Why Is This Cat Coughing, And How Did He Become A Meme? The Viral 'Coughing Cat' Explained

There are plenty of silly pictures of Cats on the internet, silly cats are a staple of internet culture, whether they're photos, videos or what have you. Each is a testament to how fun and hilarious these cute little creatures can be. Capturing our pets in incredibly awkward moments is a widespread thing to do, and being able to create a meme out of these moments is probably something many would dream of. One such viral image is the "Coughing Cat, " which is a photoshopped image of a cat coughing.

But what is this Coughing Cat meme? And where did the original meme come from? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The Coughing Cat?

The Coughing Cat is a photoshopped image of an open-mouthed, wide-eyed cat. The original image was uploaded on Instagram on November 27th, 2018 (shown below) by @Idascreatures, a profile dedicated to posting photoshopped pictures of animals.

Where Did The Meme Come From?

After its initial upload, the image became viral, often comparing the face the cats make to the one little kids make when they cough. On December 3rd, Twitter user @aliahgeyes tweeted the image with the caption "this is how lil kids cough", which garnered over 630,000 likes.

This comparison was further validated with more memes comparing the face to that of a coughing child. Twitter user @ericisgrody combined both pictures on his phone (shown below, left), and another user, @__trash_mammal_, posted another image of a coughing cat, with the caption "He got the whole class sick" (shown below, right).

How Is The Coughing Cat Used In Memes?

Since its first upload, the meme has been used extensively as an image macro and a reaction image across the web, with its primary usage being for comparisons to little kids coughing. Other than the odd and somewhat human-like appearance of the cat, it became a popular exploitable image to describe how annoying little kids can be, whether they're coughing up a storm in a public gathering or just being an overall nuisance.

For the full history of the Coughing Cat, check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia for more information.