A mind-bending illusion has baffled the internet after a TikTok video filmed in the streets of Tel Aviv gained viral attention.
Filmed by Alice Miller and posted on her TikTok account @__alice_miller_, the video has more than 3.4 million views.
The video shows what initially appears to be a typical urban scene—a street bench in Tel Aviv, Israel, with what seems to be a cat underneath grooming itself. But as the camera gets closer, the truth reveals itself—it’s not a cat at all, but a leaf caught in a gentle breeze.
“It seemed to me that it was either a cat washing itself, or a squirrel gnawing a nut,” video poster Miller told Newsweek. “But my brain refused to believe that it was a palm leaf.”
@__alice_miller_/TikTok
Optical illusions occur because the brain is constantly trying to interpret and make sense of the visual information it receives from the world around us.
Illusions like this highlight the complex way our brains and eyes interact to send information about what we see, and the way the brain has a tendency to fill in missing information.
It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if it was a cat in the video, though, as Tel Aviv has a significant stray cat population.
Research shows that there are around 39,000 feral cats in the city, which equates to one cat for every 10 humans. Some attribute the problem to cats brought to Israel in the 20th century by the British to help address rat problems. Despite the popularity of pet cats, there are still many on the streets.
In past years there have been calls for support for stray cats, including establishing a national street cat authority to manage the feral population.
In the video comments people shared their reactions to the unusual video.
One viewer said: “I saw a squirrel, then a cat, a dog… Finally the leaf of a palm tree.”
While another wrote: “My brain glitched. I thought it was a cat.”
“Is the cat taking a bath? Is the squirrel eating something? Is the rat rustling? Sheet? Plastic bag?” said another reply.
Optical illusions often leave the internet asking questions, like the picture of the cat that seemed to be cut in half or this mind-bending picture of a dog that didn’t seem to have a body.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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