When Minnow was first rescued from the busy streets of Los Angeles, she had nothing but her quick reflexes to keep her safe from traffic.
But last December, everything changed. Brought to a Tail Town Cats adoption event in Pasadena, the sweet tabby instantly won over her future family.
“She was immediately friendly and wanted pets, and she was wearing a Christmas bow collar,” Minnow’s mom, Victoria Ng, told The Dodo. “Adopting her was the best Christmas gift of our lives.”
From the moment she stepped paw inside her new home, Minnow blossomed. She adjusted to indoor life with ease, but Ng sometimes wondered if her little cat still missed the feeling of the outdoors she once knew.
That curiosity led to an unusual experiment. Inspired by a TikTok trend, Ng brought home a plain concrete slab — the kind you’d expect to see in a garden path — just to see how Minnow would respond.
The result was instant and hilarious.
“Minnow was very curious at first and started by sniffing it,” Ng said. “Then, she immediately rolled and wiggled all over the concrete slab. She loved brushing against the slab and the sharp corners. She also tried to gently nibble it!”
Now, the slab has become Minnow’s personal throne. She sits on it while her family does chores, lounges across it during the day, and treats it like her favorite little home base.
And she’s not the only one. Cats across TikTok have been falling in love with their own concrete slabs, whether warmed by the sun or placed in a special spot for maximum comfort.
According to pet behaviorist Dr. Annie, the science behind it makes perfect sense.
“The concrete’s porous, uneven surface makes it really great for two things,” Dr. Annie explained on TikTok. “One of them is holding on to the cat’s scent … The second thing that the uneven surface does is deliver some pretty good scratches.”
In other words, it’s enriching, soothing, and totally cat-approved.
For Minnow, who once braved the streets, her little patch of concrete is more than just a slab — it’s a reminder that she’s finally safe, loved, and free to enjoy the best of both worlds.
