‘Did the food eat the cat?’: Man leaves can of Fancy Feast outside overnight. Now he’s demanding answers after seeing this on it
A man turned to TikTok for answers after making a startling discovery in a can of Fancy Feast. David Price (@davidprice9837) shared a video seeking help to identify a strange hair-like growth, seemingly a type of mold, coming from the cat food can he had left outside for his cat. Since its upload on Dec. 30, the video has gone viral, amassing over 2.1 million views.
“Am I going crazy?” Price asked at the start of the video, holding up a can of Fancy Feast. It was immediately clear that something was unusual about this particular can.
“So, I have an outdoor cat, and I bought him a can of Fancy Feast,” he explained. “This is what I found today.”
The opened can had a wiry, hair-like growth sprouting from it.
“This hair is growing out of the food that wasn’t [eaten],” he explained. “And it’s coarse hair.”
Pulling the growth from the can, Price revealed that the hair-like mold appeared to be growing out of the pâté.
“Am I oblivious to this, or is this normal? Help me out,” he asked.
The comments section solves the mystery
The comment section quickly provided an answer to Price’s shocking discovery of hair-like mold in the Fancy Feast can.
“Phycomyces mold!” one person wrote.
Another added, “Phycomyces, throw it out and avoid breathing it in.”
Someone else further explained, “Phycomyces is a filamentous fungus that grows in humid environments around the world. It is a saprophyte that colonizes dung, decaying matter, and other rotting materials.”
@davidprice9837 Help me out. Why is this can of cat food growing hair in just 5 days. #fyp #cat #fancyfeast #hairgrowing #werid ♬ original sound - Wing king
What is the hair-like mold growing out of the Fancy Feast can?
The consensus points to Phycomyces blakesleeanus, a fungus colloquially known as the “hairy poop mold.” Named for its hair-like growth, this fungus commonly thrives on animal droppings and decaying organic matter.
Enrique Cerdá-Olmedo, in Phycomyces and the Biology of Light and Color, published in FEMS Microbiology Reviews, states that Phycomyces does not produce toxins and is considered safe for mammals.
When the Daily Dot spoke with Price about the hair-like growth, he said, “I’m not sure what it was [but] I seen where several were saying it was mold or a fungus.”
The Daily Dot also reached out to Nestlé Purina, the parent company of Fancy Feast, for a statement via email.
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The post ‘Did the food eat the cat?’: Man leaves can of Fancy Feast outside overnight. Now he’s demanding answers after seeing this on it appeared first on The Daily Dot.