Cats on the internet

Where it started

Images, videos and memes of domestic cats make up some of the most viewed media on the World Wide Web. Cats have been shared via email since the Internet's rise to prominence in the 1990s. The subject has attracted the attention of various scholars and critics, who have analysed why this subject has reached iconic status. Although it may be considered frivolous, cat-related Internet content contributes to how people interact with media and culture. Some argue that there is a depth and complexity to this seemingly simple content, with a suggestion that the positive psychological effects that pets have on their owners also hold true for cat images viewed online. Some individual cats, such as Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub, have achieved popularity online because of their unusual appearances, considered humorous by internet users. Various popular Internet memes have been produced about cats.