Gracie the Cat from Lefkara Becomes a Social Media Sensation

Gracie, a cat from the mountain village of Lefkara in Cyprus, has taken the internet by storm and become a viral sensation. With hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, Gracie's videos have racked up over 30 million views in just the past week.

In the viral clips, the cross-eyed kitten, affectionately known as "HUH?", responds to her owner's questions with a distinctive, loud sound.

Gracie's owner, Aileen, originally from Bulgaria, lived in England for ten years before relocating to Lefkara six years ago. Aileen has been an active animal welfare volunteer throughout her life and has rescued many animals, with Gracie being no exception.

"In late August of last year, I was at Governor's Beach, where there were many stray cats—thin and emaciated animals struggling to survive. Among them was a tiny ball of black fur fighting for scraps. I knew she wouldn’t make it through the winter, so I brought her home," Aileen shared.

Gracie was named for her natural elegance.

Aileen also helps manage the Lefkara Rescue Shelter, which collaborates with the British charity STAR to treat and rehome dogs and cats. The shelter is often overcrowded, so Aileen's home is always full of cats, including Gracie.

"I did what I always do when I have a cat in need of a home. I recorded a video of Gracie and posted it on social media," Aileen explained.

The video went viral overnight after being posted on the charity’s TikTok page, quickly amassing thousands of likes and comments.

Gracie's popularity soared even higher when another TikTok user added the "HUH?" sound effect to the video.

Aileen noted that this wasn’t the sound Gracie originally made.

"It's actually a sound from another viral video, added over Gracie’s meowing. But I don’t mind at all; it just increased the video's reach—and the charity’s. Anything we can do to attract support for our rescues is crucial, and Gracie’s viral fame is helping with that," Aileen said.

Although Aileen has received numerous adoption offers since Gracie became a star, she has turned them all down. So, the "HUH? cat" continues to live with Aileen in Lefkara, and her follower count keeps growing.

"Anyone who watches the Huh Cat video can choose to donate to the shelter or charity or even adopt one of our animals," Aileen added.

You can find Gracie on Instagram @huh.cat.gracie and on TikTok @gracie.cat.official.