Did you know that black cats are some of the most difficult to get adopted in shelters? 

Everyone knows the saying: "black cats are bad luck." But we, for the life of us, do not understand why this saying even exists. Why would someone look at these beautiful black cats and think that they are anything other than adorable? We could never understand. Black cats are full of meowgic. They appear and disappear on dark couches and in piles of dark laundry. They hide and love, cuddle and smack just like any other cat. But for some reason, people have decided that they are lesser than other cats. And that is one of the reasons why stories like today's happen - why these cats stay in shelters for so, so long. 

For a cat to spend years in a shelter is one thing. Sometimes, cats really do have behavioral issues and trust issues and need to wait for the right human to give them a chance. But not this one. Not Soot. Soot was a stray cat for the first three years of her life, and after that, she spent three years in a shelter. Three years without visitors or applications. Three years without being given a single chance by a single human, despite being one of the sweetest cats. She needed one human to look at her like the beautiful cat that she is and give her an opportunity, and finally, after years of waiting, that human finally came. It took one second - one look - for them to know that they will be taking her home. And despite warnings that she is an aloof cat who would take a long time to get used to some place new, she settled in right away, proving to everyone that she was more than ready for love. 

When you wake up in the meowrning, you need two things: a delicious cup of coffee and a heaping teaspoon of cat memes. 

As every single cat person knows, the best things in life… are our cats. We can't imagine life without them. We would want to take them absolutely everywhere we can. We just want them with us. But unfortunately, we cannot take them everywhere. Not because of the logistics of it. We have cat carriers. We can't mostly because our cats would destroy us if we tried.  And so, we have to make do with what we have while they are at home waiting for us. And although looking at the cute pictures of our cats that we took is good, we still need more of it.

If we cannot take our cats with us, then the second best thing we can do is pretty obvious, isn't it? We just need to scroll through some cat memes. When we get to the office, we need to take those few minutes to prepare for the day by drinking our coffee and scrolling through our mental health cat memes. That's how we survive the day and get back to our cats faster. 

Life and loss go hand in hand, but there's always a silver lining. 

It's never a good time to experience loss, yet everyone goes through it in some way. Aging isn't just about wrinkles or aesthetics, it's intertwined with the collapsing of the body in ways that no one can anticipate until it happens. Losing a sibling or family member can be one of the hardest things a person goes through, but when you're surrounded by other loved ones, family members, or people who understand what you're going through it can actually make the experience transform itself from sad to beautiful. Grief is so multidimensional, and there's always a silver lining to a situation. Take the story below as an example, where a senior cat crosses the rainbow bridge. His 16-year-old brother, Mr. Bear, and his owner grieve the loss together. While they weren't close beforehand, they are since much more bonded and can connect with each other and rely on each other over the loss. 

The senior cat who stays, Mr. Bear, has always wanted to go outside and has been an escape artist since he was a kitten. After his brother, Licorice, crossed the rainbow bridge, it's given him and his owner the newfound confidence and inspiration to finally take the dreams to reality. The cat dad bought him a harness and leash, and slowly slowly, they have been able to use it together. They can now live a different life together, but still happy. They found each other through the darkness, and have found hope in the world. Inspiring stories like these are immensely important to read and cherish because there's no telling what the future holds. It's easy to think that everything will collapse in times of hardship, but people find a way to continue. 

Winter > summer.

Some people love summer – the bright, sunny skies, the feeling of vacations, beaches, and adventures in the air. And then there are winter people…people who love that the sun goes down at 5 pm, who are absolutely agog to get into bed and snuggle up their furry feline friend under covers. At ICatHasCheezburger, we fit into the latter category. Because let's face it, summer is for dog people who want to take their pupper on a road trip for camping and hiking in forests and mountains. Cat people love winter because of their drab, introverted, and cozy demeanors. 

