kritterfox

You might not have known that an International Day of Happiness exists, but with this collection of smiling cattos you will be hard pressed to forget it ever again.

Much like us hoomans, heck, far more so than us hoomans, our cat children are not known for expressing their happiness all too often. Sure sometimes they will come up to you with a gentle purr or make some biscuits on your chest, but these are simply learned behaviors that they know appease us hoomans and lead to them getting more food and treats. But to see a cat sitting and smiling, just for the sake of it. Well, that is truly a special occurrence and one that we wish would happen more often. Both in the lives of our cute cat children and in our own.

So to celebrate this year's International Day of Happiness we made this list of smiling cattos to shine light into the hearts of each and every one of you cat loving hoomnans. Now go forth, scroll and smile to your heart's content. 
 

Hot take: It's much easier to convince someone to love cats than it is to love dogs.

You might think the statement above should be reversed, but we're going to convince you why it's purrfectly right just the way it is. First, let's break down why people may dislike cats versus disliking dogs.

Why would someone dislike cats? Probably because they either never expurrienced the love of a cat, or they've only been around cats that were stressed. There's the off chance that they were attacked by a cat before (scratched, or bitten), but those instances are far rarer than in dogs. The last option that we can think of is that they're allergic, and there's not much you can do about that.

But for dogs, the number of reasons has the pawtential to be much greater. There are lots of stories of dog attacks, especially in young kids who don't know how to properly approach dogs, causing the dog to lash out (even if unintentional), causing an early fear of dogs. Dogs also require a lot of responsibility. You have to commit to taking them out 3x per day, exercising them, playing with them, and going outside whether it's raining, snowing, or as hot as the Sahara desert outside. Most dogs have very loving purrsonalities, but they will also destroy your house if you don't take care of them properly. And finally, the allergy problem similarly applies here.

To turn someone into a "cat person", all you have to do is introduce them to the right cat. To turn someone into a "dog person", you have to convince them to adopt a dog-friendly lifestyle. 

Which is why we love our story below so much - it's about a guy who used to "hate cats", until he traveled the world and befriended a bunch of stray cats. They showed him that there was nothing to dislike about them and that they just wanted to be loved like anyone else. See all his fuzzy friends below and more of his explanation by scrolling down!

Finally, this imprisoned cat has found freedom. 

Generally, cats are creatures that don't need much. They need food, they need water, they need someone to change their litter every once in a while, and a little love to be given to them every once in a while, when they need it. Cats like their homes, they like their space, and they don't like leaving. But even cats have a limit. And confining a cat to a single bathroom for ten years is a level of horrible treatment that we have not quite heard of yet. 

Cats may not need too much, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve the extras. Cats should be spoiled. That is our job as their humans. To make sure that they are as happy as they can pawssibly be in our homes. That might mean giving our cats boxes to sit in and spreading a bunch of them all throughout the house. It might mean wrapping our cats in blankets and tucking them into our beds, giving them peak comfort at all times. These little things matter, and this poor kitty got none of them. For ten whole years. But that is all over now. Finally, she is in the right hands, living the life that she truly deserves. 

Cat memes may not be a purroven cure for bad days, but for cat lovers whose heart rate spikes with glee when they see a cat and whose cheeks hurt from smiling when they're around their favorite feline, it's worth a try. 

Because behind the reserved, graceful facade of every cat, whether on the street or in a hoomans home, lies a loving little beast just waiting to be cherished, played with, and loved beyond measure. 

You might have thought that an outdoor cat and a dog lover could not become lifelong buds, but as you will come to find in this story this pair were a match made by the Cat Distribution System.

And when the Cat Distribution System makes up its mind about a match, there is little that anyone can do to stop it from carrying out its plan. Moreover there is little reason to try and stop it seeing as the CDS is an ancient system that knows far better than us when a cat is right for us.

So much like this cat and his new hooman, if you are ever put in such a situation it is for the best that you succumb to it and enjoy your new life as a pawrent to a purr machine. Much like this dog lover did after moving his new found fluffy fur baby into his basement and taking the time to get to know his new cat child's quirks and curiosities. This is the story of how a dog lover becomes a cat lover in a matter of days. 
 

Nothing brings the family together like a comedic collection of funny, fluffy felines!

It's Wednesday, and you're looking for a family activity, huh? You need something that's going to convince the kids to put down their iPads or tear their eyes away from YouTube, something wholesome and fun, but will still pique their interest. Something lighthearted, fluffy, cute, and funny? Wherever will you find such a thing? What could pawssibly be all of those things and more? Cats can, obviously.

