Cats have always held a special place in society’s heart. They were revered in ancient Egypt, often receiving the same burial rites as pharaohs. More recently, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats has become one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history. Cats have also been featured extensively in pop culture, with the ever-popular Garfield, and in movies ranging from The Lion King to the Aristocats. In the last decade, though, cats have found a new medium for their popularity—the Internet.
But before they were popular online, cats were adored by their owners. They seem to have an inherent popularity among students at Aragon. “Cats are independent and do their own thing,” says sophomore Kevin Ruttenberg. “As long as you feed them they’ll love you. My cats [Sparkle and Bridgette] are outdoor cats, but at the end of the day I can let them in and cuddle with them.”
By nature, man’s feline friend is very manageable. “They’re cuddly, they poop in a box. They’re low maintenance,” notes junior Arash Jalali-Sohi.
In addition to their relatively easy care, cats are also famous for their ridiculous antics. “My cat’s favorite thing to do is jump on the piano in the mornings. I don’t know why, she just does it,” says senior Katie Barnes. But in spite of their jovial disposition, with cats there is always the possibility that some are better than others. “I don’t like all cats, but I like the fluffy ones that climb,” says Barnes.
For all of their rivalry, passions towards cats and dogs are not necessarily mutually exclusive. “Cats have a very peaceful nature,” says Jalali-Sohi. “They don’t always have to be playing with you.” On the other hand, though, Ruttenberg notes, “My cats are pretty boring and I’d probably want a dog.” Junior Alana Young says, “I prefer dogs. I think dogs are more friendly and more aware of your emotions.” It seems that the rivalry is mostly imaginary. “You can be both a dog and cat person,” says Barnes.
Recently, cats have seen a surge of popularity on the Internet. From the early “LOLcats,” pictures of cats captioned with silly quotes, to the aptly named Grumpy Cat, cat memes have never exactly been hard to find. But the question remains: why cat memes? Why not dog memes? Or chinchilla memes for that matter?
“Why not? Cats are exceedingly graceful and disregard a lot of human social norms,” says junior Kevin Bai. Senior Marie Mihara suggests, “If people on the Internet had dogs, they’d be outside.” Popular online sites like Reddit and YouTube are often responsible for creating and propagating various cat memes, which often find their way to other social media sites.
The popularity of cats, while often seen as part of the hipster phenomenon, seems to spread on its own. “It’s not a hipster thing, it’s not like the Egyptians were like ‘I liked cats before you did!’” says Mihara. Cat memes have their own appeal to a wider audience. “I think they’re really funny,” says Young. “Cat memes made me like cats more. Before they were just so serious.” As far as seriousness goes, ridiculous situations like Breaded Cats are particularly popular because they break the stereotype of stoic and reserved cats. “Cats are usually dignified, so it’s all the more absurd,” says Mihara about the memes.
Cats are infamous for seeming more manipulative and pensive than other animals. More than a few theories exist that cats merely use humans as pets, rather than the other way around. After all, cats have an surprisingly high IQ and are known for their cunning nature. It is possible that they have already infiltrated the water supply, and are quietly planning a hostile takeover of—aww, it’s so grumpy!
