We all love cats. But, what’s better than cats? Funny cat memes, of course. From the origins of Grumpy Cat and Kitler, cat memes have grown into a worldwide phenomenon.
Cat memes have become the funniest ways to share and joke about our adorable kitties and their unusual cat behavior. It’s also a way to vent our frustrations by using the cutest cats as a palate cleanser. Regarding funny cat pictures, memes are at the top for having a good laugh.
Cat memes have something for everyone. They’re not just jokes; they’re a way of life. So, let’s dive into 55 of the funniest cute cat memes on the internet.
Contents
The Most Popular Funny Cat Memes | Origins
Before looking at all the amazing cat memes, we must pay tribute to the cat memes that started it all. Here are some of the origins of popular silly cat memes.
1. Smudge the Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
Smudge the Cat gained popularity in 2018 after Tumblr user deadbefordeath posted a photo of a white cat in front of a plate of vegetables. In just a year, the post gained over 50,300 likes and reblogs.
However, Smudge became a sensation in 2019 when Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL posted this photo alongside a photo of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong yelling. Thus, the Woman Yelling At Cat meme was born, and Smudge became a household name.
Tip: If Smudge sounds like an adorable name, then take a look at this list of cute mystical names for your white furball.
2. Bongo Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
This animated kitty meme was posted on Twitter by @StrayRogue on the 6th of May, 2018. They posted an animation of a cat slapping its paws on a table.
Another Twitter user, @DitzyFlama, published the same animation the next day, only with bongos underneath the cat’s paws. They also added a Super Mario World soundtrack song to the animation.
Since then, it has spread all over the internet with many variations, including an electric guitar instead of bongos. It is also used for picture-based memes such as the one above.
3. Nyan Cat Meme
Photo on IMDB
This colorful cat is arguably one of the most popular kitty memes online. The 8-bit Nyan Cat was created in 2011 by Chris Torres. A few days later, a YouTuber named saraj00n posted a video titled “NyanCat.”
This video was a looping image of this pop-tart cat with a famous Japanese Vocaloid song playing in the background. In just two weeks, it received more than a million views.
There are many different iterations of Nyan Cat today, including turning the cat into Gary the Snail from Spongebob or even replacing the rainbow flag with flags of other countries.
4. Grumpy Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
Grumpy Cat may be a popular internet sensation for looking so grouchy. However, the actual cat in the picture, Tardar Sauce, is an absolute sweetheart. Bryan Bundesen posted a few pictures of his sister’s new cat to a subreddit called r/pics in September 2012.
Immediately, this grumpy kitty became a viral sensation as people photoshopped his expression to include funny, cynical quotes. Within two days of Bundesen posting the pictures, Grumpy Cat had been shared over 300 times on Reddit.
Although this adorable cat has passed on, he will always remain a fan favorite for his grumpy expression.
5. Chemistry Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
Chemistry Cat is a classic Facebook meme that your parents or grandparents have probably shared. Another Reddit sensation, this cat’s memes started when a picture of the kitty in a science lab with a chemistry joke was posted in 2011.
However, it only started gaining traction in July, when Meme Generator allowed users to create their own Chemistry Cat memes. Today, this cat is an adorable template for punny science jokes.
6. Keyboard Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
If you were on YouTube back in the days of Smosh and Jenna Marbles, you’d know Keyboard Cat. Charlie Schmidt posted a video to YouTube back in 2007 of footage he filmed in 1984.
Two years later Brad O’Farrell, another YouTuber, uploaded a video called “Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat.” The video involved a man falling down an escalator mixed in with the original Keyboard Cat footage. Today, most versions of this meme include the sound of the video played in the background of fall videos.
Read Next: Orange cats like Keyboard Cat are crazy and absolutely adorable. If you’re interested in these sweet kitties, read more about them in our post about orange cat breeds.
7. Business Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
Apple Jax posted an image of a cat named Emilio wearing a tie on a forum in 2011. A few days later, it was reposted on Reddit with the caption “Business Cat.” It then made its way to Meme Generator, gaining popularity and becoming a well-known meme.
Like Chemistry Cat, Business Cat is used as a base for business jokes mixed with cat puns. It also uses what cats do daily in a more professional format, such as leaving a dead mouse on your desk or sleeping on your keyboard.
You might enjoy reading my articles on cute cat memes on funny cat puns.
8. Whomst Has Summoned the Almighty One
Photo on KnowYourMeme
Whomst Has Summoned The Almighty One is a meme depicting a white cat standing on top of a glowing purple pattern, usually with the meme name as a caption. In 2016, user burningsolar posted a photo of a cat on a bright yellow circle with runic text to Imgur.
In 2017, Tumblr user purrpleaesthetic photoshopped the photo, changing the yellow glow to purple, and thus, the Almighty One was born. Since then, many variations of the purple version have been made and reposted, including text usually used to summon a cat, such as food or a “pspsps.”
9. Longcat Meme
Photo on NobleMe
Longcat originated between 2004 and 2005 when the original image was posted on a Japanese social media site that’s almost like 4chan. The cat’s name is Shiroi, which means white in Japanese. However, she was referred to as Nobiiru, which means extend, and eventually became known as Longcat.
Pictures of Shiroi were photoshopped so she would look enormous. She was added to different scenarios, such as being used as a battering ram or as the flag hoisted in Iwo Jima.
