ADVERTISEMENT

Cats have become the internet's (unofficial) mascots, and it's easy to understand why. They're always ready to get their photo taken! The members of the subreddit r/meow_irl know this and give these furry icons the spotlight they deserve, offering an endless supply of hilarious, cute, and relatable cat memes.

Whether it's showcasing a bizarre sleeping pose or their dramatic, wide-eyed expressions, the pictures seen on this online community perfectly illustrate what these amazing animals are all about. Continue scrolling to check them out, and don't miss the chat we had with feline behavior and feeding coach Jennifer Van de Kieft.

To learn more about these beautiful animals, we reached out to feline behavior and feeding coach Jennifer Van de Kieft, also known as the Cat Advocate.

She’s on a mission to provide cat guardians with strategies and tools to address behavior issues, better understand their feline companions, and strengthen the human-cat bond. She told Bored Panda that "some common misconceptions about cats are that they are aloof and the easy pet to care for. Cats are not aloof. Like any relationship, what you put into it is what you get out of it."

"If you do not provide affection and attention towards your cat, they may respond in kind. If you talk to your cat and provide attention, you'll find they are far from aloof and are loving and affectionate animals," Jennifer said.


ADVERTISEMENT

"Another big misconception is that they are easy to care for compared with dogs," Jennifer Van de Kieft said. "'You provide water, food, and a clean litter box and they are good to go.' This is not true. Cats can thrive in captivity if provided with lots of enrichment."

"Since cats are designed to spend their waking hours hunting and foraging for food, providing exercise, challenges and other enrichment activities is part of being a cat guardian. They require more enrichment than most people realize. They are smart animals that need to have their minds engaged," the feline expert explained.


ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The "crazy cat lady" character might also be nothing but a trope! A 2024 survey of 21,106 pet parents from 20 countries found that more men (52%) than women (48%) are cat owners.

Regardless of gender, cats play pivotal roles in our lives. Cat owners appreciate the entertainment (48%) and stress relief (44%) their four-legged friends provide. However, being a pet parent also comes with challenges: 32% feel guilty about leaving their pets alone, and only 42% find their neighborhoods to be very pet-friendly. Additionally, 26% of pet parents say that traveling with their pets feels demanding or challenging.


ADVERTISEMENT

For those of us with less experience, cat body language might sometimes seem hard to read. Jennifer said, "Cats show affection by wanting to be near you, meowing at you and possibly rubbing up against you."

"Each cat is an individual in terms of how much touching they like. As a general rule, cats like high-frequency but low-intensity interactions, meaning they want to be near you, but don't necessarily want to be touched all the time."


ADVERTISEMENT

Just as we don’t want cats to scratch our faces, they also have some no-nos when it comes to interacting with us. So if you meet one and want to make a good first impression, "do not approach or get too close as this may be frightening to the cat. Let the cat observe you from a distance," Van de Kieft said.

"Do not make direct eye contact as that can be viewed as aggressive," she added. "One of the best strategies is to ignore the cat and let the cat approach you. If the cat does approach, you can extend your hand or fingers, let the cat smell it, and decide if they want you to pet them. If they do, they may lean into your hand, which is a good sign that a small pet is acceptable."


#20

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

InappropriateBasket Report

Add photo comments
POST
Libstak
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true, you get, purrs and meows and biscuits and smooches. Oh and scatches and gifts of dead mice, birds, bugs and leaves.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

However, "If the cat smells your finger and walks away, do not further engage. If you really want to engage the cat, you can ask the guardian if providing treats or play is a good idea. Each cat has their individual quirks, so it's best to ask the guardian what their advice is to interact with the cat," the feline expert said. Now you know!

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#42

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

meister2a Report

Add photo comments
POST
Mason Kronol
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our neighbor just adopted a couple of kittens. We are thinking of giving her our well made cat trees that have been vacant for a few years. I’m just not emotionally ready to get pets again, maybe never, but I didn’t want to let go and pandemic… But I also think those little fvckers will probably never sit in them😻 Maybe I’ll just give her the smol Amazon boxes.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#50

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Budget_Amphibian_139 Report

Note: this post originally had 109 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda