In the age-old war between cats and dogs, cats are winning the battle of the internet.
From grumpy cats to ninja cats, from cats who has cheezburgers to the current cat beard craze, felines have risen to become our go-to species for online hilarity. The stats back this up: according to the UKs Guardian newspaper, looking at felines is the number one (legal) online activity in the world.
But why are cats arguably more regal, sleek and proud than their giddy, tail-wagging rivals the best candidates for viral memes and coffee break LOL moments?
I think its common among cat people to enjoy the cat stuff, so maybe there are more cat people out there than dog people, said Emma Baldwin, cat lover and owner of Feline Fancies, a Vancouver-based cat-sitting service for special needs cats. Or maybe its because we know, on some level, that cats are laughing with us, too.
Baldwin is a connoisseur, consumer and curator of cat comedy. Her Facebook fan page for Feline Fancies (which boasts upwards of 600 members) displays the best in cat memes as well as funny shots of the cats in her life and care.
Shes shared shots of her cats wearing lipstick, sitting on Santas lap, watching The Property Brothers on the boob tube, or lounging in washing machines. You wont find many Grumpy Cat posts on her page (Im a bit tired of Grumpy Cat right now) but she still giggles at photos of Little Bub, the so-called Worlds Cutest Cat and star of a documentary now doing the festival circuit. (Hes such an easy-going cat and goes all over the place, and people can go and do a meet and greet with him, and thousands of people go to meet him. I think I probably would if he came here, too.)
For Baldwin who, given the nature of her work, is regularly confronted with death and bleak scenarios laughing at cat memes and funny feline photos is a reliable cure for a bad day. If it makes you laugh, smile, and feel good for two minutes out of your day, thats good, she said.
Up next, Baldwin plans to try her hand at a cat beard. Ill probably end up with lacerations on my face and neck, she said, laughing. Itll be worth it.
