Nothing slows your roll deep into a patio-based margarita happy hour like a brain freeze. It's pretty annoying, actually. This can happen sans lime and tequila, of course — and it's not like it's a phenom experienced by humans only. As it turns out, otters get brain freezes. And they're clearly not alone in that #struggle, judging by this cat with a brain freeze who just learned about ice cream the hard way. It's an epidemic of trying to cool off! But at least we're all in this together.
Basically, brain freezes (aka sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia ) happen as a reaction to a rapid change in throat temperature. It's an instant headache that relieves itself just as quickly as its onset, despite the whole tongue-to-mouth-roof trick we perpetuated as children with popsicles (and secretly still subscribe to as adults pounding frozen Jack and Cokes ... don't judge me). The brain freeze functions like a little warning from your brain to chill on the chilling and slow TF down, please. Although animals aren't exactly relegated or known for their enjoyment of icy treats, very cold snacks do happen occasionally, and when they do, non-human critters aren't safe from the torture of an ensuing brain freeze. Nope, sorry. When presented with frosty delicious things, they experience something similar. The proof is in this GIF pudding:
I empathize with that upward gaze. The stare at the ceiling that goes, "WHYYY?" It's a bit of a product from over-indulgence, but like ... What's so bad about that anyway?
For good measure, here are some other videos of animals getting brain freezes because it's Friday and I want y'all to be happy:
This Lil Monkey
Frozen juice DOES sound like a viable plan this afternoon ...
This Other Kitty Victim
THAT NOISE. That noise is everything you actually feel after slamming ice-cream. Shame, pain, regret — but not too much regret. And now for a peek at the wild side...
This Unsuspecting Deer
That pause says it all, actually. Easy on the snow, deer bud. Don't be too cray.
Images: Getty Images; YouTube
