You either love them or hate them, but we all know you’ve watched that Wrecking Ball Kitten video a million times. That’s right, collegiettes. This week, Her Campus SMCVT is talking about cats.
Cats have recently infiltrated our media, whether it be through home-made Youtube videos, hilarious cat memes, or even entire online blogs dedicated to cats and the people who love them. But seriously, what makes cats so popular in our media, and even in our daily lives?
Jake Jarecki ’16 gives his take on why cats are so popular in the media. “Cats are awesome, loveable, and friendly! They make the perfect companions. Although cats may be more ‘independent’ than dogs, cats will always make you laugh. The bottom line: have a cat and you’ll have a ball!” Jake is not alone in these sentiments.
Melissa Osgood ’15 states, “Cats are the best animals. They can act like a wrecking ball like in the best vine Wrecking Ball Kitten and there are so many cat memes! They can even talk like this cat I saw on America’s Funniest Home Videos a few years ago, so therefore cats are the best.”
Brian Lothrop ’16, proud cat owner of two, states that “cat videos are hilarious every time you watch them.” He typically watches cat videos to procrastinate, has a cat meme as the background of his phone (displayed below), and informs Her Campus SMCVT that this is his favorite cat video:
Katie Saint Raymond ’15 found this cat video to be particularly hilarious, and even endorsed the hysteria promoted in the video.
“First of all, cats walk a very thin line. As you can see from the video, you cross them wrong, they can cause major damage. We can never know this, but they live secret lives. They’ve been bred to complete a mission on this earth: take out dogs. And if we get in the way, as that video shows, they break out the big guns. And everyone loses. That’s why you need to give them tender loving care. Pet them every day. Massage their paws every day. Change the litter box and fill it with rose petals. Clean water all the time and make sure the windows are big enough for sunlight to come in for them to “cat nap.” Cat naps are crucial, that’s when they recharge all of their gadgets and weapons to take over the world. If they cannot catnap they will resort to alternative options. Put treats in their cat nip toys and for god’s sake allow them to finally catch that tiny red dot that they go crazy over. If they love you enough, your relationship will come to this:
Maya Lopez ’15 has something to say about the negative portrayal of cats in the media.
“When it comes to cats in the media, I have got to say that I feel that they get a bad reputation sometimes. Grouchy faced cats seem to appear more often than others, which does explain why people tend to dislike them – I mean other than the scratches they inflict. In the media, cats are more popular for their grouchy, lazy, I’m-mad-at-the-world personalities, which, by the way, is a personality that many of us share (or like to joke about us experiencing) so should explain why the cat is getting popular. I insist though that not all cats are the same! Want to know what my cat does when I come home after months at college (since she can’t visit as often as my dog – who actually isn’t as excited as her when I get home)? She hears my voice and comes looking for me. How do I know this? Because she’s obviously been cat-napping somewhere, but then there’s this *thud* not long after I’ve been home for five minutes and then we hear the pitter-patter of paws (she’s fat) and she comes around the corner and walks straight for me looking up into my eyes! It’s all in the owner, I guess. But the media makes it all look like it’s the cat and that owner’s can do all that they want but they’ll never achieve to break the small cold heart of their feline pet. All they ask for is a little patience!”
With this being said, there are plenty of cat critics that have also been influenced by the media. Katie Marshall ’15 has a less than positive view of the furry feline population.
“I feel like they’re so tempermental. If I was to compare them to dogs, dogs are so happy all the time and just want to love you and cats are more like, “don’t touch me, leave me alone”. I’m always worried as to if cats are going to bite me but I never worry about that with dogs.”
Julia Bianconi ’15 offers light to cats and their image in the media.
“I love the silly things they do and how they’re overconfident. Sometimes, a cat will be so confident in their ability to jump from one place to another that they fail and I love it.”
Cats do happen to touch our hearts. Sophie Stone ’15 explains her emotional connection to cats.
“I love cats and always have. Last year I got the chance to go to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary through MOVE on an extended service trip. There I fell in love with a fat cat named Mildred. She was in their weight loss program and had the prettiest blue eyes! I have photos of her if you want me to send them to you. We got to see her to exercise. They would carry her away from her house and she would have to walk back, which was hilarious cause she had to take breaks. And then just when she made it back, they would pick her up and bring her back and man was she grumpy! My favorite video of cats is of my own cat massaging both of my dogs at the same time!” (Mildred pictured below)
So go on, collegiates! Sit back, relax, and watch your favorite cat video! You no longer have to worry about being that “lonely cat person” because everyone is doing it! Love cats or hate them, but you will always be intrigued by them.
Photo sources:
http://i0.wp.com/kiddingkid.co…
http://www.google.com/imgres?i…
http://weknowmemes.com/2012/05…