September 24, 2025, 1:14 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
A quick glance at the phone–and we’re already lost in a flood of animal videos. They make us laugh, sigh, and sometimes even bring us to tears. But not everything we see is as harmless as it seems. One example is the famous “Happy Cat” meme.
Small Clips, Big Feelings
Do you know the feeling? After work, you scroll through your feed–and suddenly countless cat videos appear. On my Instagram account, they’re everywhere. Some seem cute, others amusing, and particularly emotional cat stories can even evoke sadness. This phenomenon isn’t limited to cats: Other animals also trigger strong emotions. It’s clear that animals move us emotionally.
When Cats Conquered the Internet
Do you remember? In the early 2000s, compilations of funny cat videos caused countless laughs and tears. Today, many of these clips seem questionable and poorly aged–yet they might have been the starting point for those cat memes we still know today.
Memes are now a staple of social media. They primarily serve entertainment and humor. Particularly popular are motifs from the animal world: A grumpy-looking cat became world-famous as “Grumpy Cat,” and a dog’s irritated look became the legendary “Side Eye.”1
“Happy Cat” Becomes an International Success
In 2015, a video emerged that not only went viral briefly but took the world by storm. It features a kitten seemingly joyfully hopping on its hind legs and wildly waving its front paws. Often accompanied by the soundtrack “Happy Happy” in a little sing-song, the video spread rapidly. The catchy soundtrack made the meme a global earworm and delighted millions.
Hardly anyone questioned the trend–after all, it seemed like just a very happy cat. But the impression was misleading. Behind the viral success lies a sad, dark story that still leaves questions unanswered.
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The Sad Story of the “Happy Cat” Meme
We travel to the land of the rising sun, pink cherry blossoms, and anime–to Japan. There, in 2015, a man enters a pet store. The sight moves him so much that he pulls out his phone and starts filming. Behind a glass pane, he discovers a kitten. It stands on its hind legs, jumps around frantically, and wildly waves its front paws.
The video doesn’t reveal the exact surroundings of the cat. All that’s certain is: It’s in a very tight space and behaves conspicuously–almost as if begging to be taken away to escape the store. The man later writes about his video that he would have loved to take it immediately. Particularly dramatic: That day, the pet store opened its doors for the last time, as it was permanently closed. This left the question: What happens to the animals? To this day, it’s unclear what became of the cat, where it lives, and if it’s doing well.
And yet, it was precisely this scene in the cramped cage of a pet store that developed into the “Happy Cat” meme, which brought laughter worldwide. What made millions smile online had a sad origin in reality.
Japan Has More Pets Than Children
Japan often has an ambivalent relationship with animals. The country frequently faces criticism from animal rights activists, as PETBOOK has already reported: Why You Should Never Visit a Capybara Café. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of pets has increased significantly, explained sociologist Dr. Dr. Barbara Holthus from the Max Weber Foundation. There are now reportedly more pets than children in Japan. The business is booming–but at what cost? Especially in urban areas, the conditions for keeping pets are considered questionable. Insufficiently regulated sales guidelines and too-small living spaces are widespread. 2
The example of the “Happy Happy Happy” video illustrates how deceptive animal content can be. What initially looks like pure joy may actually hide suffering. That’s why it’s worth critically questioning such content. Animal videos are far more than mere entertainment: They touch us emotionally but can also inadvertently downplay animal suffering. Those who consume with open eyes help keep the reality behind the cute images in view–and thus strengthen awareness for animal protection.
Happy Cat? No cat willingly stands on its hind legs!
“I also long believed that the famous ‘Happy Cat’ was a funny meme. I imagined that the young animal showed this displacement behavior because it couldn’t wait for its treat and the owner reinforced and solidified the behavior through laughter and food.
That ‘Happy Cat’ was actually locked in a tiny plexiglass cage for sale makes it a tragic story for me. No happy cat willingly stands on its hind legs and hops around. This is clearly attention-seeking behavior that wasn’t learned in a day.
I could imagine that the kitten saw this behavior in other animals in the pet store that were adopted and allowed to leave the cages. When I see one of these memes today, I don’t think of a happy cat, but of many young animals desperately copying unnatural behaviors from each other to get attention, a home, and above all, space.”