A Star is Born: 11 Tiktok Challenges to Turn Your Kitty Into an Influencer

From viral YouTube video compilations of kittens in knitted caps to Twitter pages chronically the adventures of bodega cats, our feline companions selflessly provide us with a multitude of digital catharsis and glee. There’s a reason why ancient Egyptians worshipped them as deities! Their star power is simply something that cannot be taught in any Ivy League sociology class or by the most prolific self help guru. So, grab your phone, ring light (because, let’s be honest, we both know you have one by now), and most importantly your kitty and watch as your cat launches into Beyoncé level superstardom. Who knows, they might even land a Fancy Feast brand deal.

1. Cat Wall Challenge

This challenge functions as a cat IQ test. Here, you are supposed to hold your cat vertically in front of a wall, with two hands under their front legs, and slowly move them closer to it. If they brace with their front paws, you have the reincarnation of Albert Einstein right in your very own home. How exciting! If they go limp and allow themselves to be squished, well, maybe they’re more of the street smarts type.

2. Mimick Your Cat Challenge

With terms like copycat in the human vernacular, it’s well known that cats are master imitators. Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University’s Department of Ethology discovered that house cats sometimes mimic human behavior. But what happens when the tables are turned? Try out this social experiment and mimic your cat when they’re lying down, licking themselves, or have the zoomies!

3. Cat Face Filter Challenge

With TikTok’s filter feature, you can finally live out your cat metamorphosis dreams. We’ve all had that dream, right? Since your pet won’t anticipate your transformation into a huge anthropomorphic cat, their reaction is sure to inspire some chuckles. Just make sure their claws are trimmed before making any sudden movements as their new feline housemate.

4. The “Tonight You Belong To Me” Sleeping Challenge

Although cats sleep for 12-15 hours a day, they always manage to make time for quick cat nap. Luckily for us, seeing a video of a sleepy cat never gets old. Apparently, Prudence & Patience’s “Tonight You Belong To Me” is a powerful cat sedative. See for yourself! Turn on the song while you record your kitty’s futile yet adorable attempts to keep their eyes open.

5. Favorite Words Story Challenge

Even though cats love to pretend they don’t hear you call their name, like Into The Woods says, “children may not obey, but children will listen.” This challenge requires you to bust out your best storytelling skills and channel your inner Roald Dahl as you tell your pet a story with all their favorite words in it. This includes, but is not limited to: birds, fish, treat, and toy. But only you know what excites your pet most so get creative.

6. Gasp Challenge

House cats, like their wild ancestors, have a primal instinct to detect danger. One of these indicators is the human gasp. For this challenge, you need to get within earshot of your cat and gasp as audibly as possible and see their tense reaction. Afterwards, make sure to give them the biggest pets to let them know everything is alright.

7. Egg Challenge

As much as the media paints cats to be cold and vicious creatures, cat parents know just how gentle and protective they can be. To find out if your cat has a maternal or paternal instinct, give them an egg! You know when you were tasked with taking care of a sack of flower in high school sex education? This is sort of their version of that. If they pass, time to upgrade them to a Webkinz to carry by their neck scruff.

8. The Level Up Challenge

Cats can reach heights of about four to five feet. This is about six times their own height. To see this in action, set up a wall of toilet paper, cans, or boxes and incrementally increase the height of your barrier. With Ciara hyping them up, watch as your cat beats their own records.

9. Blanket Challenge

Test your cat’s object permanence with this challenge. It’s simple: Grab a blanket large enough to cover your entire body, hold it up in front of you, and disappear as you drop the blanket in front of your confused pet. The seconds they spend looking for you will truly make you feel so wanted and provide that boost of endorphins you’ll been satisfying with TikToks of other people’s pets.

10. Summon Your Cat Challenge (or Distress Call Challenge)

Don’t know where your cat is? Make this sound and, allegedly, they’ll appear in seconds. Some commenters say that this is a distressed call, so the challenge can also be used to test if your cat is a cold-hearted psychopath. In all seriousness, make sure you don’t abuse this sound and stress your cat out.

11. Mr. Sandman Challenge

With a nine-section panel, a bit of cat choreography, and the heavenly vocals of The Chordettes, you can create a mashup for the ages, featuring your cat’s impressive dance moves. The rush of dopamine you get watching this video will last you a lifetime.