Cats are great because they're loved by all ages of people, from tiny toddlers to senior citizens. We haven't met a single purrson in the world who doesn't go "awwwwww" whenever they see a kitten. We're not even sure such a purrson exists. If they do, they certainly live a very sorry life for not even thinking kittens are cute.

Cats are like the movie Shrek. It's funny, cute, and appealing to both kids and their parents. Cats are derpy enough to make kids laugh just by sitting in a silly way, and silly enough for parents to laugh at their ridiculousness. We know it's a pawsitively strange comparison, but to us, it makes purrfect sense.

Take your family, sit them all down next to you, and enjoy these funny feline photos together. It's a bonding activity where you can "oooooo" and "awwww" over these purrfectly silly kitties as a family activity. Then, have a tickle fight, if your kids will allow it. Bonding with your family is impurrtant, and there's no better bonding than over some awwdorable cats.

Life as a cat owner is a lot more exciting than most people think. 

We think that all the cat memes prove it. There are too many cat memes depicting cat chaos. Because there is a lot of it. Because even though cats sleep almost all day long, during the time that they are awake, they make sure to make the best out of every second of it. They scream, they shout, they run around the house, doing their little errands, like the little bosses that they are. And they make sure to leave their paw mark in every place that they go to. 

It's honestly what we love about them. We love that they sleep all day long. It fits our lifestyle. It's calm, it's sweet, it's precious. But those moments… when the chaos hits their system, and they have to do something about it, that is what we truly live. That is what we create funny cat memes about. And it's why we love everyone else's cat memes as well. Because they are not just funny, they are relatable and pawsome. And no matter how many of these cat memes we see, we smile each and every single time we come across them. 

March Madness has arrived, and the cats are ready to make their pawdictions.

March Madness shows up and every cat suddenly becomes a full-time fan of the game. The TV turns on, players start sprinting, and the cat is locked in like it's courtside. To them, it's nonstop fast breaks and zoomies on a giant screen, and they are not missing a single second of the action.

The bracket never survives the game quarter. It gets set on the table, and a cat immediately plants itself right on top like it's making some very serious pawdictions. A tail swipes through a few teams, a paw lands on another, and just like that the cat has finalized its picks. No stats, no strategy, just pure feline confidence that this is a championship-level decision.

Snacks turn things into a full game-day situation. The second a bag crinkles, the cat comes running like it heard the opening tip-off. Sitting close, watching every move, ready to sub itself into the snack rotation at any moment. In their mind, this is a team effort and they are a key player.

By the end of it, the cat has claimed the couch, the remote, and probably part of the bracket too. March Madness might be about basketball, but in this house it quickly turns into March Catness, with one very invested feline running a full-court press on snacks, screens, and anything that moves.

One day, you will find out what your cat's weird addiction is as well. 

There is always something. In every cat's life, one day, out of nowhere, they will find something amazing. They will find that thing that calls to them. That whispers their name in the dark. A call that they cannot resist. A gentle whiff, and they will go hunting. A tiny humm, and they will fogo chasing. Every cat has something like this, and they find it without warning, without any sign. They will be just as surprised by it as you are. And they will be obsessed with it forever. 

For the cat in this story, that thing was opening the faucet. He's obsessed with it. Tries to do it even three years after the faucet was tied shut. Other cats are obsessed with snap peas. Some cats yell at closed doors incessantly. Some cats are obsessed with almonds, not eating them but rather playing with them until they are disintegrated. Our cat at home is obsessed with picking fights with carrots. Something about the smell of that orange thing takes over her mind, and she needs to smack it. Every time. And you know what? It is amazing to see. Every time. And we love every second of it.

Four cats already lived here, but the cat distribution system clearly thought the house had room for one more.

About a month ago, a cat showed up on the front porch meowing like he had something important to say. At first he kept a little distance, but eventually he worked up the courage to approach the kids. Once he realized this house had friendly hoomans and food, he didn't seem very interested in leaving.

Things escalated slowly from there. When a storm was coming, he was allowed to stay in the garage for the night. The garage then felt too cold, so he was moved into the bathroom for a temporary stay. The official rule in the house was still that the cat was not staying. That was the plan, at least.

They did everything they could to find an owner. Local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, shelter sites, and even driving around the neighborhood looking for flyers. The cat was clearly used to people, but he wasn't chipped and nobody came forward looking for him.

While all this was happening, the cat continued settling in. He turned out to be incredibly affectionate and sweet. The kids quickly grew attached and the daughter gave him a name. Toby now has a vet appointment coming up and a comfortable place to sleep.

The official story is that he can stay until a home is found. Toby seems very confident that part of the search is already finished. The cat distribution system appears to have decided this household needed a fifth cat after all.