How and why did cats conquer the internet?
Funny cat videos have long been an internet hit. And many of the furry characters featured in these videos have become true YouTube and social media celebrities, like the legendary and inimitable Grumpy Cat, or "Grumpy Cat," as we call it.
This adorable cat has numerous fans around the globe, and his fame is no longer limited to the internet. He appears on television shows and in commercials. So, how and why did these adorable pets conquer the internet and become its superstars? German professor and cat video enthusiast Julia Laida will help us find out.
You rarely see crowds of deliriously happy people at a typical exhibition, but visitors to the Museum of the Moving Image in New York can't help but smile at the exhibits at one unusual event. Called "How Cats Took Over the Internet," it explores the phenomenon of feline internet popularity. The exhibition features photos and videos of internet feline celebrities and explains each one's path to success.
People stop, mesmerized, in front of exhibits dedicated to Grumpy Cat, Maru, a Japanese box enthusiast, and Willie, a master at quickly unrolling and rolling toilet paper. Visitors spend a long time gazing at portraits of internet-famous cats and taking photos next to them. Enthusiastic and endearing words are heard everywhere: "cute," "bravo!", "super!", "oh, how adorable."
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What are the reasons for loving cats?
Professor Julia Laida of the Free University of Berlin explains the scientific reasons for internet users' love of cat videos in an interview with the German publication Berliner Morgen Post.
“Kittens have a child-like body type,” explains Dr. Laida, “They have round eyes and muzzles, and they can be flexible and sometimes clumsy.
Sometimes pet owners impose their own ideas of beauty: "What do you think of videos of cats dressed in unusual costumes or those videos with funny text? People tend to imbue pets with human traits. And this happens quite often," says the visiting professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute.
Grumpy cat
Cats with unusual appearances are remarkably successful at humanizing them. The story of Grumpy Cat, famous for the disgruntled expression on his face caused by an overbite, is particularly telling. His owner registered a trademark for her beloved pet's name, and two books have been published in the name of the world's grumpiest cat. This cat's unusual facial expressions draw attention to him, and therein lies the secret to his immense popularity. Even US President Barack Obama mentions Grumpy Cat in his speeches.
The interactive area of the New York exhibition vividly demonstrates how people ascribe human traits to animals. Here, visitors assign various characteristics to their pets based on their facial expressions: "pedantic," "curious," or "confused." Those who observe cats are highly likely to see themselves in these adorable creatures. Scientists have long proven that watching videos of dogs and cats, as well as direct contact with pets, positively impacts a person's emotional state.
Because cats are so similar to children, videos featuring them trigger a protective instinct in viewers. "We really like cute kitties and want to see them all the time, including online. When we do, we're in a great mood," says Yulia Laida.
Willie is Better than Your Cat
Viewers are both amazed and delighted by Willie the cat's masterful ability to roll and unroll a roll of toilet paper. And then the question arises: did his owner teach him this, or did he figure it out on his own? The video "Willie is Better than Your Cat," which captivated YouTube users in 2014 and garnered 5 million views, not only contains humor but also opens a window into the mysterious and enigmatic world of cats, where the role of humans is less significant. And that's the special charm of videos featuring domestic felines.
The special atmosphere of the New York exhibition
Before the New York exhibition, the organizers carefully analyzed social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. The popular YouTube platform features slightly more videos featuring dogs than cats. However, videos featuring cats and kittens receive more views, and users often create links to these videos on their social media pages.
“If my own social media was bigger, then pet videos would be even more popular,” says Ms. Laida.
The natural behavior of the whiskered "artists" lends a special charm to these videos. The cats perform certain actions not on command from their owners, but on their own accord: for example, they ride small robotic vacuum cleaners and are completely reluctant to leave them. A curious discovery for many visitors to the New York exhibition was that the cats pay no attention to the camera while being filmed. Their relaxed and spontaneous nature in the videos brings great pleasure to viewers. With dogs, however, things are different when they're filmed. The dog sees the camera and tries very hard to please the viewer by following its owner's commands. The dog videos seem a bit artificial and less engaging than the cat videos.
Cat lovers needed a place where they could talk about their extraordinary pets: beautiful, graceful, charming, photogenic, and with an independent and willful nature. Unlike dog owners who walk their pets every day, it's difficult for cat lovers to meet up casually on the street. The internet became such a place. The World Wide Web serves as a virtual meeting place for cat owners, where they can discuss everything related to their beloved pets, from care to the role of cats in our lives.
In different countries, people love not only cats
Cat videos are particularly popular in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and Japan. In some countries, other pets are of particular interest to internet users. Mexicans favor the llama, while the Chinese favor the alpaca, which has recently become a symbol of the fight against internet censorship in China. In Russia, cat videos also enjoy a large following among internet users. Last year, a video of a stray cat feasting on seafood in a shop at Vladivostok Airport exploded on the Russian internet. The clip garnered nearly 6,000 views on YouTube in just a few days.
Watching cat videos is a wonderful way to unwind for the whole family. These sweet videos lift viewers' spirits, help them escape the drudgery of everyday life, and bring a smile to their faces. Scientists have recently proven that watching videos of cats and kittens improves people's psychological health. Furthermore, these YouTube videos can help people better understand the strong and independent nature of cats. And even those who don't yet have a cat will be inspired to adopt a charming, purring pet.
Translation by O. V. Ryndina
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