A woman visiting her family decided to check on her cat through a pet camera—but what she saw completely surprised her.

Peanut the cat has been with Phuong for about two years.“His previous owner had to rehome him after moving and posted in a Facebook group,”Phuong shared with Newsweek.

Peanut has settled into his new home nicely.He isn’t alone,either.Phuong also has another cat named Hunnie,and the two have become“best friends,”according to her.Peanut has also grown very attached to Phuong herself.

“He usually follows me everywhere and always wants to be in the same room I’m in,”she said.

Still,when Phuong went out of town recently and left her roommate to care for the cats,she wondered if Peanut would really miss her.So she came up with a way to see for herself.“I’m visiting family for three weeks and set up a camera in my room to look in on them now and then,”she explained.

What she saw when she checked the feed convinced her completely—and might help clear up some common misunderstandings about cats.

Cats are often seen as independent pets,content on their own rather than seeking companionship.But that isn’t the whole picture.Research actually shows that cats can form strong attachments to their human caretakers—bonds that are similar to those between a parent and a child.

In 2019,Oregon State University researchers carried out a“secure base test”to observe how cats react when apart from their owners.About 65%of the cats and kittens studied showed a secure attachment to their humans.

These cats seemed stressed when separated from their caretaker,but calmed down when they returned.Researchers took this as clear evidence of a secure attachment,indicating that cats really do miss their owners when they’re away.

Phuong wasn’t sure if Peanut fell into that category—until she checked the pet camera.She saw him napping,which seemed normal at first.But as time passed,she noticed he was“always sleeping in the same spot.”

Then it hit her.“That spot is where I left my sweater,”she said.The discovery brought up strong emotions.“When I realized,I felt so sad but also really touched,”Phuong explained.

Phuong later posted the video and her story on TikTok under the username peanutnhunnie.

Since then,she’s noticed Peanut returns to nap in that same spot“every single time”she checks the camera.It’s clear Peanut misses his person,and the feeling is mutual.

“I can’t wait to go back and see him,”Phuong said.

For those interested in keeping an eye on their pets at home,the Ring store on Amazon offers a range of security cameras with next-day delivery options.