Study Finds 75%-93% of Comments Praise Distressed Cats in 11 'Play' Videos

Q: What dangerous disease might you catch from a stressed cat while trying to recreate a viral trend?

The main disease risk is **cat-scratch disease**, a bacterial infection caused by *Bartonella henselae* that can be spread through a cat’s scratch or bite, especially during rough or unwanted handling. That matters here because the study found many viral “play” videos showed cats that were actually stressed, struggling, hissing, or trying to escape, and 7 of the 11 clips included visible human injuries. Public-health guidance warns that even minor-looking scratches or bites can transmit germs. Cat-scratch disease often causes a bump at the wound site, swollen and painful lymph nodes, fever, headache, and fatigue. It usually resolves, but in some cases it can lead to more serious complications affecting the eyes, nervous system, liver, or heart. There are other infection risks too. Any bite or scratch that breaks the skin can become infected, and doctors may also assess the need for tetanus or, in some cases, rabies evaluation depending on the cat and the exposure. But the disease most directly associated with being scratched by a cat while copying a social-media trend is cat-scratch disease. The practical takeaway from the study is simple: don’t recreate rough cat-handling trends. Respect signs of feline distress, avoid using your hands as toys, wash any scratch or bite immediately with soap and water, and seek medical care if the wound is deep, becomes red or swollen, or if you develop fever or enlarged lymph nodes.

3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 20

1,100 comments on 11 YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook videos were mostly positive even though every clip showed visible cat distress such as hissing or attempts to escape.
Adelaide University researchers said viewers repeatedly reframed those signals as cute, funny or harmless, grouping reactions into nine themes including "if they didn't like it, you would know" and "but it's cute."
7 of the 11 videos also showed a human injury, which the study said commenters often downplayed despite infection risks from cat bites and scratches.
The researchers warned that ignored dissent can cause acute stress that may become chronic with repeated unwanted handling, while social-media algorithms may normalize that behavior by rewarding engagement.
Published in Anthrozoös, the study argues that teaching cat body language alone is unlikely to change behavior without broader media-literacy efforts and interventions targeting online biases.