A video of a man tracking down his wandering cat has gone viral on TikTok with more than 5.9 million views.

In the video, Germany-based Nils Jacobi, a self-described cat photographer or "Catographer," wanders the streets looking for his cat using GPS, to give him his "eye ointment."

A 2021 study titled 'Indoors or Outdoors? An International Exploration of Owner Demographics and Decision Making Associated with Lifestyle of Pet Cats' found that, in Europe, 30.2 percent of cats were indoor only, compared to 80.6 percent in the U.S.

The study said: "A growing body of literature also suggests that stress-related illnesses, such as lower urinary-tract signs, are typically more prevalent in indoor-only cats.

"It may be cats without the opportunity or choice [to go outside] that are of an increased welfare concern."

Tracking my cat Frederic with GPS to apply his eye ointment in time #furryfritz #catographer #cat #gpstracker #catgps

More than 1 million people have liked the TikTok video, as Jacobi searches for Frederic the cat. "He must be somewhere on the construction site...He loves construction sites," his owner says, before finding Frederic, who greets him.

Jacobi administers the eyedrops, before Frederic begins to lead him home.

The video has rekindled an online debate as to whether domesticated cats should be kept indoors or left to roam freely outside.

A TikToker wrote: "You are one responsible pet owner. Salute to you my sir," and Jacobi replied: "Some people will say the opposite because I let my cats out, but I think it's a decision everyone has to make for themselves."

User Zerkj0 wrote: "If you're going to take your cat outside, you need to supervise it. Otherwise keep it inside for its own safety and other animals safety."

"I still think it's extremely cruel keeping them inside all I see in flats or housed cats is them staring out the window dreaming of what they should do," Siobhan Pritchard said.

Kate_4evs wrote: "It cracks me up how controversial outdoor cats are in America. Just absolutely the norm most other places," to which Jacobi replied, "It cracks me up what kind of disgusting and mean comments people leave. They might feel more responsible for my cat than for their own kids."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) say, "All cats should be indoor cats," but the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) argue that, "Keeping your cat indoors will keep them away from busy roads, but some indoor environments can become predictable and boring, leading to stress, inactivity and obesity.

"It can be particularly hard for cats to cope with living indoors if they have lots of energy, love to explore and have previously been allowed time outdoors."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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