10. Crying Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
Crying Cat first appeared in 2014 on Meme Generator as a variation of another meme, Serious Cat. A user altered the appearance of Serious Cat to include glassy eyes as if they were crying. It picked up traction when people started using it to show their frustration while also trying to keep it together.
Since then, many cats have had their appearances altered to look like they’re crying, and a litter of Crying Cats was born.
11. OMG Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
This has to be one of the cutest cat memes out there. However, it actually came from a terrifying situation. In 2010, a user asked for assistance on 4chan, stating that their cat’s jaw had dislocated and all animal hospitals were closed.
Chocolate, the cat, became very popular quite quickly as the open-mouthed appearance gave him a surprised look. Chocolate was eventually seen by a vet and taken care of. His aghast expression remains a hit today, used as a reaction to outlandish statements or stories.
Cat Behavior Memes
We should be thankful to live in a time where we can document what our furballs get up to and share the memories with the world.
12. Taking Your Cat to the Vet
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
13. Thieving Kittes Meme
Photo by Kpeciv on r/catmemes
14. Cats Are a Liquid
Photo on KnowYourMeme
15. Cats Are Sneaky One
Photo by CharlesOberonn on r/memes
16. Cats Love to Choose Violence Meme
Photo on BoredPanda
17. When You Find Your Cat Online
Photo on BoredPanda
18. Famous Japanese Cat Meme
Photo on Cats on Catnip on Facebook
19. Kitties are Simple Creatures
Photo on Cheezburger
20. Best Way to Keep a Cat Around: Food
Photo on Cheezburger
21. Cats and Food Are a Way of Life
Photo on Cheezburger
Check out more on food and cats in my fat cat memes.
22. Kitty Snack
Photo on BoredPanda
23. No Matter the Cat – They’re All the Same
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
24. Dangerous Criminals and Cats Make a Complete Sentence
Photo by pika-memes on Tumblr
Humans and Cats Memes
Cats and humans have a very special bond. It’s an interesting one, but unique nonetheless as you’ll see in these memes about cats.
25. Never Mention a Cat Without Showing Said Cat
Photo on BoredPanda
You might enjoy reading my dogs and cats jokes and black cat jokes.
26. Take Pictures of Kitties With Caution
Photo by Mundane-Potential123 on r/catmemes
27. We All Miss Out Cats – Some a Little More Than Others
Photo by SubstantialCar1469 on r/catmemes
28. Maybe We’re All Cats Meme
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
29. We Have Hands for Many Reason
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
Photo on BoredPanda
31. They Wake Us Up, but We Can’t Wake Them Up
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
32. This Person is All of Us When We See a Cat
- This Person Is All of Us When We See a Cat
Photo on cheezburger
Cats – They’re Just Like Us Memes
These following memes show kitties that seem to get what human life is all about.
33. It’s like We Forget Everything We’ve Ever Liked or Done
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
34. This is Not a Morning Cat
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
35. Perfect Representation of Work Life Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
36. Perfect Representation of work-Life Balance Cat Meme
Photo by Nami_ninja on r/catmemes
37. The Don’t Call them Cat Naps for No Reason Meme
Photo by BoredPanda
38. There Are Even Hipster Kitty Meme
Photo on imgflip
39. Note: This is Not Permission to Lie on Applications
Photo by Meowed on Twitter
40. It’s Hard to Be Healthy Cat meme
Photo by raquell-_- on r/catmemes
41. We All Know the Feeling Cat Meme
Photo on KnowYourMeme
You might enjoy reading my article about grumpy cat memes.
Cats vs. Other Animals Memes
Sometimes the best cat memes come from cats interacting with other members of the animal world.
42. Even the Pitbulls Are Afraid of Cats (We All Know They’re Gentle Creatures Though)
Photo on BoredPanda
43. Cat Caught a Strange Mouse Meme
Photo by 23k56b on r/blessedimages
44. It’s a Cow Cat Meme
Photo on cheezburger
Artsy Cat Memes
These paintings either show us how cats used to look or how artists envisioned cats (and we’re not sure what’s more terrifying.)
45. This Swole Cat
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
45. Perhaps Artists Have Never Seen a Real Cat
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
47. Cats Create Real-Life Renaissance Paintings
Photo by Cats on Catnip on Facebook
48. Cats in the Middle Ages vs. Today Meme
Photo by Notanambivert on r/catmemes
49. Picasso Cat Meme
Photo on imgur
Wholesome Cat Memes
Cats are wholesome entities sometimes (when they’re not knocking everything over with vigor).
50. Kitties Love Boxe
Photo on Cheezburger
51. Types of Toe Beans Meme
Photo by daily–cats on Tumblr
52. Cat at the Vet Meme
Photo on BoredPanda
53. We Don’t Control Cats Meme
Photo on Cheezburger
54. Remember to Have a Space for Your Kitty
Photo by Every Little Thing Cleaning on Facebook
55. Black Cats Are Derpy – Not Bad Luck
Photo by WholesomeMemes on Twitter
Final Thoughts on Adorable Cat Memes
Whether you laughed, cried, or did a bit of both, we hope these cat memes have improved your day. Perhaps you learned something new about your favorite original cat meme.
If you want to continue the fun, take a look at these hilarious black cat memes, funny cat quotes and jokes about cats.
Amanda created and owns The Discerning Cat. A lifelong cat lover she is the proud parent of two Siberian cats, Alexei and Vladimir. She is passionate about understanding cats and different cat breeds.