Animal shelters across the country see owners surrendering their pets for several reasons—moving, a baby addition, behavioral problems—but one man quickly learned why his and his partner's cat was returned to the shelter.

In an October 2 TikTok video posted to the account @badybole, a man holds the couple's newly adopted cat in his lap. But for the affectionate cat that wasn't enough. Instead, the cat immediately went for the first available skin he saw not covered by clothing and got to work doing what led to his shelter surrender: licking.

The cat got up close and personal, licking the man's ear, with no end in sight. The man didn't budge, accepting the fact that the cat wanted to shower him with love and appreciation.

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The caption reads: "He's got mommy issues."

The TikToker doesn't know why the cat would have been surrendered for licking, as he has been nothing but "sweet and perfectly behaved," the poster said in a comment. The TikToker thinks the previous owner might not have had much experience with cats. Since cats are known to be independent animals, the fact that their licking is a common behavior might come as a surprise to some.

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An article on the website Catster gives several reasons why cats love to give a tongue bath. They include expressing affection, scent marking, attention seeking and feeling stressed or anxious. However, it could also signal medical problems such as pain, discomfort and nausea.

Thankfully, the nonstop licking and affection never became too much for this couple. They recently celebrated their first anniversary of adopting the cat. And since adopting him, the couple have welcomed home another cat. His licking ways are now focused on the other feline, as both groom each other lovingly.

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Newsweek reached out to @badybole via TikTok for additional comment.

The TikTok video has brought in over 2.6 million views, 316,900 likes and 964 comments as of Wednesday. Viewers were heartbroken that someone returned the cat but thankful the couple didn't let history repeat itself.

"That's so sad because that's a comfort for him," said one user. Another asked: "What!? This would make me show him off when guests come over."

Others shared reasons why their pets were returned to a shelter by the previous owner. One user said: "Mine was returned because he 'talks' too much and that's my favourite thing about him."

A second wrote: "Ours was returned because his previous owners said he was too clingy and now he sleeps on me or my wife's feet every night and watches Netflix with us every day."

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.