Orange cats have become a meme over the last few years, known for the “orange cat behavior” that often calls into question their number of brain cells. In fact, there’s an entire subreddit with 805K members called r/OneOrangeBraincell dedicated to their delightful derpiness. However, sometimes out of that derpiness comes something more. The amazing Trident the cat recently proved that while not all heroes wear capes, some heroes do wear orange.
Alana Falk, Trident’s mom, shuts the door to her bedroom at night. Sometimes Trident, whose fur appears as a dapper orange and white tuxedo with little white socks, will want to come in for “one more pet,” Newsweek reports. What would typically start as a request for “one more pet” quickly escalated one night, however. Trident was “meowing, scratching at the door, and trying to get in,” Falk wrote on TikTok in a video that now has over 276K views. Trident refused to let his owners sleep. Seeing this was unusual, Falk got up to open the door. Trident practically fell inside the room with all the vigor of his scratching and meowing, and ran to the stairs, still meowing, Falk shared. She realized shortly after that something in the house wasn’t right. There was a burning chemical smell in the house that hadn’t been there when Falk and her husband went to bed.
@crazy_falkin_life #hero #cat #kitten #orangecat #notallheroswearcapes #saved #fire #melting #alert #alarm #meow #meowing #catsavedus #weezer #everybodyneedsahero #ilovemycat #trident #tridentthecat #hesmyhero ♬ Hero - Weezer
When her husband went downstairs to see what the smell was, “he found a piece had come off the inside of the dishwasher and was lying on the [dishwasher’s] heating element,” Falk wrote. The smell in the house had been from this piece melting on top of that heater.
Falk’s husband remained unconvinced of the cat’s bravery, but she very clearly disagreed. "...Many people, including my husband, say he didn't 'save' us and that at the most he saved the dishwasher from being destroyed," she told Newsweek. "I still say he saved us and the other cats and our dog because the fumes were so strong as soon as I opened the bedroom door." While dishwashers are often primed to handle melting, there’s still no way of knowing what could have happened if Trident had not pointed out the smell when he did.
Falk was so impressed with Trident’s bravery that she crafted a custom photo of her furry friend. As flames blaze in the background, Trident stands bravely in front of them, the words “not all heroes wear capes” underneath them. She now keeps it on the mantel, where her husband will always see it.
Such a feat might actually not be unusual for a cat, even an orange one. “While the human nose contains roughly five to six million olfactory receptors, cats have up to 200 million,” veterinarian Dr. Teri Linn Byrd told Rover. Their noses are some 40 times more effective than a little old human’s could ever be. Plus, as Rover shares, they use these powerful receptors not just to seek out treats, but to sniff out danger. Indeed, cats have been known to save their families from fire and even intruders.
Trident saved the day in the best way he knew how: by simply being a cat.
If you’re a lover of derpy orange cats, however, don’t worry…his heroism doesn't erase or outweigh his specialness. Trident still is known to get up to a shenanigan or two (see below).
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.