A new study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science has found that many popular online pet videos featuring dogs and cats may involve hidden stress or harm, despite appearing humorous or adorable. The research reviewed 162 widely shared videos from Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, revealing that more than half put animals at risk of injury, while a large majority showed clear behavioural signs of distress.

What the researchers found

The study categorised videos into four types:

  • Harmful challenges — including trends where pets were “slapped” or startled (6.2%).
  • Challenges targeting sensitive animals — intentionally provoking or irritating them.
  • Humour-driven content — created mainly for entertainment.
  • Anthropomorphic videos — dressing pets in costumes or human-like situations (6.2%).

Although these videos often appear lighthearted, the data told a different story:
53% of the animals faced potential injury, and 82% displayed behavioural stress, including wide eyes, ears pulled back, avoidance movements in dogs, and dilated pupils in cats.

Researchers noted that many videos featured pets being frightened, handled roughly or placed in situations far beyond their comfort.

Why ‘cute’ videos can be misleading

The authors highlighted that social media’s emotional appeal often masks welfare issues.
“Humorous portrayals distract from signs of suffering,” the study states. While enjoying animal videos is harmless in itself, researchers emphasised that creators and viewers must ensure no distress is involved.

They also raised concerns about pets with genetic health problems, including flat-faced dogs and Scottish Fold cats, which appear frequently in online content despite their known medical complications. Some videos involved pets with cropped ears, docked tails or obesity — all indicators of welfare challenges.

Experts urge viewers to stay vigilant

The researchers encouraged the public to learn basic animal stress signals and avoid participating in viral “challenges” that place pets in discomfort. They advised users to report or hide distressing videos and to resist engaging with content that provokes or scares animals for entertainment.

The study concludes that while animal videos continue to be a beloved part of digital culture, they should never come at the expense of an animal’s physical or emotional well-being.