Can you see the cat? The answer to the Instagram and Twitter optical illusion explained

More and more people have been looking to the internet to keep themselves amused as life under lockdown continues
Can you find the cat in this picture? (Photo: Third Party Contributed)Can you find the cat in this picture? (Photo: Third Party Contributed)
Can you find the cat in this picture? (Photo: Third Party Contributed)

The latest in a long line of internet crazes is the “Can You See The Cat” challenge, which is making its way across Instagram and Twitter.

This is everything you need to know about the challenge - including how to see the cat.

What is the challenge?

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The challenge comes from a cartoon picture of a woman holding a broom.

She’s standing in front of a brick wall, a door and a curtain, with a mop bucket beside her.

Instagram and Twitter users have been posting the picture, asking the question: “Can you see the cat?”

There doesn’t appear to be much space in the picture for a cat to be hiding, and so far the challenge has received mixed reviews from people trying to spot the feline online.

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Some people are saying it’s too easy to spot the cat, while others are complaining it’s too hard.

“It’s so clear it hurts! Funny how so many people still can’t see it though,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another tweeted: “I’ve been looking at this for two days.”

“That took me far longer than it should have! Got there in the end though,” wrote another, with an eye rolling emoji.

How do I find the cat?

For many, the answer to the challenge has been deemed a bit of a cop-out, as there is not actually a cat in the picture.

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Instead, what you’re looking for is the outline, or silhouette, of a cat.

To find it, rotate your phone to the right, so that the woman’s pointed elbow is facing up.

Now look at the yellow wall between the woman's head and the curtain. Notice how the curtain isn’t completely straight?

The curve of the curtain and the outline of the woman’s face and shoulder creates the outline of a cat.

What other optical illusion challenges can I find online?

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This kind of challenge comes under the same umbrella as other optical illusions that have swept the internet.

These optical illusions include the likes of:

- The black and blue or white and gold dress? This illusion took social media by storm, with people arguing whether a picture of a dress was actually black and blue, or white and gold. Those who saw it one way couldn’t imagine seeing a different colour

- Laurel or Yanny? This audio clip similarly divided the nation when some people said they heard a voice saying ‘Laurel’ and others insisted the clip was saying ‘Yanny’

- Swinging forwards or backwards? Posted to social media app Tik Tok, a video of someone swinging on a swing sparked massive debate on which way he was facing - was he swinging towards the camera, or was he actually swinging towards the building?

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