Owner Uploads Photos Of Their Laughing Cat, And It Becomes The New ‘Dad Joke’ Meme (21 Pics)

In an interview with Bored Panda, the cat's owner said that they're "blown away by how much attention Chestnut has received."

"I definitely did not expect him to blow up the way he did. It makes me happy to see how many people love his infectious smile! He’s a sweet boy and I’m glad that he’s receiving the attention he deserves with these funny memes!"

We wanted to get to know this pet cat a bit better, so we asked his owner if they could tell us about him. "Chestnut was abandoned at a pet store that my sister works at when he was about a week old. He was riddled with ringworm and needed a loving home. My sister brought him home to foster him and I ended up adopting him a couple months later! He is now a healthy and happy 6 month old boy with loads of love and energy."

"Unfortunately, I do not know what his breed is exactly due to the circumstances in which he was adopted, but I’m fairly confident that he has some tabby in him and maybe some Bengal as well!" the owner said. "He enjoys causing mischief, chasing invisible creatures at 3 AM, and playing with my other cat, Clyde! Clyde doesn’t enjoy it nearly as much since he’s older and can’t match the insane energy that Chestnut puts out, though. His favorite meals are tuna, chicken, and wet food, but I’m convinced he’ll eat anything that fits in his mouth!"

Chestnut's owner said that their favorite dad joke (and one that they know that their cat would enjoy) is “What do you call a fish with two knees? A two-knee fish!”

"I just want to say thank you to everyone for their sweet comments about Chestnut. This has been a wild ride for sure! I will continue to post photos, new memes, and updates of Chestnut on his Instagram, @prince.chestnut!"

ChazaySSB’s side-by-side photos of Chestnut smiling got a humongous 114k upvotes on Reddit, 2 Gold Awards, 9 Silver ones, as well as a Dancing Corgi Award and a Snoo Nice Award. (Which makes us wonder just how many types of awards Reddit has and if there’s even a cat one. We hope so.)

Meanwhile, Chestnut has its very own Instagram account full of wholesome pictures of the kitty-cat which drew in over 3.3k followers (we’re pretty sure that number’s gonna keep on rising).

Millions love dad jokes, and millions hate them. I personally enjoy lighting up my co-workers’ day with some cheesy dad jokes during breaks and over lunch. And if they’re cringing or hiding their faces in shame, it’s only because they’re embarrassed to admit just how good dad jokes are. R-right?

The main issue people have with dad jokes is that they’re harmless but “only barely clever,” according to The Atlantic. But what makes a dad joke a dad joke? In one word—wordplay. But why we call them ‘dad jokes’ is a different deal.

For instance, McKay Coppins states that dads getting their dad jokes has to do with a “combination of exhaustion and your kids laughing at anything when they’re very young, which creates a perverse incentive system and endows you with false confidence.”

University of South Carolina English professor Stanley Dubinsky tends to agree with Coppins’ theory. In his opinion, cheesy dad jokes are a way to recapture the nostalgia of when your kids were still little by telling “stupid old jokes they used to think were funny.”

He also adds that some people disapprove of dad jokes because “we judge the sophistication of our peers by how sophisticated they are with use of language.” And dad jokes really aren’t shining beacons of sophistication. But they sure are fun! Especially when combined with Chestnut the Smiling Cat.