ADVERTISEMENT

If you ever thought that cats are majestic creatures that are always an example of royal behavior, you are obviously correct. But also, you probably have never lived with a cat. Once a cat is comfortable around you, it will surprise you with quirky behavior and often make you smile by pulling a funny cat face.

Why Do Cats Make Funny Faces?

But what stands behind a funny cat face? Do felines really grimace, or do we imagine things because we want them to be just like us? Believe it or not, there is an entire scientific explanation for this funny behavior. 

Flehmen Response or the “Stinky Face”

Have you ever noticed your kitty making a funny face like they just smelled something nasty? Don’t worry, the casserole hasn’t gone bad in the kitchen. All cats, alongside some other animals, have a special organ on the roof of their mouth that helps them process new and interesting smells, especially pheromones from other animals. 

That’s why making the stinky face can be compared to an investigation or research among cats. Most probably, your purring friend is very excited to have discovered something new.     

Other Funny Cat Behavior

Apart from looking utterly disgusted when smelling something, cats are known for doing other funny things. From showing their teeth in a funny grimace to filling any space they can find with their body, throughout the day, cats will give you a thousand reasons to smile.

Like every living being, each cat has its own personality, and this funny behavior is a way of expressing it. For example, you’ve probably seen a cat stand on its hind legs. Well, cats are naturally curious, so when your kitty cranks its neck as if trying to get a better look at something, that’s exactly what he or she is doing.

#1

I Yawned While Looking At This. Dammit!

Ginger, grey and mixed colors cats yawning

"This is how you know yawns are really contagious"

Viral Cats Report

#2

This Is 'Keys'. She Keeps Putting Her Paws In The Air And Nobody Knows Why

Different colored cats standing on two legs

Laurie Gasper Report

Add photo comments
POST
catropolum avatar
Birgit M
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

🎶Wave your paws in the air like you don‘t care - by Ca(t)meo(w)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Shay Thanks For Bringing This One To My Attention. So Stinking Cute

Small cute cat with his tongue out

"Monsieur cat"

Amy Ketchum Report

#4

The Purr-Fect Wedding Photo With A Funny Cat Face

Cat sitting and photobombing a wedding picture

The Cat Butler Report

#5

New Kung-Fu Cat Meme In The Making?

Small grey cat doing kung-fu

Michelangelo Filippini Giogli Report

Add photo comments
POST
sheila_stamey avatar
Sheila Stamey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

" I got big paws and you cannot lie. You otha brothas can't deny,if you walk by with a smile in place I'll smack it right off yo face!"

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Funny Looking Cats Have a Dedicated Community

There is an entire group on Facebook, called Cats Making Funny Faces, dedicated to photos of funny looking cats. In the interview with Bored Panda, the group’s administrator, Amy Ketchum, explained: “During the week, we only approve cats making funny faces (or poses) as well as cat birthday announcements. Over the weekend, we approve all cat-related content that follows our general rules. It is still at each admin’s discretion what we approve, though. Our main goal is to make the group a safe place so that the members can enjoy it without worries. Members mostly post pictures of their own cats on the weekend as well as memes and videos.”

ADVERTISEMENT

If you open the group’s page on Saturday and Sunday, you’ll see posts about pretty much everything cat-related. “Our members love the ‘free for all’ weekend!” Amy said. “I wouldn’t say we relax the rules of moderating, but we do relax the rules of what content we will approve.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#10

Sometimes You Find Great Things In Apple Trees Photographer Unknown Stunt Cat Unknown But A Definite Hunk

Ginger cat sitting in an apple tree

Laurie Gasper Report

Amy also told us that a lot of work goes into keeping it friendly. “We manually review and approve/decline every post submission each day. Many trolls are removed at that stage. Also, we have a very active community that knows the importance of our primary rule: ‘See something, say something.’ This means if a conflict happens in the comments, anyone can write the word “admin,” and we will see it to take care of the issue. This has been working great for us. We are also very diligent with screening new member requests to help prevent a problem from occurring at all.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#11

Well I Try To Anyways Lol

Woman holding a big angry ginger cat

"When I visit someone who has a cat"

Laurie Gasper Report

#12

Weighing Lana Before I Wormed Her, She's Still Small Enough To Be Weighed In Kitchen Scales, Maybe I Should Have Used A Bigger Bowl, The Look On Her Face Is Priceless

Mixed colored can in a bowl on scale

Jaqui Larg Report

#13

Funny Cat Face Of Shock

Shocked grey cat taking a selfie

Amy Ketchum Report

#14

Lola Would Like Some Attention

Not amused cat laying and looking to the camera

Lilly Kühl Report

#15

Funny Cat? I'm A Stunt Kitty!

Black cat holding on window blinds

Cat lovers Report

Add photo comments
POST
sheila_stamey avatar
Sheila Stamey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Your exorcism is useless here priest! Also, can you please get me down? I'm kinda stuck.. didn't think this through.."

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Amy described the community of Cats Making Funny Faces as light-hearted, friendly, supportive of each other, and, of course, cat-loving. “The love of cats and silly expressions of cats is universal. We have a great community that is filled with lots of familiar (cat) faces and active members,” she said.

