Angry Persian Cat 'Speaks in Cursive' After Getting Unwanted Bath
A beautiful but woeful Persian cat has become a TikTok favorite by offering a very vocal opinion during an unwanted bath. Wet, sudsy, and clearly unimpressed, the fluffy feline lets out a stream of almost musical complaints that its humans are calling "speaking in cursive."
@elsarenee.and.ananicole Mom and dad gave me a bath! #catsoftiktok#cattok#cat#catlover#bath
original sound - Elsa Renee and Ana Nicole
You can hear them snickering behind the camera at the Persian's pathetic display, and my reaction is the same. With over 650K likes, viewers also seem to agree with many referring to the feline as somewhere between a singer and a ghost.
"Why is he meowing in vibrato?" asks one.
"You need to contact Spirit Halloween and send them that meow LOL," suggests another.
But the winning comment by far is the one that names the performance "Phantom of the Opurra."
What is it about water that makes cats so anxious?
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Do Cats Really Hate Water?
Despite the stereotype, not all cats actually hate water. Some are perfectly happy splashing in sinks, batting at faucets, or even playing in their water bowls. As California veterinary behaviorist Wailani Sung puts it, "Cats are all individuals. Some cats like water. Some cats don't."
That said, many cats do have understandable reasons for being suspicious of bath time. Unlike dogs, most house cats aren't regularly exposed to water, since they naturally groom themselves without needing baths. On top of that, wet fur can feel uncomfortable and cold, and getting the sensitive whisker-like hairs on their bodies wet may interfere with how they experience their surroundings.
There's also the fact that cats generally prefer being in control of a situation. According to a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania, Carlo Siracusa, "Cats in general are averse to new stimuli that they feel they cannot control." So between the slippery water, unfamiliar handling, and loss of control, it's not exactly shocking that some cats react a little (ahem) dramatically to bath time.
Of course, others take the complete opposite approach. "Some cats just love water," Sung explains. "They sit at the sink, and they meow at the owners until they turn on the faucet."
I think it's safe to say that the extremely vocal cat in the video firmly falls into the "absolutely not" category.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 3:15 PM.