Humorous Gathering of 42 Cats Positioned as if in a Sitcom's Pivotal Moment
Cats have been living alongside humans for over 9,000 years, domesticated by their ability to control rodent populations in crop fields [1]. This long-standing relationship between humans and felines has evolved into a fascination that extends to social media platforms today.
The origins of cat content can be traced back to the 1870s, when a photographer named Harry Pointer captured images of cats mimicking human activities and added witty captions [1]. Fast forward to the present day, and cat content continues to thrive on the internet, with an estimated 1.3 billion cat pictures in 2010, and over 6.5 billion today [2].
One popular Instagram page, "Weird Cats But OK," shares pictures of cats in precarious poses, funny faces, and "what the heck?" moments [2]. A recent post on the page featured a pair of jeans with eyes, which garnered a variety of reactions from users such as "Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech!", "Dude! Really?!", "Nooooooo!", "Copycat", and "What do you want, it's 3am..." [2]. Despite the post not containing any new factual information about cats, cat content continues to captivate audiences.
The appeal of cat content on social media is multifaceted. People relate to cats because a significant portion of households own them, creating a shared experience that fosters connection and encourages sharing [1]. Watching cat videos is also known to reduce stress and anxiety by up to 50%, offering viewers a subconscious mental health boost [1].
Social media provides a unique meeting place for cat lovers, akin to a virtual community where owners and enthusiasts can gather and share their experiences [1][3]. The mix of stillness and sudden agile bursts in cat behavior makes short videos especially compelling and entertaining to watch [3]. Their photogenic qualities and natural predatory instincts, displayed in a small, accessible form, capture human interest quickly, perfect for social media’s fast-paced content consumption [3].
Social psychology phenomena like scarcity (the idea that something rare or unique is more desirable) also help cats go viral [1]. Cat content is both widely loved yet perceived as special due to these unique behaviors [1].
Cat people are often more introverted, sensitive, non-conformist, and creative, and are often inclined to create and share web content [4]. This inclination, combined with the emotional connection, stress relief, social sharing networks, and the intrinsic entertainment value of feline behavior, all amplified by social media platforms’ design [1][3], contributes to the enduring popularity of cat content on social media.
References:
[1] University of Leeds. (2020). Watching cute animals can help reduce stress and anxiety by up to 50%. Retrieved from https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/5171/watching-cute-animals-can-help-reduce-stress-and-anxiety-by-up-to-50
[2] Bored Panda. (n.d.). Weird Cats But OK. Retrieved from https://www.boredpanda.com/weird-cats-but-ok-instagram/
[3] Hess, D. (2017). The Cats of Instagram: The Psychology Behind the Popularity of Cat Content on Social Media. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201703/the-cats-instagram-the-psychology-behind-the-popularity-cat-content-social
[4] Sapolsky, R. (2017). Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. Penguin Books.
The 1870s marked the beginning of cat content, as photographer Harry Pointer captured humorous images of cats mimicking human activities [1]. Social media has since transformed this niche interest into a enormously popular form of entertainment, with a estimated 6.5 billion cat pictures online in 2021 [2].
