What are the essential elements of cute cat videos? Well, kittens help, that’s for sure, but there’s also an undefinable element that makes you go “Aww!” before you even know what hit you, from instant classics like “Surprised Kitty” and “Stalking Cat” to Internet heavyweights like Maru. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the cutest, most cuddly cat videos that knock the adorability level right off the cuteness meter.
Have a favorite that I missed? Let me know in the comments!
1. Surprised Kitty
Who among us didn’t spend days uttering the eternal line “You look like a little monkey!” after hitting the replay button on this legendary slice of Internet cuteness, which has generated countless parodies and over 63 million views to date?
2. Sarah Donner and the Sleepy Kitten
Catster’s resident singer-songwriter, Sarah Donner, had a hit on her hands after releasing this impromptu video she took while performing “Treeline” to one of her foster kittens, Lady Peanut. She would later tell me that her own cats are never quite as fond of her singing!
3. Maru and the Sliding Boxes
No top 10 video list would be complete without the Internet’s most beloved feline, Maru. And while we could debate for days about the Scottish Fold‘s finest works, my earliest, perhaps fondest memory of the Japanese supercat was this 2008 video, which underscored the severity of his box addiction. One slide across that floor, and my heart was his forever.
4. Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten
The simple act of a mother cat hugging her kitten after it had a nightmare was enough to melt the iciest of hearts, and even warranted a scientific analysis by National Geographic.
5. The Two Talking Cats
Stina and Mossy were more prone to fighting than catching up on the latest gossip, so their owner was quite surprised to catch this odd moment where they kept “talking” for an hour. It could be considered one of the original viral cat videos, and still holds its cuteness crown, five years after its release.
6. Stalking Cat
Most cats (mine included) decline to cooperate once the cameras are on, but this brave kitty and his lucky owner hit viral video gold with this adorable stalking session caught on tape.
7. Kitten Massage Therapy
Foster kittens Clea and Oreo won over the Internet by indulging in what is perhaps the cutest massage ever! A year later, I caught up with the kitties in their new home, where they still enjoyed putting their paws all over each other.
8. Kitten Agility Training
As if 5 1/2-week-old Tonkinese kitten VivaTonk Jumpin Jack Flash wasn’t cute enough on his own, add in some itty-bitty-baby-sized training equipment for one squee-inducing training session we’ll never forget.
9. Cute Kitten Hugs His Teddy Bear
Before the genre exploded with “Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten,” Meesha was the first kitty to ignite the Internet with his people-like squeezing skills.
10. Chopsticks Feeding Squirrel-like Kitten
The kitty collective known as SweetFurr has more than a few adorable videos to chose from (like Kitty with a Watermelon Addiction and Halloween Cute Banana Cat, just to name a few), but my favorite features a Persian named Cooper nomming down like a pro. The saddest part is that even without thumbs, he can still probably use chopsticks better than me!
Did we miss any great ones? Let us know in the comments!
