This cat picture has the internet baffled - can you spot why people are confused?

Posted online by a cat lover, the feline photograph poses some difficult questions that are giving 'paws for thought'

Look carefully and count how many cats you can see.

If you said one, you're being cynical about the internet's newest viral illusion - and if you said two, you may want to look again.

At first glance it seems as though there is one ginger cat and his dark shadow.

But the 'shadow' has glowing amber eyes, and it's baffling commenters online.

Post on Imgur by Natural_Distortion, it's had more than 800,000 views already.

Read more: What colour are these hearts? Optical illusion leaves internet baffled

“I was halfway through typing “bad Photoshop” before I realised...” said the first comment.

“I am so confused right now. Is that a black cat or the orange cat has a weird-a** shadow with eyes ? WHAT AM I LOOKING AT ? “O”,” another posted.

The illusion has been explained by Natural_Distortion who says that the ginger cat is a female called Pete - and her dark-haired friend is a real-life cat named Sully.

“They do often clean each other’s heads,” the poster added.

“The black male gets pretty aggressive but doesn’t snap at her much.”