Pawdorable kitties love to be cozy too. They're unrestrained chaos all day running around the house exhausts them so that they crash out early – just like you and the sun. It's not near winter, but we all have that jittery, wintery blues cropping up to make us want to binge watch Harry Potter under covers while drinking hot cocoa. These winter cat memes aren't just cute; they're ground breaking. They remind us to slow down, to breathe, to find joy in stillness. A meme of a cat tucked under a blanket with just its nose and whiskers sticking out carries the same energy as a warm hug. A fluffy white cat rolling dramatically in the snow is a reminder that play doesn't have an expiration date. Meanwhile, the classic cat by the frosted windowpane—eyes wide, pupils huge—speaks to the inner child in all of us who still finds winter enchanting. Enjoy this hissterical list! 

Cat people know something the rest of humanity has not caught up with yet, and frankly, we're not sure how much longer we can keep doing the emotional heavy lifting for everyone. Sometimes all you need is a cat

Not a self-help book, not a wellness podcast hosted by a guy named Chase who says "optimize" too much. Just a cat, preferably one who has decided your lap is its property and your personal space is a rumor.

Need proof? Think of every video titled some version of "dad with the cat he didn't want." It always begins with a man who claims he is not a cat person, usually while wearing cargo shorts and holding a remote like it's a constitutional right. Then, cut to basically a second later, and he is lying perfectly still because a tiny furry landlord is asleep on his chest, purring and making biscuits directly over his heart. The cat wins. The cat always wins.

For many of us feline pawrents the relationship we have with our cat children is unique to say the least. Not only unique in the sense that each cat and hooman are different, but also unique from all other kinds of relationships as there are things that you will often find yourself saying to your cat child that you would not dare utter in public. And today we are proud to share with you this collection of hissterical phrases that feline pawrents pray they will never say by mistake in public.

People turn to ask the reddit community all sorts of curious questions, but when we came across this thread of outrageous things we say to our cats but to anyone else, let alone a grown adult in public, we knew we had to share it with you. After all, there is a certain madness to being a feline pawrent. Felines have no filters and so you are subjected to intense highs, lows and strange situations that you could have never seen coming.

For example take into consideration the pawrent who takes a relaxing bath with the door closed to keep the cats out. Nonetheless, the felines break in and proceed to walk along the edge of the bath, stopping especially close to their pawrent's face when their behind has purrfectly lined up with their pawrent's nose. A fine show of trust in feline culture, but an act that is more than likely going to cause an outburst from the hooman relating to the smelly situation. A phrase that we cat pawrents have used far too often in our pawsonal lives, and one that we hope will never slip out in our public lives. 
 

Rain is tapping against the windows. The sky is turning gray. Staying at home feels like the best plan imaginable. So you grab a blanket, ask for movie recommendations, grab some snacks, and get ready for a cozy afternoon lying on your couch. The best part? Your cat is there to cuddle with you.

That's what rainy days are for. Cancelling all your plans and staying home with your cat. Yes. Why not? Sometimes we need to slow down and find a warm place to relax. A fluffy companion can make the plan sound even better. Cats are the kings of coziness. They sure make any cozy plan feel much cozier if they're included. And they are clearly included. How come you're lying on your couch and they're not invited? No way. That cannot happen. Your cat will be there even if the activity requires zero cats. 

But this activity requires a cat. Cuddling requires a feline friend. If your cat is in the mood for cuddles, there's no way you don't accept them. Not every cat shows affection in the same way, and not every cat wants to show affection all the time. They enjoy company but don't always want to be picked up. So, whenever they feel like it, lucky you! You have to be available. Otherwise, it is a missed opportunity. 

The best cuddles happen when a cat is comfortable and chooses to stay. Offering them a soft place and allowing them to curl up in there with you can make the experience more relaxing for everyone. No, you can't go to the bathroom now. You should have thought about it before your cat lay on your lap. Now you stay there. Don't be disrespectful to a cute cat, please. Disturbing such a peaceful nap would feel almost criminal. 

If it's raining and your cat would rather curl up with you than a blanket, go for it. Cancel your plans. Stay indoors. Love your cat and let them love you back. Let the rain become the background music for a lazy day.

