Nala Cat. Instagram @nala_cat
For cats to become influencers, someone had to be the pioneer when it comes to feline fame on the internet. Keep reading to learn about some of them!
According to a report from The Star, it all started in 2007 when the website I Can Has Cheezburger? (ICHB) was launched and became a go-to site for users to search for or submit a type of meme called lolcat.
Typically, these memes featured a photo of a cat, and internet users would add a grammatically incorrect caption that somehow related to the cat’s expression, making it a fun way to share memes with friends at the time.
One of the most memorable lolcat memes from that era was a cute gray cat, known simply as Happycat, with the caption I Can Has Cheezburger, which users of the site described as “the meme that started it all.”
Now, when it comes to one of the first famous cats on the internet, we can’t forget Tardar Sauce, who became the famous Grumpy Cat. The cat became a viral sensation in 2012 after a photo of her was posted on Reddit.
Users were amazed by the cat’s unique permanent frown, which is the result of being born with dwarfism and jaw issues. Since then, a video posted by her owners on YouTube titled The Original Grumpy Cat has accumulated 22 million views.
Grumpy Cat (Twitter @RealGrumpyCat)
Speaking of views, in 2017, Guinness World Records awarded the title of “Most Viewed Animal” on YouTube to Maru, a cute cat from Japan, who had already accumulated over 320 million views in videos of him playing with boxes.
When it comes to Instagram influencers, cats are not far behind. In 2020, Guinness World Records certified a slightly cross-eyed gray cat named Nala as the most famous cat on the social network, amassing over 4.3 million followers.
Now with over 4.5 million followers, Nala has her own line of cat products, such as food and toys. The site Hollywood Reporter described Nala as the first “million-dollar cat client” of the major talent agency CAA.
Nala Cat. Instagram @nala_cat
Photo and video: Instagram @nala_cat. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
