By Vurdlak on June 19, 2010, with 456 Comments
Spinning Girl optical illusion was the one responsible for skyrocketing our traffic back in the old days. Then we have received Spinning Man version. Unfortunately that one didn’t gain as much attention, I hoped it would. Let’s see if spinning some cats helps. User called Pech Misfortune (oh, the irony) created this animated gif using ImageReady in addition with 3D Studio Max. The illusions is simple – all you have to do is see the cat rotate in both directions. At first you may think it’s impossible, but after some practice you’ll soon be able to switch the direction with each round. I’m also interested to hear your comments about the original direction you saw the cat spin at? When I first saw this, it appeared to move clockwise. Now each time I see it – it’s just the opposite (concentrate on it’s tale to switch).
(92 votes)
it was hard at first but now i can change it easily every two seconds!!
i can change with the spinning girl one faster than I can blink, but having trouble with the kitty. :( strange.
At first I saw it going anti clockwise, and then I blinked at the right time and it turned clockwise… now I can’t change it back :(
i get get it to turn in a different direction, its annoying, but ill just keep trying right?
I found it makes it easier to use you periphereal (spell check) vision while trying to make it spin the opposite direction.
“Focusing in the corner of your eye” certainly helps. =)
i’ve managed to get it to turn, i find it easier if you focus on the top corner of the screen then change to the other corner when the cat is just about to be sideways… FUN :)
it’s only going right!
Truly amazing. Can change the direction of the spin by looking away for a split second. Best illusion EVER!
I’ve seen this before with a ballerina instead of a cat…way harder to switch this way! o.O Wonder why…
At first I saw it turning to the left, then i looked up to read the paragraph and when I looked back down and it was spinning the other way :0
Im pretty sure this is fake, the brain perceives nothing, this is just one big and powerful .gif image, i recorded this picture on video and the video showed that it actually does switch, but my cellphone does not have a brain [shocked faces] so how can you explain this?
I have had multiple people in the same room watching this gif and we all saw it going different directions. Some saw clockwise, some counter-clockwise.
Turn your head to the left and look at it through the corner of your eye. it works every time!
Wauw this is cool! Tip if you walk by your computer it will switch! :D
i made the tail and the body spin in different direcctions WTF?
I think i know how this works!!!
If you see the cat is spinning right direction, you are been cheated. I bet that the cat is spinned in left direction.
The only way I can seem to get it to switch is by looking at the last few lines of the paragraph directly above the image.
If I have my eyes follow the lines the right way (from left to right) the cat spins that way, if I have my eyes follow the lines backwards, the cat switches direction.
No matter what I try, it doesnt switch.
htf are you people doing that? I’m jealous.
Sometimes it looks as if it’s going back and forth instead of around in a circle.
try putting your finger in between your eyes while looking at the cat then slowly look at your finger it should change direction. :) enjoy.
Hey this illusion is a great lie…U turn it urself after every 2 minutes i guess
Hahah! Made it go right, then left, and now it’s stuck…it looks like it has it’s back facing the viewer and doing some kind of dance D:
I couldnt get it at first but i fin looking above your computer and imagining it turning the opposite way helps
All you people that say it’s fake, ur dumb, sorry but you are. It took me some time, first I saw it only going right, now i can change the direction any second, minute, hour, whatever, it’s fun you can actually feel your brains change or something haha ^^
This is so cool! My favorite optical illusion so far… the first time i saw it, it was turning clockwise… and i don’t know how to change it. but it works!
This is the first time I have seen your website and have been paging through for a few hours. By far, this cat illusion is the best. I am able to “make” the cat turn a half or even quarter turn and then back again, so that it appears to never even make the full circle. Amazing!!!
This is insanity what does a spinning cat have to do with anything?????????
i cant change it back again?!
wow this is simply amazing. i think i broke it though, so hard to see it fully spin around.
wow awsoem!!!!
here’s a hint. try picture the cat facing you and not it’s back
This is just creepy it goes clockwise then anti-clockwise and then its paws go up and down and it also walk from left to right now my eyes are hurting !! xx
yipiiiiiee…. I finally got it after trying hard.. n now I can switch it easly… the power of eyes…
I DONT GET THIS!!! NONE OF THE IDEAS WORK!!! :(
help. :< (sniff)
WOW!! FINALLY! I GET IT! what i do is i put my “hand” (mouse) above and 2 the right of the cats head. then i stare at the “hand” until the cat is facing it. the second it is, i look at the cat and suddenly its spinning the other way! WIERD! SEIRIOUSLY, HOW DOES IT DO THAT?!
I didn’t believe it was possible – I thought the whole thing was BS…but it hit me. It took me ages but it hit me. I don’t know if this will help anyone else who can’t see it, but what I did was focus on the forelegs, and when I saw them coming towards me I told myself they were going away. I did this over and over again, and it took a while, but at some point it happens, and they actually do go in the direction opposite to what you first perceived.
i made it go both ways look at the tale to make it go the opposite way then look at the ears to make it go back
awesum i can nw change the direction of cat both the side
if u see the cat double the other cat is red
I figured it out! for all y’all who are like…dahfuq? look to the corner of you eye once then look back…you’re so very welcome! see if you can make it do the thriller dance! (like go halfway let then switch and spin halfway right…then again….and again….)