Author: Admin Memaverse
PopCat is a minimalist yet highly addictive internet meme centered around a cat whose mouth alternates between a closed, neutral expression and a wide-open “pop” pose. The meme originated from a photograph of a domestic shorthair cat named Oatmeal, owned by Twitter user @catluminati. The original image, posted in 2020, showed the cat with its mouth closed, appearing calm and slightly unimpressed. Soon after, another image surfaced showing the same cat with its mouth open, creating a humorous contrast.
Internet users quickly paired the two images together, animating them to create a simple looping motion where the cat’s mouth opens and closes. This animation became known as “PopCat,” named after the popping sound effect often associated with clicking or tapping. The simplicity of the visual, combined with its rhythmic motion, made it instantly appealing and easy to remix. Within weeks, PopCat spread rapidly across social media platforms, becoming a staple of meme culture in 2020 and beyond.
One of the defining moments in PopCat’s rise to fame was the creation of the PopCat.click website. This simple webpage allowed users to click on the cat image, causing its mouth to open and increment a counter. Each click produced the “pop” animation, creating a surprisingly addictive experience. The website tracked clicks by country, turning the meme into a global competition.
Users from around the world began clicking obsessively to raise their country’s score, leading to online rivalries, coordinated clicking campaigns, and widespread social media discussion. Countries such as Thailand, Taiwan, and Malaysia rose to the top of the leaderboard, with users sharing memes, scripts, and even mechanical clicking devices to maximize their clicks. The PopCat clicker transformed a simple meme into an interactive global event, demonstrating the internet’s ability to gamify humor and collective participation.
The core PopCat format is extremely simple: two images of the same cat, one with a closed mouth and one with an open mouth. This binary structure makes it easy to adapt and remix. Meme creators often synchronize the mouth movement with music, sound effects, or dialogue, turning PopCat into a visual representation of speech, beats, or reactions.
Variations include replacing the cat with other animals, fictional characters, or objects while maintaining the open-and-close animation. Some versions exaggerate the mouth movement for comedic effect, while others combine PopCat with other meme formats such as Wojak or Galaxy Brain. Despite countless remixes, the original cat remains the most recognizable and beloved version, highlighting the strength of simple, consistent visual identity.
PopCat achieved massive popularity across platforms including Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, and Discord. On TikTok, creators used PopCat animations in short videos synchronized to music or comedic timing. Reddit communities embraced the meme for its absurdity and low-effort humor, frequently posting new variations or clicker-related updates.
Discord servers adopted PopCat as reaction emojis and animated stickers, further embedding it into everyday online communication. YouTube compilations featuring PopCat clicking marathons, remixes, and country leaderboard updates gained millions of views. The meme’s accessibility and lack of language dependency allowed it to spread globally, making it a shared experience across cultures and demographics.
PopCat represents a shift toward interactive and participatory meme culture. Unlike traditional image macros, PopCat encouraged direct user involvement through clicking, competing, and sharing results. The meme reflects the internet’s fascination with simplicity, repetition, and collective engagement. Its popularity during 2020 also coincided with a period when many people were seeking lighthearted distractions and shared online experiences.
The meme has been referenced in discussions about internet trends, digital minimalism, and viral game mechanics. Its success demonstrates how even the most basic concepts can capture massive attention when combined with community participation. PopCat became more than just a meme; it evolved into a symbol of online unity, competition, and playful absurdity.
Oatmeal, the cat featured in PopCat, became an unexpected internet celebrity. The owner acknowledged the meme’s popularity and shared additional photos and videos of Oatmeal, much to the delight of fans. Unlike some meme animals whose identities remain obscure, Oatmeal’s recognition added a personal dimension to the meme.
Fans created fan art, animations, and tribute posts celebrating Oatmeal, further humanizing the meme. The cat’s calm demeanor contrasted humorously with the chaotic energy of the clicking phenomenon, reinforcing the meme’s charm. Oatmeal’s rise to fame highlights how ordinary pets can become global icons through internet culture.
PopCat’s recognizability led to its adoption in commercial and promotional contexts. Brands and content creators incorporated the meme into social media campaigns, livestream overlays, and interactive websites. Its non-verbal, friendly nature made it suitable for broad audiences without risk of controversy.
Community-driven projects also emerged, including charity click events, parody leaderboards, and educational experiments exploring user engagement. The PopCat clicker served as a case study in viral mechanics, demonstrating how simplicity, feedback loops, and competition can drive massive participation.
Although its peak popularity has passed, PopCat remains a beloved and recognizable meme. It continues to appear in reaction images, remixes, and nostalgic references to early 2020s internet culture. The meme’s simplicity ensures that it can be revived easily, resurfacing whenever users seek lighthearted, low-effort humor.
PopCat’s legacy lies in its demonstration of how minimal design and interactivity can create powerful viral experiences. It stands as a reminder that internet culture does not always require complexity to thrive. Through a single cat and a simple “pop,” the meme captured global attention and left a lasting mark on digital history.