Where Did the Cat Memes Come From?

Cats have been memes since ancient Egyptian times. As times changed (mainly the internet becoming a thing), cats stayed as a center point of attention. However, it was only recently that a screaming cat meme and other feline-related jokes started to dominate our views.

The fault of this? Social media sites. Reddit and Facebook, especially groups like “Cats on Catnip” are the main culprits. There, people started to post their cats for the world to see. Some decided to open up Photoshop and changed it into a funnier side. Result? A massive number of funny cat memes.

Why Are Cat Memes So Popular?

Trev Lewis, a comedian and content creator, gave Bored Panda more information about “viral” topics. “The two most common types of content that go viral are animals and food. This is what the data shows. No matter how many times algorithms get tweaked, or which platform we’re discussing, people remain fixated on nourishment and other creatures.”

However, it is humor that truly fuels the popularity of content. “Relatability is a more crucial component because this is the factor that often inspires people to share the content with others. Sharing is the highest form of engagement and the one true path to viral content. All the other forms of engagement will follow it,” the social media expert told us.

Relatable and funny content will have a higher chance of conquering the internet feed. For this reason, the cat, the funniest animal in the world, skyrocketed in popularity. All thanks to the humor found in the number of funny cat memes related to them.

“You can tell when cats are having fun, their faces light up and their eyes go wide and bright as they become excited and alert; their senses heighten and their pupils can widen. Their whole body language becomes animated and light,” Vet Nurse Nina said.

The PDSA told us that one way to recognize that you’re a great owner is when your cats feel confident enough have a “mad half-hour” where they "suddenly become full of fun and excitement, running around, chasing imaginary mice, sometimes whizzing up curtains and being so full of fun that they can’t contain themselves.” That means they trust you.

“If your cat is happy and confident enough to display this kind of behavior, you can congratulate yourself on being a great cat owner as your cat feels very comfortable in your company,” the expert told Bored Panda.

What Are the Cat Memes About?

Every meme is about something. In the situation with cats — it’s about their behavior. When looking at cats, derpiness and seriousness are the sides of the same coin. These sides get captured in a number of cute memes all around the internet. These feline creatures are so derpy that there even is a cat bread meme. So, as long as felines do something “strange,” funny cat memes will capture those feelings, and the “Cats on Catnip” Facebook group will share it.

Why Are Cats So Silly?

Cats are very much solitary and watchful creatures. That’s what Vet Nurse Nina Downing, from the PDSA, the UK’s leading vet charity, told Bored Panda about feline behavior during an interview.

“They love to watch the world go by from high places, and they also sleep a lot and do not appreciate being disturbed! While many do love to play, it needs to be on their terms and only when they’re in the right mood!” she told us.

The animal health expert told us that cats enjoy playing in such a way that mimics their natural hunting behaviors. For instance, they’re huge fans of chasing, pouncing, stalking, diving, hiding, and throwing. We tend to write off these actions as silly and worthy to be turned into cat memes — but it’s only natural to them.

How Do I Tell if My Cat is Happy?

“You can tell when cats are having fun, their faces light up and their eyes go wide and bright as they become excited and alert; their senses heighten and their pupils can widen. Their whole body language becomes animated and light,” Vet Nurse Nina said.

The PDSA told us that one way to recognize that you’re a great owner is when your cats feel confident enough to have a “mad half-hour” where they “suddenly become full of fun and excitement, running around, chasing imaginary mice, sometimes whizzing up curtains and being so full of fun that they can’t contain themselves.” That means they trust you.

“If your cat is happy and confident enough to display this kind of behavior, you can congratulate yourself on being a great cat owner as your cat feels very comfortable in your company,” the expert told Bored Panda.

Why Do People Love Fat Cats?

However, the fat cats seem to steal most of the attention. Why? Because they are usually some of the laziest pets you can have. All they will do, all day, is provide one funny cat meme after another. It is one of the most common meme cats appear in. However, that fun has to stop at some point.

As much as we might enjoy looking at pictures of chonky felines and giant floofs, being that big is really hard on their health. Owners need to regulate what their cats eat and how much they eat to help them stay lean, fit, and content.

During a previous interview, Dr. Ernie Ward, the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, explained to Bored Panda how 90% of a cat’s weight loss journey depends on its diet. The rest is related to physical activity. It’s essential that you don’t overfeed your cat.

How Do You Feed an Overweight Cat?

“That’s why it’s so important cat owners precisely feed the correct number of calories each day. I recommend having your veterinarian assess your cat’s current Body Condition Score (BCS), setting target an ideal weight, and calculating the number of calories you should feed each meal,” Dr. Ernie Ward advised.

“I strongly encourage cat owners to weigh the food using a kitchen scale. We’ve done experiments with cat owners and veterinary professionals and have consistently observed that using a measuring cup isn't as accurate as needed to achieve weight loss in many cases,” he said.

“Even feeding as few as ten extra kibbles each day can add up to a pound of weight gain in a year for a cat. Once you get the hang of it, weighing the food takes no more time than using a measuring cup. Finally, work with your vet to adjust the diet or calories every three months if your cat isn't losing weight.”

The expert said: “I’ve seen too many cats who were being fed the same food for months without losing weight. When I ask them why, the pet parent shrugs, ‘I’m feeding the special food my vet prescribed.’ Weight loss is a journey with many unexpected turns and hills; you must stay alert and be willing to take a different path if you’re not reaching your objective.”

How Can I Help My Cat Lose Belly Fat?

Since cats don’t need much additional exercise (after all, they’re perfect as they are, and these cat memes prove it!), it can be as simple as using a feather duster, laser pointer, or a new cardboard box to play with them daily. Three play sessions, each five minutes long, are enough to help them reach their fitness goals.

“I also like using ‘hunter feeders’ and food puzzles to engage a cat’s ‘inner predator.’ Use vertical surfaces, climbing towers, and other perches to allow your cat to climb and ‘stalk’ as much as possible. Environmental enrichment and exercise are essential for emotional and behavioral health as well as maintaining a lean body mass,” Dr. Ward said, adding that cats can safely lose from 1% to 3% of their body mass each month… so long as they’re using a vet-supervised program.