Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

This is the moment when a young woman gets the fright of her life after mistaking her sleeping cat for dead.

The footage was filmed in pet owner Ms Gu’s flat in Tieling city, Liaoning province, China on Tuesday, 24th May.

In the clip, Ms Gu can be seen whittling away the time on her mobile phone while stretched out on what looks like a sofa bed alongside her beloved pet.

She can then be seen stroking its ginger fur before giving its head and then its arm a little wobble.

But when the dozing cat fails to react, she assumes the worst and immediately sits up and drops her phone.

She can then be seen shaking the moggy vigorously before picking it up, causing it to finally emerge from its deep slumber and prompting Ms Gu to exhale a sigh of relief.

Ms Gu later explained that she was terrified at the time, as the cat seemed to have no heartbeat.

The clip was posted online and gained traction among netizens, including one aptly named ‘I didn’t sleep anyway’, who commented: “I envy being able to sleep so deeply.”