When asked about the biggest stars within the group, Amy said, “I have noticed that we often see trends in coat color more than breeds. For example, one day may be very heavy with submissions of black cats, and the next day, the tiger-striped cats may dominate our submission queue. It is just an odd coincidence, though, I believe.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Amy takes care of the group with two other people, Laurie Gasper and Shay Tims, who is the founder of Cats Making Funny Faces. Considering the number of members their community has, it’s really impressive that a team of three can keep it running so smoothly.

#16

I Think He Enjoyed His Kitten Soup

Small black cat with his face covered in milk

Emily Blair Report

Add photo comments
POST
sae84 avatar
Bored Retsuko
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Didn't someone recently comment (on a similar pic) that this is a bad thing? 🤔 Kittens eating liquid food they're not able to, that is?

View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

She Had No Idea Why I Was Laughing At Her Soo Much!! The Piece Of Grass Stayed On Her Face For Almost Half An Hour Silly Baby

Black cat sitting on a chair with branch in her mouth

Michelle Ducharme Report

Cat Meme Culture

Everyone loves a funny cat face, so naturally, the next logical step to enjoy it even more was to create funny cat memes. It turned out that some cats could express emotions so relatable they became internet celebrities with fanbases. Even if you’re not very savvy in the meme culture, there is probably a cat meme face that you instantly recognize and like. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Grumpy Cat Meme

Of course, you’ve seen that permanently angry cat meme. Tardar Sauce, nicknamed by the internet Grumpy Cat, was born with an underbite and a form of feline dwarfism, which gave her a look of constant disapproval. Her owners, however, mentioned that most of the time, Grumpy Cat behaved just like any other cat. Tardar Sauce became famous when her owner’s brother posted her photo on Reddit and remained popular until she died in 2019. 

Woman Yelling at a Cat Meme

This meme is so universal it can be used in all sorts of situations as long as the emotions on the right and left sides are completely opposite. Smudge, the confused white cat at the table, has been described by his owners as rather antisocial around humans. Nevertheless, he feels the need to sit at the dining table whenever there is a family gathering. This particular photo that first appeared on Tumblr was taken when Smudge overtook the seat of one of the guests. 

Coughing Cat Meme

Okay, this one is actually photoshopped; cats in real life don’t make a face like this. Nevertheless, the image started gaining popularity in 2018 when it was shared by the Instagram account @idascreatures that posts photoshopped pictures of animals. While it was often posted as a comparison to how little kids cough, today it can be used as a reaction cat meme face to indicate disgust for almost any life situation.

ADVERTISEMENT
#21

Hapten Is All Smiles After His Neuter Surgery

Happy cat smiling while a sleep

Cindy Engel Report

#23

What Cat Doesn’t Want A Piece Of Pizza?!?

Cat looking at the last slice of pizza in the box

Laurie Gasper Report

See Also on Bored Panda
#28

When You Tell Your Cat No More Cat Nip

Mixed colored cat with his tongue out

Misty Richardson Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#31

I Can Pull A Funny Cat Face Even While Asleep!

Ginger cat sleeping while her tongue is out

Mona Reinvik Report

#32

Not Only Does One Of My Cats Make Weird Faces Rutabaga Also Sits Weird As Well

Scared black and white cat looking at the camera

Mya Coach Report

#33

Gonna Be The Next Angry Cat Meme

Mixed colored cat yawning while looking at the camera

Ashton Harber Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#45

Show Me Your Cats Licking Themselves, This Is My Daisy

Mixed colors cat licking herself on the bed

Caitlyn Davis Report

#47

My Partner Caught This Picture Of Both Of Us Making A Funny Face. The Stink Gremlin Is Named Bailey. This Is His Stank Face, Much More Impressive Than Mine

Man petting black and white cat

Adam Logan Report

#48

Big Yawn Or Big Repulse? Our Newest Addition; Catfish (Aka Miss Squish-Fish Sammich)

Grey cat yawning

Jennifer Debo Dearborn Report

Could Your Kitty Become a New Cat Meme Face?

Little purr balls definitely know how to make us smile both on the internet and in real life. Watching your pet pull a funny cat face improves your mood almost immediately and makes everything a little bit better. If you have a funny cat with an expressive personality, you should maybe start following them around with a camera. Who knows, they might become the next popular cat meme celebrity.

ADVERTISEMENT
#50

That Face You Make When New Halloween Decor Is Being Displayed In Stores!

White cat yawning while laying on bed

Laurie Gasper Report

Note: this post originally had 58 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

More About Funny Cats (FAQ)

There is no surprise in why funny looking cats became a pop culture sensation. Whether there is a scientific explanation for some of their behaviors or it’s just them showing their character, all cats are purr-ly awesome.

Do Cats Understand Faces?

Cats don't look at human faces the same way we do. They don’t rely on facial recognition. Instead, they recognize us by a mix of things like how we smell, how we sound, and how we act. So, your cat may not know your face, but they know it's you by your unique scent, the sound of your voice, and the way you move and behave. They may not always show it, but they do love you and know who you are.  

What Was the First Cat Meme?

It may be hard to believe, but the first cat photos resembling modern memes appeared in the late 19th century. One American and one British photographer, accidentally both named Harry, started taking photos and printing postcards of cats, dogs, and rabbits. The popularity of these cards exceeded all expectations.

ADVERTISEMENT

What Is the Most Popular Funny Cat Face?

Although there have been some attempts at ranking their popularity, it’s quite difficult to say which funny cat is the most popular one. This is largely due to the fact that it’s impossible not to chuckle when you look at any of them, so it’s only fair that they all bask in glory.