Some cats yell for fries with loud meows. Powder prefers a more… theatrical approach.
In this TikTok, Powder the cat is riding with her mom in the In-N-Out drive-thru, and from the second they pull alongside the windows, she is ON. DUTY. The text explains that she was like this the entire time they rolled past each employee window, and honestly, she might deserve a W-2 at this point.
Powder fixes the staff with big eyes, and then does the most dramatic little move: she puts her paws together in front of her chest and starts doing a tiny “praying”/“gimme” motion on repeat. It’s half “please, kind sir,” half “hand over the burger and no one gets hurt.” My dog Lola does a similar begging motion sometimes, but I’ve rarely seen a cat throw this kind of performance at a fast-food window. It’s elite-level emotional manipulation. And really, who among us hasn’t considered a tiny performance if it meant extra fries?
What cracks me up is how sincere she looks. There’s no casual paw wave here. This is a full-body plea. You can almost hear the narration: Hi yes, I am clearly starving and need attention, please ignore my well-fed fluff and give me ten orders of plain patties immediately. And from the amount of attention she’s getting online, it’s working. Powder isn’t just asking for snacks—she’s collecting fans.
If you scroll through her other videos, it’s obvious this isn’t a one-off. Powder has a full, chaotic, extremely fun life with her people, and this little “please, please, please” routine is just one of her many charms. But it’s also a perfect example of how clever cats are about getting what they want. They find the move that makes humans melt, and then they hit replay.
Why Cats Turn On the Drama at the Window
That adorable “praying paws” move isn’t just for laughs—it’s communication. Behavior experts say cats often develop attention-seeking habits like pawing, meowing, or staring when they learn that those behaviors reliably get a response from their humans. Rover breaks down common cat attention-seeking behaviors and notes that many kitties use paws, eye contact, and strategic body language when they want food, play, or affection, especially during shared rituals like mealtimes or, in Powder’s case, the drive-thru line.
So if your cat starts doing tiny air-paw prayers next time you hit a drive-thru, don’t be surprised—they’ve simply figured out that in the game of snacks, drama is a very effective strategy.
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This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Feb 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.