What's With All The 'Alf Eating Cats' Memes? How A Rumor Of Immigrants Eating Pets In Ohio And The Presidential Debate Inspired Alf Memes Explained

The most recent U.S. presidential debate recently took place and it was full of some truly wild and memeable moments. The debate even inspired '80s sitcom character Alf the alien to come out of retirement with a series of memes about eating cats. But how did the debate inspire these memes and why is everyone worried about their cats getting eaten? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Alf Eating Cats' Meme?

The 1980s sitcom Alf is about an alien, nicknamed Alf, who crashes into the Tanner family's garage and proceeds to live with them to avoid the FBI. A recurring joke in the series revolves around Alf's efforts to eat the family cat, with cats being a common food on his home planet, Melmac. In one episode, he even puts the cat between two pieces of bread, but ultimately backs out of eating it because it's so cute.

Memes about Alf eating cats have popped up online occasionally throughout the 2010s, although didn't gain significant traction until September 2024, following the U.S. presidential debate. During the debate, presidential candidate Donald Trump said "The people that came in, they're eating the cats," referencing rumors of Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. This, in combination with Trump claiming he heard about the rumor on TV, effectively brought Alf memes to a new high over the next few days.

How Is 'Alf Eating Cats' Used In Memes?

Most of the Alf eating cats memes use the image of Alf making a cat sandwich, taken from season four, episode nine. Throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, these memes usually revolve around wordplay or references to the alien's appetite for cats. For example, one of the more popular examples is an image macro dunking on vegans that reads, "What vegans see when they watch someone eat a burger."

In regards to the presidential debate, this same image, along with others simply showing Alf, are being used alongside jokes referencing the "they're eating the pets" quote. Some of the most popular examples joke that the presidential candidate may have watched an episode of Alf and confused it for a documentary about "illegal aliens eating cats."

For the full history of Alf eating cats, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.