In August 2023, Aileen Mymyunova, a resident of the Cypriot village of Lefkara, rescued a skinny black kitten with a white chest on Governors Beach, who was fighting with his brothers for scraps. A year later, cross-eyed fluffy bundle Gracie is an Internet star with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram.and millions of views on TikTok. In a short viral video, we hear her owner ask the question. And Gracie, who is barely larger than the palm of her hand, responds with a loud “Huh?”
“My heart was breaking with pity for her. I knew she wouldn't survive the winter. So I picked her up and brought her home, -toldEileen to Cyprus publicationMail.
The veterinarian cured Gracie of cat flu and got rid of fleas. The doctor did not perform eye surgery because he considered it risky. In addition, according to him, strabismus does not in any way affect the health of the cat or its mental comfort.
Eileen is not only an artist and designer, but also a volunteer who helps animals in need. She works at the Lefkara Rescue Shelter, which treats dogs and cats and finds them loving homes in partnership with the British charity Star.
— Our shelter is full. This means that I always have several cats at home. So I did what I always do when I have a cat that needs a home. “I took a video of Gracie and posted it on social media,” explained Eileen, who also runs the charity Lin’s Hearts 4 Paws.
Gracie was sitting on top of Eileen, who was shaking a box of cat treats. Gracie made three squeaks and that was the end of the video. In December 2023, Eileen posted a video on the charity's TikTok account and went to bed. The next morning she found a “tsunami of messages, likes and shares.”
- I was shocked! This little cat from Lefkara became a worldwide sensation literally overnight! - Eileen exclaims.
Gracie's fame increased even more when one TikTok user added a "Huh?" sound to the video. This was not the sound the cat made originally. It was actually the voice of a child from another viral video. But Eileen didn't object because it simply increased the reach.
Since then, Eileen has received thousands of offers to adopt Gracie. She politely declined them. The cat remained in Lefkara. In the last week alone, her video has been watched by more than 30 million people around the world: from Brazil, the USA and Sweden to Japan, the Philippines and Australia. But Gracie herself is not aware of her fame.
“I mean, she's a bit of a princess.” She only hugs if she wants to, and often tries to knock the phone out of my hands. But that’s just how cats are—they’re a law unto themselves, aren’t they? - Eileen smiles.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by HUH CAT GRACIE - Official | Petfluencer | UGC Creator (@huh.cat.gracie)
We, living in Cyprus, know very well that shelters are overcrowded and volunteers are stretched to their limits. We know that animal protection is not a government priority. We know that laws exist but are rarely enforced. And we know that this cannot continue. If Gracie could talk, she would ask why more isn't done on the island to save animals. When it comes to the state of animal welfare in Cyprus, all Gracie can say now is “Huh?”
Aileen MYUMYUNOVA, volunteer, owner of the cat Gracie
Photo:huh.cat.gracie Instagram account
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