A gray tabby cat has sparked a heated discussion on the internet recently because of her somewhat unusual personal sleeping routine.

A cat owner shared two photos on the Reddit platform in the r/aww forum, which actually ended up angering many viewers.

In the photos, the cat lies relaxed on a blanket and hugs a white and blue parakeet between her paws.

The owner writes, "My kitten won’t sleep unless he’s hugging his parakeet."

The post immediately went viral: over 11,000 likes and 228 comments were collected under the post, but many in the community reacted angrily.

One commenter was astonished, writing, "I thought it was a stuffed toy at first but surely it's not good for the bird? Maybe get the cat a plushy toy instead."

"It took me 3 times to finally see it’s an actual bird. Poor bird…" wrote another as a third person said, "Glad I'm not the parakeet."

In the comments, users also suggested the other health risks: even a tiny cat scratch could be life-threatening for the bird and lead to an infection!

Typically, cats and birds should not interact directly with each other without constant observation by owners.

Even if the kitty does not show any hunting behavior towards the bird, cats are predators, and their hunting instinct can come through at any time. Both animals need their separate, safe spaces.