TikTok pet menace: Maxwell the Cat goes viral for assaulting other felines in his neighbourhood
Look, it’s no surprise when the internet rallies together prepped to drag a new victim into the mud—cancel culture is alive and well. But what is rare is for that collective wrath to be directed at a cat. Yes, you read that right. TikTok’s latest villain is a feline named Maxwell, who has been dominating everyone’s FYP for weeks. Max’s niche? Starring in clips of him terrorising other cats while strutting around the neighbourhood like he owns the place—and it seems like he truly does.
Thanks to a camera his owners strapped to his collar, we all get front-row seats to Maxwell’s feline rampage. With roughly 2 million followers since posting began in April 2024, Maxwell’s antics have gone super viral on the video-sharing platform and racked up millions of views—alongside a fair bit of controversy…
Viewers are increasingly getting worried about Maxwell’s well-being and the safety of the other cats he’s been picking fights with. Let’s delve into all of the gossip surrounding TikTok’s least favourite feline.
What does Maxwell the Cat do?
Like many cats, Maxwell (or Max as he’s often referred to as) loves to explore the outdoors and socialise with feline friends. However, he seems to have a difficult time actually making them because his preferred love language appears to be violence…
On the account @max20499 netizens can follow his prowls through the area and clashes with cats he comes across. Content warning though: it can get loud, brutal, and vicious.
@max20499 ♬ original sound - max2049
@max20499 ♬ original sound - max2049
@max20499 ♬ original sound - max2049
What does Maxwell the Cat look like?
There is absolutely no way of telling what Maxwell looks like since the camera is never directed at him. Instead, the only visuals we get are shots of the cat’s surroundings and subsequent victims.
What do people think about Maxwell the Cat?
Maxwell has amassed quite a big fanbase in a short amount of time, simply by threatening the safety of every other feline in his neighbourhood. Thousands of viewers seem to find his content funny and engaging, posting laugh emojis and playful jabs in the comment section underneath the short little clips. Yet, from what I can see, Maxwell seems to have garnered even more haters.
“So I just found out about Maxwell the Cat. The cat that runs around with a GoPro on his head just beating up other cats in his neighbourhood. What’s his villain origin story? Is he the Joker? Why is he doing this?” a netizen questioned in response to the videos.
He continued: “The craziest part about this is when you realise that the owner looks at the video of his cat beating up other cats, edits it, puts it on the internet, and then lets the cat go back outside (…). It’s time. He needs to go to Guantanamo Bay or cat Arkham Asylum.”
@boom.news3 Lock this cat up!#foryou #truestory #animals #cat
♬ original sound - Big Boom
@officialwillygooddog #maxwellthecat doesnt stand a chance #bully #goodbye #maxwell20499 @RaeShanda Lias
♬ original sound - WILLY | GoodDog
@funny.memes.clipz Maxwell meets his match? #fypシ #fyp #cat #catsoftiktok #cats #animalsoftiktok
♬ original sound - DailyDoseOfMemes
To many of his detractors, Max consequently earned the title of ‘neighbourhood menace’, due to his perceived lack of decorum and excessive aggression.
Some even began to question if Maxwell was real, highlighting that excessive fighting and behavioural issues on that level would not go untreated by any caring cat owner. Is Max just a convincing deepfake? The theory seems to have captured some viewers.
@fearnoqueen #greenscreen Maxwell aka Max the cat is not real
♬ original sound - Sir Nolan
Yet, people also started playfully defending Max, with some users arguing that there is a reaction for every action.
@manaly21 Theres a reason for every reaction. I stand with Max 🤣 #max #max2049 #cats #catwithcamera #fy
♬ original sound - Manal 🩵
Is Max The Cat’s aggressive behaviour healthy?
According to Pethelpful, an online site for, you guessed it, for pet owners, Maxwell’s behaviour is nothing out of the ordinary. “Some cats are just straight up aggressive,” the site clarified in response to these worrisome videos circulating around online.
Male cats in particular tend to be more aggressive than females and attack other felines, mostly in response to impeachments on their territory. Then there is also character: if your cat is just a little aggro, they sometimes pick fights for no reason. You can’t stop them from being who they are, I guess.
In some instances, this type of fighting can just be for play. Cats can be a little rough when they play around and it’s difficult to gauge an entire situation from a short video clip.
Is it ethical to watch animals fight?
For now, TikTok is completely wrapped up in this footage of literal cat fights and some (myself included) are asking whether it is ethical to watch animals rip each other to shreds as their owners package the footage as cheap entertainment.
Violence between animals can be just as uncomfortable to watch as violence between humans—if not more so—because animals may not understand when to stop or walk away. That said, it’s hard to deny the internet’s fascination with Maxwell’s wild antics, even if it raises some difficult questions about where we draw the line between humour and harm.
