Who Or What Is A "Bingus"?

Everyone knows that the internet has been and always will be obsessed with cats. There is something so quirky about those furry creatures that can hardly ever be replicated by the simple sweetness of any dog. Cats represent the best and worst of us on the internet; cute, grumpy, and most importantly, weird. It just so happens that around the year 2020, the internet found the cutest and weirdest cat of all. Here's all you need to know about the adorable kitty; Bingus.

Who Is Bingus?

Bingus lore begins with a video of a sweet, albeit bald-looking hairless cat being petted as he looks inquisitively at his owner. His wide, dark eyes and peaceful demeanor were an instant hit with people that could not believe they get to witness something so pure.

But Bingus's identity and origins weren't discovered until the year 2020, when a Redditor shared the news that Bingus likely originated from China. The original video of Bingus being petted was shared by a sphynx cat breeder on the Douyin app, by a person with the username "Lelemaoshe." Turns out, Bingus was popular on Douyin and Weibo as well, which just goes to show that with a cat this cute, the love is universal.

But What Exactly Is A "Bingus"?

Contrary to how he might look, Bingus is in fact a cat. More precisely, Bingus is a hairless sphynx cat, which were bred sometime after the 1960s to allow those suffering from cat allergies to be able to experience the joy of cuddling one of these creatures. Sphynx cats are born with little to no hair but can be hard to maintain and take care of since they need regular grooming.

As to the question of what a "Bingus" is, and why this specific cat was named that… well, no one knows! It just so happens that some of the earliest known videos of Bingus were posted to the internet at the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2020, and each post contained comment after comment of people reciting the name "Bingus" over and over again. Considering the fact that we received more Bingus content soon after, we should perhaps be glad that these chants seemingly worshipped Bingus into existence.

Does Bingus Have Any Friends?

Yes! Bingus joined the legacy of cat memes that become the namesake of their entire breed, much like his friend, Big Floppa. Big Floppa is a giant caracal cat with big pointy and floppy ears. People often compare Bingus and Floppa because they are two well loved cats to make made recent debuts on the internet. While Bingus and Floppa have yet to meet IRL, they are often pictured in the same meme together, making them good friends.

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For the full history of Bingus, be sure to check out our entry on him here for even more information.