A flipbook about the appeal of cat videos.

1. The appeal of
cat videos
Katie Foss

2. Cat videos are one of the first things that
come to mind when one thinks of the
Internet.
Cat videos easily go viral because everyone
loves them.
But why is there so much love for kitties
compared to everyone else?

3. Japanese kitty Maru has nearly 570,000 Youtube subscribers,
and over 300 million views. His first video, titled まるです,
or “It’s Maru”, has over 22 million views. 1
Grumpy Cat’s channel is the second-most popular,
With nearly 300,000 subscribers and nearly
40 million views. 2
Smoothie the cat’s Instagram account, where her
owner posts images and videos of her, has over 1
million followers. 3

4. Cat videos average 12,000 views per video on Youtube, which
is more views-per-video than there is for any other category. 4
There are festivals and conventions dedicated to cats and the
Internet, such as the Los Angeles Feline Film Festival, and the
Cat Video Festival in Minneapolis and Chicago. 5
Internet users are twice as likely to post a picture of video
of their cat than they are likely to post one of
themselves. 6

5. The Internet has diminished our ability to focus on one
thing at a time. A 2014 study in the Journal of Experimental
Psychology, as well as research from Stanford, back up this
claim. 7
Constant Internet use also decreases our attention
span,8 making it agony to have to read pages of solid text
without a break, or to have to sit through a 3-minute
video sent to them by a friend. So why is it that we can
focus on a video when it stars a kitty?

6. Aside from the fact that cats are cute and cuddly,
there are many reasons why cat videos enjoy more
fame than any other type of Internet video.
These mainly include emotional and physical health
benefits, but some of the reasons people watch cat
videos are surprising. The Internet’s fascination with
cat videos is a truly unique phenomena.

7. Even the elderly, whom studies have shown to be
unconcerned about learning to use new technology,9
enjoy cat videos.
When shown the viral video “Nyan Cat”, which features a
grey kitty with a strawberry Pop-Tart on its back flying
through space, elders were mesmerized by the video at
first, albeit slightly confused at its highly repetitive nature. 10
One elderly woman in particular stated that she felt as
though the cat “was her friend”. 11

8. “” explains that so many of the elderly
enjoy cat videos because it acts as an extension of
pet therapy.12
Pet therapy has been shown to be greatly
beneficial to elderly people. 13 It provides benefits
such as lowered blood pressure, lowered resting
heart rate, and overall lowered amounts
of stress. 14

9. Pet therapy can also be especially helpful for patients
with Alzheimer's, as it can decrease unwanted thoughts
and help to calm agitation. 15 It also helps to decrease
feelings of loneliness, and allows patients to forge
emotional connections which may be difficult to do
otherwise if they are usually alone. 16
With this information in mind, it is not hard to see why the
elderly find joy in watching videos of cats doing silly things.

10. For the general public, the main reasons for watching
cat videos are emotional regulation and, to a lesser degree,
procrastination. 17 In the case of procrastination, viewers
usually come across cat videos by chance, rather than seeking
them out.18
There are “cheer-up” apps available which feature images
and videos of cats for users to keep on hand in case of
an emergency,19 as well as cat-themed Twitter accounts
and Facebook pages for users to follow to increase
the amount of positive content on their newsfeeds. 20

11. The calming and soothing power of kittens is a force to be
reckoned with, even for self-identified cat haters.
There is a popular Reddit page called “Eye Bleach” which
features pictures and videos of cute animals – mainly cats –
in order to soothe themselves after coming across something
disturbing.21 The page’s description states, “After a long day
of seeing what internet anonymity can do to people,
you're bound to need some eyebleach.”22 This is an
excellent example of the power of cat videos at work.

12. Introverts are more likely to enjoy watching cat videos,
as are people who own or have owned a cat, but research
shows that most people who use the Internet watch cat
videos either 2-3 times a week or every day, regardless of
their personality or their experience with cats. 23 Many of
the people included in this survey were self-proclaimed
dog-lovers, showing that cat videos are irresistible to
everyone.24

13. Another big factor in the popularity of cat videos is the fact
that people tend to empathize with animals rather than other
humans. According to the American Hospital Association,
40 percent of married women with dogs reported a higher
emotional connection to their pets than to their husbands or
children. 25
A sad video of a pet brings a stronger emotional reaction than a
sad video about a human, and a cute video of a pet brings a
higher level of emotional satisfaction than one about a human. 26

14. There is another proposed explanation for why we love cat videos
so much, however. Cats don’t care if they are being filmed, so
a video featuring a cat does not seem as invasive as a video
of a human.27 The act of watching a video in which the act of
filming is not emphasized allows the viewer to temporarily
escape into a world in which we are not under constant
surveillance. 28 It also allows us to observe the cat’s life without
upsetting it, 29 which is a rare occurrence in the age of
surveillance.

15. There are benefits to watching cat videos. Research suggests that
the act of viewing something cute, like a cat video, triggers a biological
response that increases attention to detail and promotes carefulness. 30
This is related to a behavioral evolutionary adaptation which assists
in child rearing. 31
However, the result of watching cat videos due to procrastination can
lead to feelings of guilt over wasted time. 32 The motivation behind
watching a cat video heavily influences the effects that occur
afterwards.

16. However, some cat videos have an even greater power.
“Clicktivism” is a common phenomena in which
people “like” and share articles with good
intentions, but rarely follow up with any kind of
meaningful action. 33
There are some organizations that provide
means for change by encouraging people
to watch cat videos.

