A viral video of a cat licking a light bulb has resurfaced and has racked up more than 811,000 views on TikTok.
However, it’s not an old lamp – it’s a Himalayan salt lamp, which is a decorative lamp made of pink salt crystals with a light bulb inside.
Pocky’s video was first shared in April 2022 and has racked up 5.4 million views, but his owner, who goes by the name JJ, shared the memory again last month online.
Speaking about the first upload, JJ from Washington State said News week: “We weren’t initially alarmed until we saw the TikTok comments.”
TikTok/@beaglebitez
One user warned: “Don’t let it! They will poison themselves by licking too much!”
At the time, JJ, who is in her twenties, didn’t realize the decorative item was a threat to the health of her then two-year-old cat. It was only after other social media users voiced their concerns.
She said News week: “We quickly took Pocky to the vet, where the vet ran some blood tests and found nothing out of the ordinary, and none of the typical salt overdose symptoms, like kidney failure.”
What does the expert say?
It appears Pocky was lucky to escape, as salt ingestion in animals can be extremely dangerous and “potentially” fatal, according to veterinarian Dr. Anna Foreman.
Foreman, who works for Everypaw Pet Insurance in the UK, said News week: “It can increase sodium levels in an animal’s blood to a potentially fatal level.
“Salt poisoning causes convulsions and gastrointestinal signs, including vomiting and diarrhea.
“Treatment revolves around rehydrating them, as excessive salt levels in the blood cause water to be removed from body tissues, leading to severe dehydration. Many animals require days of hospitalization after ingesting salt.”
TikTok reacts
On April 8, she captioned the video: “#onthisday you guys literally saved my cat’s life. Thank you for taking care of #cats around the world.”
The text over the video explains: “I just realized why our pink Himalayan sea salt night lamp has a dent.
“Pocky keeps licking it like a sea salt popsicle,” it said, followed by, “I think this is probably why our cat has been drinking so much water from his fountain lately.”
One user commented: “I think salt lamps are toxic to cats actually.”
“I almost said what many said, but I saw your caption before I did. I’m so glad your kitty is safe and someone told you the dangers,” said another user.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or photos of your pet that you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could be featured in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Unusual knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
