This 'Cute' Cat Game Is Going Viral for a Terrifying Reason and It's a Warning for Pet Parents
A new, free browser game has everyone talking and has officially gone viral, because so many people are tuning in to play for a chance. At first glance, it's adorable, cute, and everything that's good about the internet because it stars a very cute Orange Cat.
It's a fun way to pass the time, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Play it, and you'll see that it's pretty terrifying. But if you're a pet parent, this terrifying, "cute" viral cat game is an important warning, too. Take a look!
A free browser game called brush-jjaemu is blowing up online.
— wR (@WeReporter) April 17, 2026
Players have to brush a cat's fur only when it looks away. If the cat catches them, it gets angry and eats them.pic.twitter.com/Vsuw2BACKX
According to The Express Tribune, the new viral cat game going around is called Brush Jjaemu, a web-based game where you're tasked with brushing a calm, adorable Orange Cat with a brush you control with your computer mouse or your finger if you're playing on a touchscreen. The game is free to play, but it's surprisingly challenging to improve your score.
The game, developed in South Korea, levels up your score the longer you keep brushing the kitty, but the hard part comes from avoiding making the cat mad. If you make the cat mad, you lose the game; if you can avoid that, your points keep going up.
Related: Orange Cat Literally Falls Over When Told He's Handsome and It's Charming
But any kitty parent can tell you that cats are fickle. One second, they're loving the attention, and the next, they're so mad at you they can't contain it. Well, that's what makes this game so viral, because it's very real like that. The reason the game is so hard is that there's no rhyme or reason to when your cat turns mad. And if you brush him when he's mad (when he turns his face to you), you're in trouble, and you get a hilarious jump scare.
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What Is the ‘Consent Test' Every Cat Parent Should Know?
If you've ever been around a cat, you know that they're not like other common family pets because they pretty much run the show. If they don't want attention, they make that very clear, and it can change from one second to the next. That's why it's important for a kitty parent to understand when they want a pet or cuddle, and there's something called a consent test for that.
According to the Edmonton Humane Society, a consent test is what it sounds like: asking for your cat's permission before petting them. Doing this can reduce the chances of you being caught off guard with an angry feline, like this game, and it's just a few steps.
The first is to crouch down, Edmonton Humane Society shares. This means you sit quietly, move slowly, and approach the cat by sitting down near them and blinking slowly.
From there, you reach out your finger or hand low to the ground and wait for the kitty to approach. Wait for them to smell your hand. If that happens, you can move to the third step: wait to see if they rub against your hand or lean into you. That motion, and that motion only, shows they're likely open to receiving pets, and that's your OK to do so.
The Edmonton Humane Society says to keep the pets short and sweet, no more than 3 seconds before offering your hand again. Stick to petting their head and cheeks, and if they show any signs of unhappiness, disinterest, or discomfort, that's your sign to stop.
Hopefully, if you start doing that in real life, you'll avoid scary-but-real jump scares like this viral game.
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 9:20 AM.