Even as grown adults, a lot of us feel no smarter or prepawed for the ways of this world than we were fifteen years ago. So we figured we might turn to our feline friends for a few words of advice, and hope that their purrspective on the world is able to shake things up for us.

There is no denying that the older we get the staler we get. Like a loaf of bread left on the counter, with each passing day we become crustier and tougher and soon we will all be toast. But until that time, we have the opportunity to change to grow and today we do that with the help of some funny feline friends. Chosen for their unique perspective on the hooman condition. Think about it, cats spend so much time in your company. They see you in your highs, they see you in your lows, they see you when you fret and they see you when you celebrate. They know a whole heap about our lives that we have probably never noticed ourselves.

So if you are ready to take life by the reins and take control then leap on into this clever collection of cat wisdom. At the very least you'll get a good laugh out of it, felines are known for their exaggerated nature and so some of the life lessons are a little over the top. And at best you come away with a new way of looking at the world and a lighter heart. 
 

Cat children come to us in all different ways. Trash cans, dumpsters, alleyways, sometimes shelters and in the rare case through purchase. But there are greater forces at work, forces far more focused on the spiritual connection that a cat should have with their pawrent. And it is those forces that have brought this story's starving cat and her new pawrent together.

We are of course talking about the Cat Distribution System, the delivery mechanism where universal forces choose cats to deliver to hoomans who are purrfect matches for them. Causing them to instantly fall in love and live wonderfully happy lives together. It is a delightful thing and when it blesses you with its powers, your life changes furever. And while the beginning of this tale is a true CDS classic, later on in the story it turns out this feline-hooman meet-cute was not solely the work of the CDS. But this story is actually brought to us by a collab if you will.

For it was not too long before the telling of this tale that our pawrent's soul cat had passed away. A feline that she had deeply loved and who had supported her through thick and thin for many many years. He was so much more than just a cat, so much more than a child even. He was part of her soul and now that he is gone she is left with a hole where he used to be. But knowing how much love his pawrent had to give to a cat, we like to believe he had a hand in guiding the CDS to choose the purrfect cat to heal his hooman's heart. 
 

You can't have your cake and eat it too, but you can have these cat memes. 

This English proverb didn't gain popular recognition for nothing. The proverb literally means "you cannot simultaneously retain possession of a cake and eat it, too". If the cake is eaten, then it's gone. There's no going back. You can't have two incompatible things at once, or at least you should try not to have them. You can't have the best of both worlds, you have to give up something for something else. But let's talk about actual cake. Being a baker and cake designer is a life filled with flour, dust, and imagination. Colors and sticky frostings surround you as you wake up before the sun where the kitchen is quiet and everything feels silly already. There's something so comforting about measuring ingredients and slowly cracking eggs one at a time into a bowl. The level of precision is immaculate, and it's both a science, an art, and an expression. Cats are honey-sweet, which is why we've curated this collection of sweet kitty memes to make your summer morning a bit nicer. 

Bakers learn patience, dough needs time to rise, and cakes need cooling. You can also put cats on cakes! There's no saying you can't. And if you have one cat, you don't have to listen to the above proverb. You can have your cat, your cake, and eat whatever you please. Meaning you can have your cat, cake, and still lazily scroll funny cat memes for the weekend (or work week). Enjoy these silly cat memes for the whole family. You can't have too much sugar! 

We never think about the moment we lose something precious until it happens. Don't let it happen to you. 

Days come and go. Usually in our hustle and bustle lives we don't stop to consider everything good; usually we just carry on each day with the same tiredness or happiness without the sense of immense gratitude, and that's completely human. There's too many complicated feelings all the time to focus just on gratitude or appreciation, but you just never know what you had until it's gone. That's exactly what happens in this story, when a cat owner has to let go of his 22 year old Norwegian Forest cat, Sofus. He's had her for nearly 15 years, and claims she's been with him through everything. Is it possible to grieve for a four legged animal the same you would grieve for a person? He would say yes. Sofus had been with him through thick and thin, through all the good and the bad. He had some health issues, and Sofus was always there for him. After he recovered, he put a lot of his energy outward, and thought that this was the way to go about life, without realizing that everything he loved and cared for was just at home waiting for him. After Sofus crossed the rainbow bridge, all the little memories came together and hit him like a brick wall. Sometimes that happens with grief, and we all experience it differently. 

