The internet is only partial to one thing more than cats. And the kitties are making amusing facial expressions. You probably don’t need me to remind you about the renowned Grumpy Cat, the enormous fluffy creature Meow Meow, and Pearl, the well-known Thai watermelon observer.
But this time, a fuzzy ball from China that continuously appears agitated caused a stir on the internet. The floof’s distinctive facial marks give it a mournful appearance that makes onlookers question, “What happened to you?”
A Chinese woman, known by her nametag Simpson Xin, shared the footage on Doyuin last Thursday and it quickly got 2 million views. The woman revisited Moggie, who is thought to be a stray cat, but wasn’t able to bring the feline home since she already had a pet.
With its distinctive facial features, this stray cat from China appears so distressed that it became popular on social media.
A university student who had seen the cat in Shanghai’s streets recorded it and posted it on the Chinese social media site Douyin, which is similar to TikTok. People adored the unusual-looking cat, which gave off the impression of being sad all the time thanks to the dark patches over its eyes.
The woman returns frequently to see how the cat is doing and to provide it some food. However, the woman said on her Douyin account that she already has a pet and would not be bringing one home.
According to research, this is rather uncommon, and “when one finds up in the shelter, they are generally quick to get adopted—perhaps by someone who wants to own the next feline online phenomenon.”
But some cat breeds have a tendency to have distinctive facial features. Because of its “flat face, down-turned lips, and low forehead,” the Persian breed is one of the most well-known. Another cat breed with “extremely uncommon features” including “thin hair, piercing yellow eyes, and bare cheeks” is the Lykoi, sometimes known as the werewolf cat.
Our fascination with these cats comes down to the fact that we tend to anthropomorphize cats. “The truth is, it is easier for us to relate to them if we can imagine their feelings are similar to ours.” That’s how the grumpy cat becomes “cute,” just like a “grumpy old man.”