There's only one thing that the internet loves more than cats. And it's cats with funny facial expressions. I probably don't need to remind you of the iconic Grumpy Cat, a giant fluff named Meow Meow, and Pearl, the famous watermelon supurrvisor from Thailand.
Except this time, the internet went crazy over a furry ball from China who constantly looks upset. Thanks to its unique facial markings, the floof looks so sad that people wonder, “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.
This stray cat from China with unique facial markings looks so upset it went viral on social media
After a university student spotted the cat on the streets of Shanghai, she uploaded the video footage on TikTok-like Chinese platform, Douyin. People loved the unique-looking feline who, due to the black spots above its eyes, appears to be constantly upset.
The woman goes back regularly to check on the cat and bring it some food. But on her Douyin account, the woman stated that she would not be bringing the furball home because she already has one.
Bored Panda spoke to Molly De Voss, a certified feline training & behavior specialist at Cat Behavior Solutions, who told us about felines with human-like facial features. It turns out this is pretty rare and “when one ends up in the shelter, they are usually quick to get adopted—perhaps by someone who wants to own the next feline internet sensation.”
But there are particular cat breeds that tend to have distinct facial characteristics. One of the best known is the “Persian breed with its distinct 'grumpy' look” due to its “flat face, down-turned mouth, and low brow.” There’s another breed known as the Lykoi, or werewolf cat, that’s “very unusual with its thin fur, piercing yellow eyes, and bald cheeks.”
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.”
This is what people had to say
Here are some more unique looking cats we previously wrote about
This cat with a human-like face
Image credits: Valkyrie
Two-faced cat called Quimera
Image credits: gataquimera
Juno, the cat with better hair than all of us
Image credits: junotheangrycat
This cat with a split-colored face
Image credits: amazingnarnia