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Oct 22, 2024

Cat Submits Owner's College Application in Viral Video - Newsweek

A lighthearted video of a cat "submitting" a college application on behalf of their owner has left viewers online in hysterics. The cat's owner had captured the moment they placed the feline's paw on

A lighthearted video of a cat "submitting" a college application on behalf of their owner has left viewers online in hysterics.

The cat's owner had captured the moment they placed the feline's paw on their laptop's touch pad, humorously guiding them to hit send on their college application. The video, which was shared to TikTok on October 15 under @misbahlol, has since been viewed more than 1.7 million times.

Viewers were able to see the 2-year-old cat, named Susu, sitting in front of the laptop. With the help of her owner, her paw was placed over the laptop's touch pad, where it was gently tapped to press send on a college application to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The "happy and confident" cat was heard both growling and purring as her owner urged her to "submit it."

"That day, I was freaking out about my application deadline and decided to film myself having Susu 'submit' it for fun," the cat's owner, Misbah, who would prefer to keep their full identity private, told Newsweek. "Susu is both growling and purring, and some people thought I was bothering her, but that's just one of her quirks. She is perfectly fine, and no, I do not stress her out.

"In fact, when I filmed the video, she came up to my computer to lay down, which she loves to do while I'm doing schoolwork or watching a movie," Misbah added.

Susu had been adopted at 8 weeks old, after being run over by a car, which left her tail with significant nerve damage. Then a kitten, Susu needed surgery on her salivary glands, the result of which her owner says has led to her growls and purrs being louder than average.

"A commenter mentioned that I was giving my cat anxiety, but, contrary to that, Susu is incredibly confident and loves being around people, especially when they're petting or coddling her," Misbah said. "She also loves to eat—a lot. Her favorite word is 'yum yum,' and she responds to 'food' too; no matter how far away she is, she comes running to the kitchen whenever she hears it.

"Despite her unfortunate early life, Susu only dislikes two things: having her paws touched and being fed late, which explains her alternating from growling and purring in the video," Misbah added.

While some viewers have looked down on Misbah's joking around with Susu, the video has garnered plenty of positive and humorous comments from TikTok users joining in with the student's fun.

"It's his [her] problem now," one viewer posted.

Another added: "If you get in you have to let her open the acceptance letter too."

"Lil' [cat] going to college now," a third commented.

A fourth added: "When the emotional support animal is not emotionally supporting."

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.

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.

Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global's LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women's health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.

Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy's 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.

A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded 'Best Topical News Show' and the runner up award for 'Best New Radio Show' on the network.

She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Languages: English, Persian.

You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing [email protected].

You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and ...Read more