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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteDaily Paws’ December 15, 2021 roundup featured eight cat-meme moments, from a kitten appearing on a lawyer’s Zoom screen to a cat named Walter smoothing a tie. It was a selection, not a ranked or exhaustive list—and its reported view counts are historical figures from 2021, not current totals.
Eight cat memes featured in the 2021 roundup
The examples below reflect what Tracey L. Kelley’s Daily Paws roundup chose to spotlight. Where the article attributed an origin or identity to a social post, that attribution is presented as the roundup’s account.
Vibing Cat, also known as CatJAM
Daily Paws traced the meme to TikTok user @micklagi, who posted a video of a friend’s cat, Minette, moving to Jonas Blue’s “I Wanna Dance” in 2020. The roundup says the image became associated with the CatJAM emoji and GIF, along with derivative videos. The original post was not independently verified for this account.
“I’m Not a Cat”
A kitten Zoom filter appeared over Texas lawyer Rod Ponton’s face during a hearing, creating the image commonly labeled “I’m Not a Cat.” That phrase is the meme’s familiar name; the roundup does not establish it as a verified verbatim statement by Ponton.
Sad Cat With Wine
The roundup connected the image to TikTok poster annaolala and reported that nearly 8 million people could relate to the post. That is the 2021 article’s reported figure, not an independently audited or current count.
Bernie Sanders with mittens and kittens
Cat-themed edits riffed on the photograph of Bernie Sanders wearing mittens at Joe Biden’s inauguration. Daily Paws connected its example to Rachel Syme’s tweet and jokingly called the result “one meme to rule them all.” The article gave no exact statistics, so that phrase is playful commentary rather than a ranking.
“The Boy”
Daily Paws identified the cat as a neighborhood cat called Mashed Potatoes, later known as Johnny at home. It reported more than 6 million views for the TikTok phenomenon in its 2021 account; that is not a current view total.
Ricky the Liquid Cat
Ricky is an orange-and-white tabby in a video of a cat moving down stairs. The roundup’s “no bones” joke captures the appeal: the cat seems to flow down the steps rather than move with much visible stiffness.
Rank #3
Merlin the New Grumpy Cat
Merlin, a ragdoll, had a curmudgeonly online persona. Daily Paws noted that this image could differ from his affectionate character at home and mentioned a plushie as part of the wider fan appeal.
Walter
In the video described by Daily Paws, Walter smooths a tie. The roundup reported more than 6 million TikTok viewers in 2021; the figure belongs to that article’s account, not current platform analytics.
What the roundup’s numbers do—and don’t—tell you
The audience figures attached to Sad Cat With Wine, “The Boy,” and Walter are snapshots reported by Daily Paws in 2021. They should not be treated as comparable measurements: the article describes one as people who could relate, another as views, and Walter’s as viewers. It provides no exact count for the Bernie-and-kittens variation. None of these figures establishes which meme was funniest or most popular overall.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can cat memes improve your mood?
Daily Paws said research suggested cat memes and videos could produce feelings such as happiness, hope, and renewed energy, while reducing anxiety, annoyance, and sadness. Its article linked to secondary coverage rather than identifying the underlying study, its authors, methods, or sample. That makes the claim a broad wellbeing suggestion, not a precise or settled scientific finding—and certainly not medical advice.
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