Part of the fun of having a pet is all of the cool tricks you can teach it. You know, tricks like rolling over and playing dead and giving a high five or a handshake. It adds a whole new dimension to how people socialize with their pets and shows how smart animals can really be sometimes.
Well, some tricks are super cool, but others can turn back against you. Like a trick where you teach your cat to paw a piano key in order to be fed. And then the cat decides it will ring the piano key all the time because eating is good and you know it.
Don't say you can't teach a cat to do tricks—this one learned to play the piano to say that he's hungry
Meet Winslow, the lovely 7-year-old tabby chonk and animal companion of Kate Nyx, who has recently gained internet fame for just that—pawing a piano key as a form of request to be fed because Nyx taught him to do that.
Now, it’s cool when your cat plays the piano, but not every hour or so when it wants to be fed rather than when it’s time to be fed. Nyx uploaded a video of one such occasion to her Twitter account to show the world what she has to deal with, and the internet fell in love with it so much that it went viral.
The video starts off with Winslow pressing different keys, to which Nyx responds “Is it time for dinner?” Winslow meows. We’re gonna say that’s a “yes.” Then he turns nonchalantly to Nyx, who asks again “When is dinner time?”, to which Winslow lets out a long meooooow. “It’s not noooow,” says Nyx. Poor cat now has to wait another two hours.
Meet Winslow, the cat who went viral because he plays the piano in order to be fed
Image credits: IAmKateNyx
The 7 Y.O. tabby was taught to play the piano because he would otherwise be rowdy and loud
Image credits: IAmKateNyx
Kate Nyx is a musician herself and she explained that she bought the piano on eBay when she was in high school. So it wasn’t long until Winslow also started showing interest in the piano, playing the various notes and trying to figure out where the heck the sound was coming from.
As it turns out, Winslow was taught to play the piano because he was instead using his voice to achieve the same results: “He used to run around screaming all the time and I was like, ‘this is no good,’” said Winslow’s owner Kate Nyx. “The piano is another way to communicate, so he’s not screaming bloody murder.”
“It became some kind of hunting reward because he can’t do much in the apartment. He tends to only play it when we’re in the kitchen and he knows he can possibly get a snack,” elaborated Nyx.
Winslow also uses the piano to express other things, like the need for attention and cleaning the litter box
Image credits: IAmKateNyx
Image credits: IAmKateNyx
But he plays for more than just food. He also uses the piano to express himself in general, like when he wants attention or to have his litter scooped. “It’s his alarm system in general. He learned that I encourage moving his paws up and down the keyboard, so he does that when he really wants something,” said Nyx.
This new-found fame also prompted, naturally, a musical single. A follow-up tweet announced it: “I guess since this is my first tweet to go legit viral, I should inform you his single drops Friday on http://katenyx.com/music.” It’s called Bean Gotta Scream, and it features Winslow giving one of the sickest solos ever. Oh, and don’t get me started on the vocals.
The song is now available on Bandcamp, so be sure to check it out and buy it.
It wasn't long until his owner Kate Nyx, a musician, released a song with her cat on piano solo duty
Image credits: IAmKateNyx
The internet absolutely loved Winslow and his original video went viral on Twitter
Image credits: IAmKateNyx
The internet went bonkers for Winslow and his piano skills. One commenter said that he loved this way more than he should, saying that Winslow is a very talented improvisational piano player, praising the piano solo extensively. Honestly, Winslow plays the piano better than I do, so he deserves all of the fame!
What are your thoughts on this? Does your cat have a talent that you want to share with us? Let us know in the comment section below!
You can listen to the song below or purchase it on Bandcamp
Here's how the internet reacted to Winslow's sick piano solo
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