A cat who wouldn't let his owner sleep because he wanted to play ball with her has left the internet in stitches after video proof of his shenanigans went viral on TikTok.

The viral clip, shared in July by his owner under the username @sandraurbanovica, shows the tabby cat walking on his owner's bed with a little ball toy in his mouth, throwing it at her to play.

While his owner doesn't immediately wake up to play back with him, he doesn't give up, patting her in the arms with his paws until she eventually acknowledges him and agrees to play.

"Who wants to sleep, who wants to play," says a caption shared along with the video.

Playing keeps them active and entertaining, but it's also good for their physical and mental well-being. As a natural predator, it's a cat's instinct to hunt and kill prey, and playing gives them the opportunity to put their skills into action.

Cats Protection explains that while cats who have access to the outdoors often play with prey or with fallen leaves moving on the ground, indoor cats don't have this opportunity, so it's crucial that owners provide them with lots of play time and toys.

"The drive to hunt is not because they are hungry, but because hunting activity—the stalk, pounce, play and kill—releases feel-good hormones called endorphins. It's important that your cat is given lots of opportunity to play to keep them mentally stimulated," the website says.

"Play is very important for cats, particularly kittens, as it teaches them the skills needed for life and lessons about the world around them."

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received more than 1.2 million views and 149,200 likes on the platform.

One user, Mymine, commented: "I need my cat to behave like this instead of asking me to play run tag, I'm tired of running."

Cat lover said: "I wake up with toy mice on my face, any tips on teaching them to fetch?"

Nas21 wrote: "Poor woman she wants to sleep but the lovely cat loves her and wants her attention."

Tzitzik2 added: "We have exactly the same ball and my cat acts exactly the same! It was like I watched myself!"

Newsweek reached out to sandraurbanovica for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

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