He leaves us with a message outside of just the appreciation and acknowledgement for how amazing of a cat she was. It's to take the things we love in life and appreciate them day after day, and not wait until we can't. Sofus saved him, and made his life more bearable, and that's why he wants to leave everyone with the notion that we should be appreciating our fur babies. Here's to Sofus, who gave someone a beautiful life. If you're someone with a fur baby, or want a fur baby, keep in mind the immense responsibility involved. Don't wait for the last minute to give love and appreciation to your beloved pet. 

When the CDS finds you, you can go from not wanting a cat to desperately needing one in one meowment. 

More often than not, you don't get to choose when a cat comes into your life. You may want a cat, you may not, it doesn't matter. The choice is left in the hands of the CDS, and we have seen the CDS turn people who have never even thought about cats into cat people in an instant. See? You may claim to "hate cats", but if you get chosen by a cat, you will end up loving it. And you may be someone who has never wanted a cat, but once a cat has found its way into your life, you suddenly can't imagine your life without it. And maybe you're someone who loves cats, who, like the person in today's story, works with cats and takes care of them all day long, but you just don't see yourself adopting in that exact moment. Doesn't matter. Once you're chosen, it's done. 

The vet tech in this story was certainly not planning on being chosen by a cat. They may love cats, but it just wasn't something that they planned. And then Odin ended up in the hospital. And Odin was in bad condition. Odin's eye was not quite right, but that didn't stop this vet tech from looking at him and instantly knowing that Odin is his. Now, it was up to Odin to choose him back. And for Odin, it was a difficult choice to make. If he survived the operation on his eye, he would have a home to go back to, but he needed to be strong for that. He needed to be a hero. And he was. 

Our feline babies are purrrfectly lovely!

For all of us cat pawrents, our kittens are the center of our universe. We spend our time playing with them, cuddling with them, begging them to let us pet them and hold them… Our salaries also go straight to them: toys, veterinarian consults, special cat food, warm beds that they never use… They leave us dry, and we let them. We willingly give them everything we have because we are their human servants. In our relationship with them, we are the needy ones, and they are the ones giving us breadcrumbs of love that we gladly accept because that gives us the chance of spending more time with them and not feeling ignored. 

It doesn't matter if sometimes they seem to be functioning on a single brain cell that fell asleep during work hours; they are the superior creatures. We have accepted that already. It's time for the rest of our families to accept it too, and to get accustomed to the idea that our feline furries are the only babies we're going to have. Like someone said once: "Now, our pets are our children and our plants are our pets." We couldn't agree more. 

We're still wondering why our cats are extremely memeable. Every face, every meow, every weird movement, and every time they act like a liquid are moments that live in our heads rent-free and have the potential to become the most viral memes on all of the internet. The question is, why do they act like that? What's going on inside their minds all day? Are they distracting us on purpose to make us believe they are crazy so they have free rein to execute their plan for world dominance? All these questions will sadly remain unsolved until science develops a machine to read cats' minds, or they indeed take over the world. Whatever happens first. We're betting on world dominance. They're not that far from it as it is… They just need to make a few arrangements, and we could have a cat as king of the world any minute now. 

While we wait for that to happen, we can keep laughing at their craziness, and the best way to do it is with these memes! 

Inside even the scariest tomcat is a softie who's just waiting for someone to break through his tough exterior and love him. 

Stray cats live a completely different life than house cats. For us, as cat owners ourselves, it's hard to imagine the actual reality of a stray cat's life. All we see are our spoiled house cats living the happiest and easiest lives. But we do get a glimpse of the reality. Whenever I go out to feed the cats around my building, I see it. The little adventures that they have are written in the mess of their fur, in the little injuries they get, in their relationships with one another. It's why TNR is so important. It's why helping friendly strays find homes is so important. But it's not just the friendly stray cats who need our help. Inside even the scariest, least friendly cat can be someone who is just too scared. 