17. Cats VS Cancer is a cat video website which donates
their ad revenue each month to cancer charities,
Including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,
Susan G. Komen, The Jimmy Fund, and the
American Cancer Society. 34
Charity Animal Television, or CATv, is a Youtube
channel which donates the ad revenue of each
view of their cat videos to organizations like
the ASPCA and the Snow Leopard Trust. 35

18. Social media is a powerful tool for bringing about
impact and change. It can allow small organizations
and movements to have the opportunity to make a
difference. 36
People will watch cat videos whether it contributes
to charity or not, so the fact that cat videos are being
used to help those in need is an intelligent strategy. It
also mitigates the guilt one might feel while procrastinating,
making the positive effects of cat videos even stronger.

19. The act of watching cat videos has many benefits.
It helps with emotional regulation, it increases
attention to detail and behavioural carefulness,
and even has health benefits, especially for the
elderly. If watched on specific websites, cat videos
even donate to charities which help animal
shelters and people with cancer.
Plus, cats are adorable.
What’s not to love?

20. 1. "Mugumogu." YouTube. Accessed May 31, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/user/mugumogu.
2. “Real Grumpy Cat.” YouTube. Accessed May 31, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/user/SevereAvoidance
3. "@smoothiethecat." WEBSTAGRAM Instagram browser. Accessed May 31, 2017.
https://web.stagram.com/smoothiethecat.
4. Myrick, Jessica Gall. "Emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online: Who watches Internet cats,
why, and to what effect?" Computers in Human Behavior 52 (2015): 168-76. Accessed May 31, 2017.
doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.001.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Von Pftetten, Verena. "Drop Everything and Read This." The New York Times, May 1, 2016, Lifestyle sec. Accessed May 31, 2017.
http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.queensu.ca/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=
queensulaw&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA451056788&it=r&asid=8275bd68b17d1b61e84f3c4917c86349.
8. Rosenwald, Michael S. "Serious Reading Takes a Hit from Online Scanning and Skimming, Researchers Say."
The Washington Post, April 6, 2014, News sec. Accessed May 31, 2017.
http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.queensu.ca/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA364033903&v=2.1&u=queensulaw&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1.
9. Wu, Ya-Huei, Caitlin Ware, Souad Damnée, Hélène Kerhervé, and Anne-Sophie Rigaud.
"Bridging the digital divide in older adults: a study from an initiative to inform older adults about new technologies."
Clinical Interventions in Aging 10 (January 9, 2015): 193-201. Accessed May 31, 2017. doi:10.2147/cia.s72399.
10. Fine Bros. Entertainment. "Elders React to Nyan Cat." In React, season 3. May 24, 2014. Accessed May 31, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqm4dQv4F9w&list=PLcuZzvay63um7v-Dr-lauKcQF2gq9tDMN
Sources

21. 11. Ibid.
12. Krasny, Jill. "The Scientific Reason Why Everyone Loves Cat Videos." Esquire. June 17, 2015. Accessed May 31, 2017.
http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a35767/the-science-of-why-we-love-cat-videos/.
13. Democrat, Hunterdon County. "Generations: Benefits of pet therapy for the elderly." NJ.com. May 26, 2015.
Accessed May 31, 2017.
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2015/05/generations_benefits_of_pet_therapy_for_the_elderl.html.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Myrick, Jessica Gall. "Emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online:
Who watches Internet cats, why, and to what effect?" Computers in Human Behavior 52 (2015): 168-76.
Accessed May 31, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.001.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. "Eyebleach • r/Eyebleach." Reddit. Accessed May 31, 2017. https://www.reddit.com/r/Eyebleach/.
22. Ibid.
23. Myrick, Jessica Gall. "Emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online:
Who watches Internet cats, why, and to what effect?" Computers in Human Behavior 52 (2015): 168-76.
Accessed May 31, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.001.
Sources

22. 24. Ibid.
25. Herzog, Hal. "Why People Care More About Pets Than Other Humans." Wired. April 13, 2015.
Accessed May 31, 2017. https://www.wired.com/2015/04/people-care-pets-humans/.
26. Ibid.
27. Messenger, Stephen. "Finally: Science Reveals Why People Love Cat Videos." The Dodo. May 20, 2014.
Accessed May 31, 2017. https://www.thedodo.com/researcher-attempts-to-explain-558320712.html.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Myrick, Jessica Gall. "Emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online:
Who watches Internet cats, why, and to what effect?" Computers in Human Behavior 52 (2015): 168-76.
Accessed May 31, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.001.
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. Kielburger, Marc And Craig. "Global Voices: 'Liking' must be followed up with real-world action." Times Colonist. April 12, 2015.
Accessed May 31, 2017. http://www.timescolonist.com/life/global-voices-liking-must-be-followed-up-with-real-world-action-1.1820728.
34. "About." Cats vs Cancer. Accessed May 31, 2017. http://www.catsvscancer.org/about/.
35. Peters, Lucia. "Watch Cat Videos on CATv's YouTube Channel, Help Out a Charity. Everybody Wins!" Bustle. July 01, 2014.
Accessed May 31, 2017. https://www.bustle.com/articles/29986-watch-cat-videos-on-catvs-youtube-channel-help-out-a-charity-everybody-wins.
36. Bresciani, Sabrini, and Andreas Schmeil. "Social Media Platforms for Social Good." Digital Ecosystems Technologies, July 02, 2012.
Accessed May 31, 2017. doi:10.1109/DEST.2012.6227944.
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