If you’ve ever woken up from a deep nap, you know the feeling of needing a few extra moments to fully rejoin the world. That groggy pause, somewhere between sleep and being alert, can look a little strange from the outside. A recent viral video perfectly captures that familiar in-between moment after a nap, only this time, it’s a cat experiencing it.
Cat takes a while to settle after a big nap
The video was posted on Instagram by the account @atchoumthecat, which features Atchoum, a Persian cat known for his distinctive appearance. In the clip, Atchoum has just woken up from a nap and is sitting completely still, staring ahead without moving. His owner jokingly explains that when Atchoum wakes up, it looks like he’s “either installing an update” or “seriously considering going back to sleep.”
Adding to the effect is Atchoum’s remarkable coat. His long gray-and-white fur sticks out in every direction, giving him a messy, unbothered look similar to bedhead after a deep sleep. According to his owner, Atchoum has hypertrichosis, a condition that causes excessive hair growth. This gives his fur extra length and volume, making it resemble thick, tousled human hair, especially noticeable right after he wakes up.
The combination of his stillness, intense stare, and unruly fur made the video an instant hit. In less than a week, it racked up more than one million likes, with viewers flooding the comments section to share their reactions. Many joked about how deeply relatable the moment felt, especially during groggy mornings.
One person wrote that Atchoum looked like he had “seen some things,” while another joked that he was “basically an owl cat,” dubbing him a “cowl.” Others said they had “never identified so strongly with a cat,” especially during slow mornings. Several commenters even compared him to a character straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.
