It's officially the eighth month of the year, so—of course!—TikToker Swifties are in their August era.
Taylor Swift's 2020 hit "August" has been making the rounds on social media, complete with a trend featuring ... animals.
TikTokers everywhere have been using their pets in the choreography set to the song's lyrics:
"Back when we were still changin' for the better / Wanting was enough / For me, it was enough / To live for the hope of it all..."
As the music plays, pet owners lift their furry friends and spin them around to the music.
You can see some examples below.
@lizzie3427 He tried to kill me after this #fyp #taylorswift #racoon #august #spintrend
@.naaaat HIS ARMS REACHING OUT I CANNOT
@shaneequah_ safe to say indie loved it #fyp#lambs#petspinningchallange
In case you were wondering: yes, those hashtags do include #spintrend and #petspinningchallenge.
And while we always love a good furry friend video, animal rights activists are speaking out about the dangers this trend poses to animals.
Animal charity Cats Protection warned:
"At no point should an animal deliberately be put in a position to feel fear, anxiety, frustration or experience pain for the benefit of human entertainment."
Central Behaviour Officer Daniel Warren-Cummings continued, telling Metro:
"Cats in particular will experience extreme stress by being swung or spun around and it could even cause them physical harm."
"In the videos highlighted, the cats are showing clear signs of distress. Even more disappointingly, these are being described as cute or funny in the comments section by people who appear to count themselves as cat lovers."
Warren-Cummings finished:
"It’s clear from the language that the owners don’t understand that animals don’t feel and behave the same way humans do and this undercuts the distress that the cats are experiencing."
And though the videos are short, he explained that the trend is still "unethical and should not be encouraged."
While viewers of the TikTok trend are loving the adorable pet cameos, many agree with Cats Protection that the trend is unacceptable.
A few TikTokers have even created videos urging pet owners to avoid this particular social media spectacle.
@thejurassicdogs Visit TikTok to discover videos!
Sadly, the hashtag is still trending. We assume animals everywhere are happy that September is rapidly approaching.
