A gravity-defying cat has gone viral on TikTok after its owner shared a video of the pet moggy climbing a flight of stairs upside down.

The baffling footage was uploaded to social media by brandonj612, an account dedicated to clips of a white and ginger cat who goes by the name of Cheeto.

In the clip, which has been viewed over 26 million times, Cheeto can be seen scaling the underside of a flight of steps in what looks like the hallway of an apartment building.

Utilizing their claws to maximum effect, the cat ascends the stairs upside down, eventually reaching the top, where the presence of the ceiling prevents them from going any further.

You can watch the video here.

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Though this particular pet's behavior may be baffling to some, to cat behavior consultant, trainer, and educator Allison Hunter-Frederic, it's a natural result of something hardwired into every feline.

"Climbing is one of the first ways that cats start to learn about their skills and abilities. It's their way of developing their muscles and working on flexibility and balance," she told allpetvoices.com.

Hunter-Frederick explained that cats have an "instinctual drive to climb" passed down from their ancestors. "In the wild, cats might chase prey up a tree, or they might use a tree as a concealed site from which to hunt," she wrote.

"Cats still prefer to view their surroundings from a vantage point and might use it to pounce on another household cat in a game of chase." She noted there is also a "certain prestige" to occupying a high position in the home. "Cats who control the top perch are generally the most dominant or the 'top cats."

The cat in this clip has definitely gained a "certain prestige" on social media if the comments accompanying the video are anything to go by.

Mr__5k dubbed him "Spider-Cat" with Pet..Supplies similarly stunned at the feline's "anti-gravity" exploits. Darcywusrealwife went further, declaring: "this cat beat gravity." And1213456781 disagreed slightly, explaining that this "cat doesn't believe in gravity."

ClawBoss loved the end of the video where the cat appeared to be "surprised" when he realized "he couldn't go any further."

Harald Ramond offered a unique take on the clip, noting it make "even less sense" if you watch it upside down.

Sungodnika__ was convinced "This cat just saw Spider-Man: No Way Home" while Tal Hakmon quipped: "Spider cat, spider cat do exactly what spider does."

Life_XD struggled to watch the video, writing: "ts all fun and games untill his paws slip." However, most were focused on the Spider-Man comparisons with one of the best comments coming from Ellaamanda99 who joked: "That is not a cat, that is Peter Parkour!"

Newsweek has contacted brandonj612 for comment.

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