From prancing “like a dressage horse” to “Oscar-winning” performances, it’s clear that cats are natural showmen. One Bengal has gained some new fans—both online and on the stage—after teaming up with his owner for a DJ set in New York. However, not everyone is convinced bringing your furry friend to a gig is the best idea.
Posting to TikTok on June 29, user @thatche shared a video of himself and his “tiny jaguar” performing in front of a crowd, with the cat draped across his shoulders.
Captioned “the world’s first cat / human DJ duo,” the post has received almost 60,000 likes and more than 600 comments since being posted two days ago.
Despite being shared 5,000 times, TikTok users were divided on whether the set was cute or catastrophic, with many worried about the impact of the loud noise on the Bengal’s ears.
As well as their famed eyesight, cats also have excellent hearing. Their ears are sensitive and can move in different directions towards sounds. A 2021 study published in the journal PLOS One found that cats track their owner’s whereabouts using audio cues—in particular, their owner’s voice.
For the study, animal behaviorists used two speakers that played recordings of the pet’s owner’s voices. One speaker was kept out of the animal’s sight, meaning their owner’s voice “teleported,” at least from the cat’s perspective. A group of non-animal behavioral specialists was brought in to review each cat’s responses to the transfer of sound. They rated the animals’ level of surprise on a scale of 0-4, based on ear and head movements.
Despite a reputation for being aloof, the cats were surprised to hear their owner’s voice “transport,” showing evidence of socio-spatial awareness. Researchers believe this ability may have evolved to help felines sense others of their kind, as well as being a useful tool for hunting in the wild.
Unfortunately, it looks like a cat’s delicate ears are not an evolutionary advantage when it comes to DJ sets.
“That cat does not want to be there,” commented ._.
“Bruuuuh come on bengals got super sensitive ears, you gotta design some headphones for protection or some /:” wrote Wyatt.
“IT’S A BIG NO FROM ME,” said Clairebra.
While Chris Hau called the clip a bad “marketing move” for the DJ.
Still, some commenters did support the pair and their performance.
“My kinda dj,” said Lola.
“I wish my Bengal was this chill,” wrote user2565254961617.
“Bengals will TELL you if they don’t like something,” commented Mia. “The cat is perfectly fine!!!!!”
Newsweek has reached out to @thatche for comment.
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