ADVERTISEMENT

Cats have become the internet's (unofficial) mascots, and it's easy to understand why. They're always ready to get their photo taken! The members of the subreddit r/meow_irl know this and give these furry icons the spotlight they deserve, offering an endless supply of hilarious, cute, and relatable cat memes.

Whether it's showcasing a bizarre sleeping pose or their dramatic, wide-eyed expressions, the pictures seen on this online community perfectly illustrate what these amazing animals are all about. Continue scrolling to check them out, and don't miss the chat we had with feline behavior and feeding coach Jennifer Van de Kieft.

To learn more about these beautiful animals, we reached out to feline behavior and feeding coach Jennifer Van de Kieft, also known as the Cat Advocate.

She’s on a mission to provide cat guardians with strategies and tools to address behavior issues, better understand their feline companions, and strengthen the human-cat bond. She told Bored Panda that "some common misconceptions about cats are that they are aloof and the easy pet to care for. Cats are not aloof. Like any relationship, what you put into it is what you get out of it."

ADVERTISEMENT

"If you do not provide affection and attention towards your cat, they may respond in kind. If you talk to your cat and provide attention, you'll find they are far from aloof and are loving and affectionate animals," Jennifer said.


ADVERTISEMENT

"Another big misconception is that they are easy to care for compared with dogs," Jennifer Van de Kieft said. "'You provide water, food, and a clean litter box and they are good to go.' This is not true. Cats can thrive in captivity if provided with lots of enrichment."

"Since cats are designed to spend their waking hours hunting and foraging for food, providing exercise, challenges and other enrichment activities is part of being a cat guardian. They require more enrichment than most people realize. They are smart animals that need to have their minds engaged," the feline expert explained.


#6

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

BikiBop Report

Add photo comments
POST
TribbleThinking
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, it wasn't snack time before 84 miles into the journey. I'm not greedy.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The "crazy cat lady" character might also be nothing but a trope! A 2024 survey of 21,106 pet parents from 20 countries found that more men (52%) than women (48%) are cat owners.

Regardless of gender, cats play pivotal roles in our lives. Cat owners appreciate the entertainment (48%) and stress relief (44%) their four-legged friends provide. However, being a pet parent also comes with challenges: 32% feel guilty about leaving their pets alone, and only 42% find their neighborhoods to be very pet-friendly. Additionally, 26% of pet parents say that traveling with their pets feels demanding or challenging.


ADVERTISEMENT

For those of us with less experience, cat body language might sometimes seem hard to read. Jennifer said, "Cats show affection by wanting to be near you, meowing at you and possibly rubbing up against you."

"Each cat is an individual in terms of how much touching they like. As a general rule, cats like high-frequency but low-intensity interactions, meaning they want to be near you, but don't necessarily want to be touched all the time."

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Just as we don’t want cats to scratch our faces, they also have some no-nos when it comes to interacting with us. So if you meet one and want to make a good first impression, "do not approach or get too close as this may be frightening to the cat. Let the cat observe you from a distance," Van de Kieft said.

"Do not make direct eye contact as that can be viewed as aggressive," she added. "One of the best strategies is to ignore the cat and let the cat approach you. If the cat does approach, you can extend your hand or fingers, let the cat smell it, and decide if they want you to pet them. If they do, they may lean into your hand, which is a good sign that a small pet is acceptable."

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

However, "If the cat smells your finger and walks away, do not further engage. If you really want to engage the cat, you can ask the guardian if providing treats or play is a good idea. Each cat has their individual quirks, so it's best to ask the guardian what their advice is to interact with the cat," the feline expert said. Now you know!

ADVERTISEMENT
#25

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

InappropriateBasket Report

Add photo comments
POST
Libstak
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true, you get, purrs and meows and biscuits and smooches. Oh and scatches and gifts of dead mice, birds, bugs and leaves.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#26

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Diligent-Extreme9787 Report

Add photo comments
POST
justagirl
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

sharon, can you PLEASE find out who the father is already?! i gotta give these to him!

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#29

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

oven-toasted-owl Report

Add photo comments
POST
Glix Drap
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Prepare to launch, projectile now in flight, prepare attack vector.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#38

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

ReliableRoommate Report

Add photo comments
POST
Penguin Panda Pop
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't get this one. Two identical pictures of the Sphinx. Anyone care to help me out? What am I missing?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#46

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

meister2a Report

Add photo comments
POST
Mason Kronol
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our neighbor just adopted a couple of kittens. We are thinking of giving her our well made cat trees that have been vacant for a few years. I’m just not emotionally ready to get pets again, maybe never, but I didn’t want to let go and pandemic… But I also think those little fvckers will probably never sit in them😻 Maybe I’ll just give her the smol Amazon boxes.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#48

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Brans666 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Paul C.
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me = You do know what cats look like? Artist = Yeah! Of course I do.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#57

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

My_Memes_Will_Cure_U Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ansi
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A Thumbs-up from everyone that has done this would break BPs website! 😲

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#63

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Minad-Razavi Report

Add photo comments
POST
Holly Herr
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like, when they want you to tell them to stop, and you keep nodding!

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#74

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

meister2a Report

Add photo comments
POST
DadManBlues
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never heard about pet rent. It's ridiculous. In my counrty pets are allowed or not but landlords never ask for extra rent.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#75

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Minad-Razavi Report

Add photo comments
POST
Tabitha
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, what were you doing to Leo to make him bite your a*s?

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#77

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Nameless_Kink Report

Add photo comments
POST
Millie Brown
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so true! I always say "less snacks" then I go eat a snack as a reward

#78

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

nekkototoro Report

Add photo comments
POST
Me. Just Me.
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Security remains stationed at the front door to enforce this policy.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#79

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

Alarid Report

Add photo comments
POST
Paul C.
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My little girl couldn't give a flying one about hoovers or loud machines. I fitted laminate flooring in my house and as I used the very loud circular saw in the drive, I had to keep moving her from underneath, as she was getting covered in dust. K**b!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#81

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

meister2a Report

Add photo comments
POST
Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude, I have enough trouble keeping them off the table and away from my food as it stands!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#82

Cat-Memes-Meow-Irl

kurosagi Report