Hawkins Cheezies's story is the best proof of that. He is one of those "scary" tomcats. You know, the ones that you know have been outside for a long time. The ones who have a reputation for being combative, unfriendly, and just generally adverse to human interaction. He's the kind of tomcat who you would think has no interest in being adopted… because he's never shown an interest before. And yet, TNR is incredibly important - for all cats, not just the friendly ones who easily get into the crate. A lot of cat people know that, and some of them are actually willing to put in the effort to make it happen. It took months and months to get this extremely smart ginger in for a TNR, but it was so worth it. Out of that appointment came a cat who realized that humans… are not so bad after all. 

In a world where everything tries to get you down, you can always count on the feline side of the internet to get your day, and your mood, back on track to be purrfectly pawsitive.

It's quite obvious that many people choose negativity nowadays. With the state of the world as it is, the constant bickering between people over every little thing, and how ruff daily life has become, the easy choice is to look at the glass half-empty and complain. But if everyone chooses negativity, will anything ever get better? What happened to "being the change you want to see in the world"? What happened to hope, joy, and happiness? What happened to smiling at people as you walk down the street, simply because you can?

It's hard to choose pawsitivity. It goes against the popular opinion and forces you to take a chance on something good. It also leaves you the possibility of being wrong, which is apparently the worst thing that can happen to you in today's day and age. But without hope, without taking a chance, things will never get better. You won't get that promotion, your relationships won't improve, and you certainly won't be the purrson your 5-year-old self dreamed of being when they grew up.

So what does all of this have to do with cat memes and pictures?

These things make me happy. They remind me that life can be equal parts silly and serious. They make me smile and want to share my laughs with someone else. They give me an excuse to send a message to my friends saying, "look at this meme! It's hilarious", and start up a conversation with them. No matter how bad I'm feeling, they elevate my day and increase my pawsitivity for the rest of the day.

Are they the solution to all of life's problems? No. But do they help me enjoy the little things in life? Aww-bsolutely.

Self-care isn't just for hoomans, and these pampered cats are proving that sometimes you need to paws everything, forget your responsibilities, and dedicate an entire day to looking and feeling furbulous.

The feline spa experience starts with a long, luxurious bath. Well, maybe not an actual bath. Most cats would rather sacrifice one of their nine lives than voluntarily get into a tub. A thorough tongue bath will do just fine, followed by approximately three hours of grooming the same suspiciously specific patch of fur. Beauty takes time, and nobody understands that better than a feline.

Next comes skincare. Cucumbers over the eyes? Absolutely. A fluffy robe? Even better. Add a towel wrapped around the head for the full spa-day aesthetic, despite there being absolutely no wet hair underneath it. Looking fabulous is half the experience, and these kitties know how to commit to the meowment.

Then it's time to relax those hardworking paws. Think about everything they accomplish in a day: knocking cups off counters, making biscuits, scratching the couch, opening cabinets they aren't supposed to be in, and sprinting through the hallway at 3 AM. Those toe beans have earned some serious pampurring.

No spa day would be complete without refreshments, either. Forget cucumber water and tiny sandwiches. Bring out the tuna, crack open the fanciest can in the cupboard, and keep those treats coming. A kitty can't possibly focus on wellness with an empty tummy.

Finally, every exhausted feline deserves a massage followed by an aggressively long nap. Dim the lights, fluff the pillows, turn down the noise, and keep unnecessary hooman interaction to a minimum. Responsibilities can wait.

Cats already treat every day like they're paying guests at a five-star resort. The bathrobes and cucumber slices just make their commitment to self-care official.

