A video of a teenager inadvertently kicking a cat while he was "½ asleep" has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received 3.1 million views.

The video shared by TikTok user @shxhadx appears to be footage from a Ring security camera at night.

As startling as the falling incident may have been for the pet in the video, cats always manage to land safely on their feet, a phenomenon known as "cat-turning" or the "cat-righting reflex," says Gregory J. Gbur, the author of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics. He is also a professor in the Department of Physics and Optical Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

While the cat in the latest video remained relatively calm in the footage, it's not a good idea to scare such an animal, since it may trigger an aggressive response.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says: "Fear aggression can occur when a cat perceives a threat, and it escalates if he can't escape.

"The more threatening the person, animal, object or sound seems to the cat, the more heightened his fear reaction will be.

"Aggressive signals are especially likely to be displayed if a cat can't escape the thing he fears," the ASPCA warns.

Some of the typical postures associated with fearful or defensive aggression included aggressive signals such as hissing and spitting, piloerection (raised hairs along the top of head and back), growling, swatting, biting and scratching, according to the ASPCA.

In a comment on the post, the TikToker wrote: "Guys this is my 15 year old brother who was staying over, he is NOT a cat person and he was 1/2 asleep chill pls [please] she is well looked after.

"My poor baby cat was just loafing minding her own business," she wrote in a caption shared with the video.

The clip shows the brother come out of a room and walk straight ahead near the top of the staircase, where the pet appeared to be laying low on the floor.

As the brother accidentally walks into the cat, it is seen flying off the edge of the staircase before landing on a level just below the top of the staircase, with its eyes staring up at the teenager.

The brother is then seen reaching for his phone and turning its flashlight on to see what's ahead before walking onward.

My poor baby cat was just loafing minding her own business 😭

The latest video has had TikTokers in tears of laughter.

In a comment that received more than 63,000 likes, Zuhayr wrote: "The way the cat flew was so cartoony."

Beth Morton commented: "People on about the cat, I'm cracked up at the guy thinking he's just witnessed paranormal activity and got his torch out to check."

Lightsaber Folder wrote: "THE WAY THE CAT IS LOOKING AT U IN PURE DISGUST IM CRYING," while TikToker <3 commented: "I'm laughing so hard why'd he just look at the cat and walk away."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. The story has not been independently verified.

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