In a welcomed sign that nature is healing, the internet is once again captivated by a cat video. In the the now-viral clip, a Texas lawyer tries to do his best to make it clear that he is an attorney and not an adorable kitten despite what’s showing on the screen. As a very Texan voice comes from the kitten, the lawyer struggles to turn off the Zoom filter during an official hearing. Eventually, he accepts his fate and just decides to play the hand he’s dealt. “I’m prepared to go forward with it,” the lawyer tells the judge before officially asserting his true human form. “I’m here live, I’m not a cat.”
You can watch the viral clip below:
“I’m here live, I’m not a cat,” says lawyer after Zoom filter mishap
“I can see that,” responds judge pic.twitter.com/HclKlAUwbM
— Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley) February 9, 2021
As the kitten video rocketed to viral fame, the judge in the case clearly had a sense of a humor about the whole thing and even tweeted the video himself while acknowledging that these things happen in our current COVID reality. Via Judge Roy Ferguson on Twitter:
IMPORTANT ZOOM TIP: If a child used your computer, before you join a virtual hearing check the Zoom Video Options to be sure filters are off. This kitten just made a formal announcement on a case in the 394th (sound on). These fun moments are a by-product of the legal profession’s dedication to ensuring that the justice system continues to function in these tough times. Everyone involved handled it with dignity, and the filtered lawyer showed incredible grace. True professionalism all around!
However, in a follow-up interview with Vice, the cat attorney whose now been identified as Rod Ponton isn’t entirely too thrilled with his new viral fame and blamed the incident on his secretary. “I was using her computer and for some reason she had that filter on,” Ponton said. “All it was was a mistake. It was taken off and we had the hearing as normal.”