Kid's science project explores whether cats' buttholes touch all surfaces in your home

Perry, Florida - If you have ever owned a cat, you might have noticed how clean they are. But what about when they sit on your counter, your bed, or your table? Just how sanitary is it to have a feline living and sitting right where you eat?

Kerry proudly shared her son Kaeden's project on Facebook.
Kerry proudly shared her son Kaeden's project on Facebook.  © Facebook/Utopiakerri

To find out, sixth-grader Kaeden Griffin devoted his school science project to this somewhat gross topic.

The animals in his experiment were his own two cats, a short-haired feline named Taco and a long-haired feline named Maya.

His mother Kerry Griffin absolutely loved the idea, so she decided to share the results of the project on her Facebook page.

Dog politely knocks on neighbors' door for the sweetest reason!
Dogs Dog politely knocks on neighbors' door for the sweetest reason!

The title of the project was "Does your cat's butthole really touch all the surfaces in your home?"

As the mom shared, she and her son really enjoyed working on this project together, and no animals were harmed in the name of science.

As Kerry explained, they applied a non-toxic lipstick to the cats' buttholes, and they were ready to go!

Maya and Taco are very well trained and listen to commands like "sit" and "jump," Kerry said. This made it easy to carry out the experiment. The family had the two come sit on numerous different surfaces, such as the floor, carpets, and furniture.

If a lipstick print appeared on the surface they sat on, it would be all the evidence they needed to know if the butthole had made contact.

Mother Kerry proudly reports on her son's experiment

The results of the project

The test participants: Taco (l.) and Maya. Sometimes a white sheet was placed under the cat's bottom so that the imprint would be more visible.
The test participants: Taco (l.) and Maya. Sometimes a white sheet was placed under the cat's bottom so that the imprint would be more visible.  © Collage: Facebook/Utopiakerri

After a few minutes, they removed the lipstick with a baby wipe.

The two participants received compensation for their efforts in the form of treats and lots of praise.

The results: the long-haired cat Maya's rear had almost no contact with soft or hard surfaces, but it was different with the short-haired Taco.

Baby gorilla Jameela bonds with new mama in adorable Cleveland zoo update!
Animals Baby gorilla Jameela bonds with new mama in adorable Cleveland zoo update!

The second cat had no contact on hard surfaces, but there was a slight smear on the soft bedding surface.

Kaeden's results: "Conclusion, if you have a short haired cat and they may be lying on a pile of laundry, an unmade bed, or other soft uneven surface, then their butthole MAY touch those surfaces!"

Of course, these findings are not to be taken quite so seriously, but they certainly provided a laugh!

The post quickly went viral, receiving more than 21,000 likes.

Kaeden rewarded the cats with treats for their cooperation.
Kaeden rewarded the cats with treats for their cooperation.  © Facebook/Utopiakerri

In an update, Kerry shared that all the hard work had paid off, and Kaeden received an A+ for his project!

Cover photo: Collage: Facebook/Utopiakerri

More on Cats: