Original Surprised Kitty Viral Video Set To Be Auctioned Off This Week As A 1/1 NFT From Its Creator

NFTs have been one of the most prevalent trends on the internet this year, and meme-oriented crypto-collectibles are one of the biggest with several going for hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout 2021.

Kicking off on Sunday, November 7th, the beloved viral video “Surprised Kitty” from the early days of YouTube is set to be auctioned off on Zora as a one-of-one NFT with a starting price of 30 ETH from the meme’s original owner, rozzzafly, who first uploaded it to the platform in 2009.

Tracing back its origin to October 13th, 2009, YouTuber rozzzafly published the video of an adorable kitty reacting with a surprised expression, almost immediately going viral. According to rozzzafly, who gave us some insight into the backstory behind the clip, the kitten’s name was “Attila” and it belonged to a friend.

“When I was 15, I recorded my mom’s friends’ kitten, Attila, on a little flip camera,” rozzzafly said. “I put it on YouTube with no expectations except sharing some sweetness. I had no idea how many people it would reach. A couple of weeks later, I checked the email linked to the account and saw thousands of messages. Without even realizing it, it had become viral almost overnight.”

Over the years since then, the video has racked up over 79 million views, even helping rozzzafly pursue her college education thanks to its popularity. “I was able to afford college because of this video. It’s not something that comes up often, but every now and then it does, and whenever I mention which YouTube video it is, people say, ‘Oh, of course, I’ve seen that!’”

The iconic video has remained relevant over the last decade-plus thanks to being featured in films like We're The Millers, on programs such as South Park and Tosh.0, as well as references in talk shows, documentaries and even a recent parody by Doja Cat.

We were so excited to see this! We love @DojaCat so much! pic.twitter.com/DqTEDFo93Y

— Surprised Kitty (@kitty_surprised) September 26, 2021

“I think that because language isn’t required to understand the video and the central focus is a kitten and not a person, people from every culture can relate,” rozzzafly told us about the meme’s international fan base. “It was very cool to see how far-reaching and international the views were via YouTube analytics. There were hits around the world from Burkina Faso to Vanuatu and it was hugely popular in Japan. It feels good to have contributed something so disarming that brings people joy across the globe.”

In partnership with Know Your Meme, we've once again certified the authenticity of the NFT (as we did with Doge) and confirmed its legitimacy as rozzzafly’s original meme and auction. This marks the first, true Surprised Kitty crypto-collectible to be auctioned off to date from the creator who first captured and shared it with the internet.

Earlier this year in April, May Oswald, who created the original Me Gusta Rage Comic character, had her artwork stolen and uploaded to an NFT marketplace by an impersonator attempting to capitalize on her creation, which KYM revealed to be an imposter. By authenticating this NFT, we are once again certifying it to assure potential buyers that it’s from the meme’s true creator.

During our discussion, rozzzafly also noted that a portion of the proceeds from the NFT will go to charities. “A large portion of the money will go towards mutual aid and sending monetary resources directly to community,” she said. “I plan on investing in Black and indigenous land projects and sustainable energy.”

Those looking to get their hands on this classic piece of internet history can visit the Zora listing here to learn more about the Surprised Kitty NFT ahead of Sunday’s kick-off.

“I had reservations about engaging with it [NFTs], but the more that I’ve seen viral videos and memes succeed in NFT spaces, and the more I talked about it with people who have similar values, the more I realized that this is a rare opportunity not many people get,” rozzzafly added. “The nature of Surprised Kitty and early YouTube fame is such a phenomenon. I want to embrace it and use this opportunity to access resources that I can share with others. It’s also inspiring to see how artists who haven’t necessarily had access to the traditional art world and exclusive gallery spaces now have full agency in showing their work and making money off their art.”