Emotional support lynx: Woman breastfeeding cat on flight goes viral

Internet - A mysterious Facebook video that apparently shows a young woman breastfeeding a cat on a plane has gone crazy viral, racking up millions of views across the internet. But is it legit?

Is this woman really breastfeeding a cat?
Is this woman really breastfeeding a cat?  © Collage: Facebook/Screenshot/@The-Gooch

The Facebook clip shows a man sitting next to a woman who seems to be breastfeeding on an airplane. Agitated, he complains to a flight attendant that the "baby" currently enjoying its meal is actually a cat.

During the four-minute video, more airplane staff join in the chaos as the young woman adamantly maintains that she is nursing her baby.

After four minutes of furious discussion, a security officer pulls the cloth off the nursing woman and reveals the mystery underneath.

Is this woman really breastfeeding a cat? Or is it an emotional support animal?

It is revealed that there is a cat underneath the towel, but not a real one. She's also not breastfeeding it - the whole thing a is a silly internet prank.

The woman is holding a stuffed doll of a Lynx, which she calls an "emotional support animal." The absurd video was also published on TikTok, getting millions of views, likes, and a variety of hilarious comments.

That lynx ain't an emotional support animal!

The video ended up being a prank, with the woman revealing that it was a fake cat.
The video ended up being a prank, with the woman revealing that it was a fake cat.  © Collage: Facebook/Screenshot/@The-Gooch

The cat was swiftly let out of the bag as it was revealed that the lynx was neither an emotional support animal nor being breastfed.

It turned out that the viral video was actually a skit from comedy site The Goon – and everyone involved are actors. In fact, the original post is even captioned "For entertainment purposes only".

However, the more shocking revelation, though, is that the story is based on a real incident that allegedly took place earlier this month aboard a Delta plane traveling from Syracuse, New York to Atlanta, Georgia.

Woman breastfeeding an animal skit based on a real story

The scandal involved a woman who let her hairless cat breast-feed mid-flight, according to Newsweek. A message on the aircraft communications system pilots use to send short text to ground control reportedly read: "[Passenger] in 13A is breastfeeding a cat and will not put cat back in its carrier when [flight attendant] requested."

Most airlines' official policies support mothers' rights to breastfeed their babies on planes, although the rules on feeding felines are less clear.

Meanwhile, thousands of comments from confused users are piling up on the parody video, with many seeming to have fallen for a perfectly-executed reenactment.

Cover photo: Collage: Facebook/Screenshot/@The-Gooch

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