'Only Child' Cat Has Hissy Fit When Meeting Owner's Family Cat

A feline face-off between two cats has gained viral attention after Scottish fold Rico met his calico counterpart.

The moment was caught on camera in a video that's been viewed 1 million times on TikTok where it was posted under the handle @ricothefold.

Orchestrated by their respective owners, the rendezvous quickly escalated into a hissing match, as both cats made it abundantly clear that friendship was not on their agenda.

The showdown occurred as Rico, comfortably nestled in his owner's arms, came face to face with the calico cat, who was similarly cradled by its human counterpart on the other side of a door.

"The other cat is my boyfriend's family cat, her name is Mocha. We were back home for the holidays visiting them," owner Aria from Los Angeles told Newsweek.

Tension ensued as hissing continued and the cats stared each other down. But cat behavior tells us it isn't unusual for cats to find it difficult to make friends with other felines.

"And yes, Rico is an only child," joked the owner in the caption of the video.

Hissing serves as a warning, signaling the need for space and a clear indication to back off, and is a natural reaction as they establish boundaries and territories.

Introducing cats to ensure success requires plenty of patience and care. Pam Johnson-Bennett, a renowned author and Cat Behavior Associates expert, previously told Newsweek: "Introducing a kitten to an adult cat requires making sure the cat doesn't get overwhelmed by the energetic little newcomer. Keep sessions short and positive."

A great way to introduce two cats is to help them familiarize themselves with each other's scents before any face-to-face interaction. Growling or hissing during the introduction is a sign that the process needs to be slowed down, giving the cats more time to adjust.

Aria explained that while visiting they were slowly working to get Rico and Mocha to accept each other.

"This was the second time we've gone back home with Rico, and this was the 5th day of this visit," she said. "We wanted him to be acclimated to the space so we gave him a lot of time to get comfortable and do his own thing."

The two had seen each other plenty of times, and been able to get used to each other's scent. But it was clear they needed a little more time: "I was expecting this reaction from Mocha's end because she is a feisty little thing. Rico's super chilled so I wasn't sure how he'd react. I think he reacted based on her energy," Aria said.

The viral video captured attention from cat lovers who shared their reactions to Rico's encounter in the comments.

"The fact they're doing all of this while being held is hilarious," said one viewer, while another wrote: "They're both so cute despite the situation."

According to another comment, the video even seemed to provoke responses from cats that weren't in the room when an owner said: "My cat is next to me and also started hissing lmao."

"It's a hiss off," joked another reply, while another pointed out that: "Each of them has to get the last word in."

"I've always loved posting videos of Rico because I think he's the cutest creature alive," owner Aria said. "The reaction has been hilarious. People are discussing which cat made a better point. That made me laugh. For the record, I think they both had valid arguments."

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.

Correction 1/4/24, 10:30 a.m. ET: The headline of this story was updated to clarify this was not the first time the cats had met.