The presidential alert system was tested for the first time on Wednesday, and it was immediately apparent that many of the nation’s cats didn't like it one bit.

The presidential alert system was tested for the first time on Wednesday, and it was immediately apparent that many of the nation's cats didn't like it one bit, notes Slate. People all over the country quickly took to Twitter to report how freaked-out their cats were, with a number of them sharing pictures of the wide-eyed and seemingly frozen-in-place felines.  One wrote, "I'm really mad about this presidential alert system for a lot of reasons but mostly bc it just terrified my cat," and another commented, "My cat still hasn't recovered from the presidential alert."  Notably, some have reported receiving as many as nine alerts, but it's unclear at this time if the prolonged annoyance resulted in more extreme feline reactions.
The presidential emergency alert system test message was sent to cell phones and received by millions of people nationwide, reports CNN. "Presidential Alert," the message read. "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed," and sounded an alarm much like the one used for local incidents like severe weather and missing children. The national system is intended to be used for widespread threats, such as terror attacks and mass disasters.