No cats were hurt in the making of this wedding.
By Alexandra Blogier — Written on Dec 27, 2022
Weddings are a time for celebration and tradition, including the first dance and first kiss as a married couple.
Sometimes, weddings are about making new traditions, like Instagram user and veterinary doctor, Leigh (@animal.doctor.leigh), did at her wedding.
The veterinarian and bride posted a video of her newest wedding tradition — and viewers are loving her idea!
The bride did a 'cat toss,' instead of a bouquet toss, and her wedding reception.
Instead of the traditional bouquet toss — that claims to decide which of the wedding guests will marry next — the bride decided to toss a cat plush toy to determine which lucky guest would adopt a cat!
Credit: TikTok
The bride noted that all guests were welcome to join in the fun, regardless of gender or marital status.
The fun was when Leigh tossed a Pusheen stuffed animal into the crowd instead of a bouquet.
Pusheen is a plush tabby cat character “who brings smiles and laughter to people all over the world,” similar to how an adopted cat would do the same thing to one's home.
“Everyone did join in; the competition was fierce,” the bride posted on TikTok, along with photos of the cat toss in action.
Credit: TikTok
Social media users had mixed reactions to the unique wedding tradition.
One user praised Leigh for the Cat Toss, commenting that the activity is "more inclusive and doesn’t perpetuate society’s expectation that every unmarried female wedding guest’s #1 priority in life is to find a husband."
Others disagreed, such as one user who shared a "not-so-gentle reminder that a cat is a responsibility for approximately 20 years of your short time on earth and should not ever be a gift or a prize to win."
Yet another follower wondered if people were missing the point of the cat toss, posing the question, "Do people realize that you DON'T HAVE TO adopt a cat if you can't have them? Are you obligated to marry someone if you catch the flowers at any other wedding? No? Then stop complaining and just enjoy a cat plushie getting thrown across the room."
In a follow-up video, Leigh posted that the winner of the cat toss was a wedding guest named Peter.
Credit: TikTok
Over 2000 of her followers commented that they wanted a “cat reveal,” in which Peter showed the internet what cat he adopted.
Peter ended up not adopting a cat but received another gift instead.
The bride then posted that “the universe had different plans for Peter, and has gifted him a tiny human to play with the Pusheen instead.”
She included a photo of the stuffed animal in a crib for Peter’s baby.
Credit: TikTok
She continued on to say that in the spirit of the game, Peter and his wife donated money to the SPCA.
Some users were disappointed in the reveal, which led the bride to record a message to her viewers in her TikTok bio, stating “instead of being mean to Peter, shop the Humane Society’s wishlist.”
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.