Taylor Swift cat TikTok trend: The videos seeing people spin pet cats round to pop icon's song 'August'

She’s one of the most highly acclaimed pop stars, so it was only a matter of time before Taylor Swift inspired a TikTok trend. 

The Grammy award-winning songstress may approve of the trend as it involves her favourite animal - cats. Swifties will know that Swift has a cat called Olivia Benson, who is one of the richest animals in the world.

Videos related to ‘Taylor Swift cat trend’ currently have 66.5 million views, and the song has been used more than 90,000 times, so it seems that Swifties and cat lovers can’t get enough of this trend. But what exactly is it, what are some of the most popular videos showing the trend and what have people said about it? Read on to find out what you need to know.

What is the Taylor Swift cat trend?

The Taylor Swift cat trend sees people spinning their cats around to the soundtrack of Swift’s song “August”. The sound was originally shared by TikToker Mikaela Bisson on August 6, but they used it as the soundtrack to a jet ski shot, so it’s a bit unclear how and when people started linking this song to spinning their pets - but it’s now become a viral trend. It’s been adopted by both Swifties and people who just adore animals.

Many Tiktokers begin their video by first showing how they are going to film their pet as they spin him or her by filming themselves in the mirror. Some hold their phone in their mouth, while others hold it under their chin, and some also hold it in their top or find creative ways to attach the phone to their body.

Next, the viewer sees them walk over to where their feline is sitting and pick them up, ready for a spin. They film the video from their point of view, so what viewers see is the reaction of the pet. The movement produces some humorous results; some cats simply look happy while others look startled and some also just look deadpan.

The trend is mainly about people spinning their cat around, but some people have also been spinning other pets, including dogs, a turtle and even a raccoon.

What are some of the most popular Taylor Swift cat trend videos?

Here are some of the most popular Taylor Swift cat trend videos on the social media site.

How have people responded to the Taylor Swift cat trend?

As with many viral trends, the Taylor Swift cat trend has divided opinion among social media users. Some think it’s brilliant, but others aren’t so sure.

Many people think the trend is funny and have commented on the videos to express their joy at watching the cats react to being spun around. One TikToker said: “This trend is amazing”. One person declared it “the best trend ever”. Many people also said they were going to film a video with their own pet after viewing the video.

There are some people, however, who are concerned about the wellbeing of the pets themselves. One TikTok user called Abby posted a video where she said “Taylor Swift loves cats, she would not appreciate you hurting your cat to her song”. The trend has also been called "completely inappropriate" by animal welfare charity RSPCA.

An RSPCA spokesperson told NationalWorld: “Whilst it may seem like a bit of harmless fun to involve your pet in your TikTok video, it’s important to remember that animals are sentient beings that can experience pain, distress, fear, discomfort and more. Forcing them to do something that is not a natural behaviour could be incredibly distressing for them and detrimental to their welfare. 

“The current trend of spinning an animal around to the Taylor Swift track ‘August’ is completely inappropriate and will likely cause high levels of stress for the animals involved. It is never okay to abuse an animal for the sake of a few likes and follows on social media. If you want to show your pet on social media, you should only film them partaking in natural behaviours, pet owners should never force an animal to do anything.”