instantly caught attention, reaching more than 356K views since being posted. Many users flooded the comment section as well with warm, congratulatory messages and praises for the cat. @phantommnpain wrote, "Oh my God, congratulations, I'm so happy for you." @jameelaamira recounted, "My dog knew I was pregnant before I did. She immediately stopped jumping up on me (she was big, as she was a Rottweiler). @hajjelajje expressed, "Cutest pregnancy test I've ever seen."

For more wholesome cat content, follow @juliaa120230 on TikTok.