Bored Panda reached out to Julia, an admin of the “Cat Grows” group, to find out about this community. First, we asked how the idea for this social media page came about. We wanted to know what inspired Julia to create a community specifically dedicated to showcasing cat growth. She shared with us: “I was inspired to create 'Cat Grows' both by my own cats and also by sentimentality, which needed material for contemplation. Maybe you know this touching feeling when you accidentally find a photo of your pet when he was small? I often looked at old photos of my cats, noticing features that have been transformed over time or remain unchanged. But there were too few photos... How about asking strangers to send me pictures of their pets? Sounds like a plan! So this is how the community was created, to satisfy my curiosity.”
Next, we were wondering what criteria the administrator of “Cat Grows” uses to select and approve the before-and-after photos of the cats shared by its members. Julia told us: “One of my principles is not to refuse to publish if the entry does not violate the rules of the community. This causes long queues for publication, but it is better to wait than to be rejected. So there are no criteria, I am grateful to every participant who shares photos and stories with me and with the community.”
Then, we were interested in what kind of response and engagement Julia has seen from the members of the "Cat Grows" community and how she encourages active participation and interaction among the members. The admin said: “We have a great active community. People show photos of their pets growing up, lovingly talk about their character, and discuss how beautiful other people's cats are. I don’t have moderators, because there are almost no negative comments in the comments: a clear confirmation of the hypothesis that cats make people kinder.”
Lastly, Julia added: “In our difficult historical times, it is important for people to find themselves in a safe space in which there is nothing but warmth, comfort, and boundless care. In addition, consistent photos of the growth of cats make sure that nothing stands still and inspires confidence that dire things are not eternal.”
