If you haven’t noticed, cats are big on the Internet. Even though the occasional panda, turtle or slow loris gets a slice of the viral action, cats are, and always have been, the prevalent species to be found online.
So why is it that the collective web is a “cat person,” so to speak? Why are there so many kitty pics and videos cluttering up the Interwebs? And what is it about feline-themed content that makes it so weirdly shareable?
There are a few constants not only on the Internet, but throughout modern culture: an interest in all things’cute.’ Starting in the 1870s with Harry Pointer and his carte de visite’s featuring cats with amusing captions, to our modern day incarnation of LOLcats, popular culture has taken interest in kittens, cats, babies, and puppies.
They’re the perfect distraction from our hectic lives. You don’t need any explanation or prior knowledge to understand the slapstick humor that animals provide. Cat videos and images are a quick hit of pure, unfettered’cute.’ They’re also entertainment in easily digestible doses. So, if you’re a cat owner, you’ll understand these pictures…
Cats seem totally comfortable being exactly what they are, and they are totally alive to the moment, which is something we, as humans, have lost sight of, though we are trying to get back to that enlightened state.
Share with your cat-loving friends.