At first glance, this brain teaser seems incredibly easy. You can quickly spot nine large black cats, so the answer appears obvious. But there’s a catch: the answer isn’t 9! That means it’s time to slow down and examine the picture much more carefully.

Several of the larger cats have smaller kittens hiding in front of or around them, making their silhouettes blend together. Your brain naturally groups the shapes into single cats, which is exactly what makes the puzzle challenging. Look closely at the eyes, ears, outlines, and smaller shapes surrounding the larger figures. Some of the hidden kittens are easy to miss if you only focus on the biggest shapes.

This puzzle is a great reminder that our first impression isn’t always accurate. When we look at an image quickly, our brains tend to recognize the largest and most obvious objects while filtering out smaller details. That’s why the best strategy is to slow down and inspect every part of the picture instead of simply counting the cats you notice first.

So, how many did you find? The answer is 13 cats. If you counted only nine, don’t feel bad—the puzzle was designed to make those smaller kittens blend into the larger shapes. Take another look and see if you can spot all four hidden cats!