WATCH ABOVE: First the dress broke the Internet, now a picture of a cat on a staircase is generating similar attention. Is it going up or down? Allison Vuchnich looks at the latest Internet debate.
TORONTO – Here we go again: A simple question has left the collective Internet perplexed. Is this cat going #UpOrDown a flight of stairs?
Following in the paw prints of one of the world’s most famous dresses, this photo of a cat on a set of stairs has the Internet wondering what direction the feline is headed — all thanks to a 9Gag user.
Like the infamous photo of #TheDress, which took the Internet by storm in February, the way the black and white image was taken has created an optical illusion of sorts.
The image shows the cat mid-stride on the mosaic-patterned stairs, with a small shadow cast underneath it. The light source is coming from the top of the image.
The perspective of image and the light source in the scene has people deceived.
Here’s what some are saying.
“Down because generally the wood would be flat on the horizontal portion of the stairs and the stone is on the back/vertical portion of the stairs,” said a 9Gag commenter, and apparent staircase expert.
“I would say this cat is going up as it looks a bit up and forward. When cats go down, they look where they’re stepping, i.e. down,” said another commenter, and an apparent cat expert.
“Down for two reasons, one architectural and the other biological. First, the tiles and mosaic are traditionally facing the person coming up the stairs which they are here. And second, look at the cat’s tail – it’s facing upwards, or the opposite of the direction it’s moving in. If the cat were to go up the stairs, its tail would point downwards,” reads another post.
Here’s what some are saying on Twitter:
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