Cat Poses in Front of Their Own Giant Portrait Like 'Supervillain'

A rescue cat has developed a habit of posing underneath a photograph of themselves in a move that's giving the feline serious supervillain vibes.

Cat owner Nils Jacobi has been a photographer since 2011, but turned his attention to taking pictures of felines only in recent years. Since then, he has steadily built a fanbase of followers equally enamored with all things cat. The videos on Jacobi's TikTok channel furryfritz regularly attract millions of views.

It's often said that animal lovers can be divided into one of two groups: cat people and dog people. A 2010 study of 4,500 people published in the journal Anthrozoös found canine people tended to be more extroverted and conscientious, while cat people shied away from the spotlight but were not afraid to bend the rules.

"I love their independence and their curiosity," Jacobi told Newsweek. "From a photographic point of view, I am fascinated by cats' tongues in particular. I just want the viewers to take away some serotonin and see the cats from my point of view."

Rose the cat, or Kleine as she is also nicknamed, is one of four felines who live with Jacobi and who regularly feature on his TikTok channel furryfritz. "My girlfriend adopted Kleine from an animal shelter about 10 years ago before we met each other. When we moved together about five years ago, Kleine came with her," he said.

Jacobi has photographed Rose on several occasions, including for a portrait that hangs in his home alongside images of his three other cats.

Rose's experience prior to being adopted has given her a unique gift: a darkly mischievous smile that appears from time to time. "She had to get one tooth pulled a few years ago," Jacobi said. "We noticed that the tip of her fang was broken, so the rest had to be removed. Since then, she has had that special look, not all the time, but sometimes."

It's a look that's present in Rose's portrait, and one that the feline is evidently drawn to. Jacobi will often find his cat stood or sat close to her portrait. When he found her in the same old place again a few weeks ago, Jacobi decided to capture it on camera.

"She loves sitting in the middle of the dining table in general, even before we hung up the portrait of our four cats," Jacobi said. "Usually, she sits there for about 10 minutes and observes the backyard. I saw her sitting there so often and then I thought, 'Let's post a video about that.'"

A caption accompanying the clip with 8.2 million viewers explains to viewers "she loves sitting in front of her supervillain portrait so I had to take this video." One viewer wrote: "She has a boss aura." Another compared the look to a "mafia Don sitting in their office."

"Revenge is definitely being plotted," a third wrote, while a fourth commented: "all hail her highness." Despite Rose's villainous vibes in the picture and video, Jacobi is keen to stress she is merely striking a pose and, underneath it all, is one very affectionate feline.

"She's a really nice and affectionate cat," Jacobi said. "She always loves getting petted, no matter when. She also enjoys getting attention even more than the other three cats. Sometimes, she sits in front of me or my girlfriend when we sit on the couch and stares at us for minutes, waiting to get petted."

Anyone looking to get in Rose's good books should also know that the route to her heart is through her stomach. "She's patient like no other cat," Jacobi said. "Only exception: raw beef. She goes crazy for raw beef."

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