Crying Cat
what it means
Often overlaid onto other images — a crying cat face pasted over someone smiling means the smile is a front. It conveys "pretending to be fine" better than words.
A photo of a cat with digitally added tears, used to express fake or exaggerated sadness.
the origin story
Based on photos of a cat named Schmuserkadser, edited with teary eyes; the format spread from 2018 onward.
The overlay technique — pasting the crying face onto other pictures — became its most enduring form, and part of a wider trend of using cat images to convey complicated emotional states. Cat-based reaction images remain among the most-used online.
in the wild
Posted a photo of a fully booked calendar with the crying cat over it.
Accurate.
He put the crying cat over his own graduation photo.
Deeply relatable.
how to use it
- Expressing exaggerated or masked sadness
- Reaction images
- Casual comments
- About genuine grief
- Professionally
- Where the layered joke won't be understood
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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