We would pay a lot of money to go bowling in an alley with a residential cat…

If you ask us, any establishment with a residential pet instantly becomes much more appealing in our eyes. Why go to a regular cafe when you can go to a cat cafe? What could be better than a hair salon in which you can pet a dog while getting your hair done? The options are endless. Basically, there aren't many places where a pet is not an instant improvement. Even a visit to the dentist's office can become a lot more tolerable with a fluffy feline gracing the halls of the clinic. In fact, we would actually pay more to visit a place that is willing to provide an emotional support pet as part of the experience, and we are putting it out there for any business owner who might want to jump on said opportunity.

When the bowling alley owner who shared his story on TikTok found out that the intruder who kept setting off his alarms was actually a stray cat, he didn't know what to do. Even though it could be really fun to have a new fluffy employee join the party, he knew a bowling alley might not be the safest place for a cat to wander around. However, catching the sneaky little guy turned out to be no easy task.

This set off a series of videos in which the sweet owner tried to figure out what to do with the new bowling alley resident. He befriended the guy, secured him in a safe location, lost him a couple of times, and eventually managed to get him to the vet to see if he had another family. The entire journey is waiting for you below, and after you're done, you can watch the first full video right here.

Nobody knows how a feral cat ended up seven floors up an airport parking garage, but getting her down turned out to be only the beginning of her story.

Little black smoke Bengal Lola had been hanging around an office in the garage for a couple of months before the ASPCA finally managed to trap her. The moment a coworker sent word that she had been caught, her future hooman jumped in the car and drove 60 miles each way to get her. A 120-mile round trip for a feral feline who wanted absolutely nothing to do with people? The CDS clearly picked the right person.

Coming home didn't magically turn this frightened kitty into a cuddle bug. After a vet visit for a checkup and vaccinations, they discovered she wasn't microchipped. She is now, though, because this time there would be no question about where she belonged.

For three months, the space under the bed was basically her entire world. She wasn't ready to trust anyone yet, and her new family let her move at her own pace. Eventually, curiosity started winning over fear, and she finally ventured out.

These days, picking her up is still completely off the table, but petting is occasionally permitted and treats have received a much more enthusiastic stamp of approval. We respect a girl who knows her boundaries and can still be bribed with snacks.

The biggest win might be how easily she fits in with her four feline siblings. She gets along flawlessly with everyone, and one brother even sneaks his ears into the third photo like a proud family member demanding some screen time.

Going from feral garage kitty to treat-loving member of a five-cat household took months, but nobody rushed her. Sometimes becoming family happens one tiny pawstep at a time.

This one's a funny one because I'm not sure how to put this, but if someone came somewhere as my guest and disrespected my cat son in any way, shape, or form, they'll be crossing the rainbow bridge, running on a farm, or gone to doggie heaven like the dog they are. Is that a good way to put it?

So from the piece of information I just gave about myself, you can probably figure that in my book, guests who spray a host's cat with a plant mister for walking near the kitchen do not deserve another invitation. Period. A cat that has visited a family cottage since kittenhood gets treated like a pest by people who said they were excited to meet her? Unacceptable.

Didn't this kitten's mom and dad teach him that hitchhiking is dangerous?

If you're a Millennial or a Gen Xer, you probably grew up with the concept of "stranger danger". Don't trust anyone you don't know, even if they say they know your parents. And under no circumstances were you to get in someone's car, not even if they said they had candy, puppies, or whatever else they might use to lure you into their vehicle. This then led to the even more forbidden topic of hitchhiking, which was, according to our parents, where all crimes started. But, not everyone grew up learning about the dangers of such things, just like the kitten who was rescued recently from underneath a University of Georgia student's car.

How he got himself stuck inside her car bumper still remains a meowstery, but luckily, he survived the 800-mile drive from New Jersey to Georgia over the course of nearly 11 hours. They only noticed him when the student stopped and saw his little paw hanging out from underneath her car, at which point she called the police for help. Unable to get him out, they took the car to Tires Plus on College Station Road, where mechanics dismantled the car piece by piece in order to get this little hitchhiker out. 

Now safe and sound, this floofy gray kitten is up for adoption thanks to Campus Cats UGA, and from now on, will be riding inside the car instead of underneath it. All of his kitten brothers and sisters will never believe him when he tells them about the craziest Uber ride of his life.