The Funniest Cat Memes of 2021 Are Exactly What You Need Right Now

We at Daily Paws are of the sound belief that looking at animals on the internet is not only the best job ever (e-v-e-r), but also a huge stress reliever. This scientific study backs that last point 110 percent—in fact, research states that cat memes and videos give us feelings of happiness, hope, and renewed energy, and also reduce our anxiety, annoyance, and sadness. Bam! Wins all around.

So while we can't present every single one of the funniest cat memes of 2021, we've cultivated a few that made us snort and thus, hopefully brighten your day as well.

Courtesy of patronsaintofcats / Twitter

Vibing Cat

TikTok user @micklagi first posted his friend's kitty Minette jammin' to the Jonas Blue EMD song, "I Wanna Dance" in 2020 (That dumpster fire year? Like we would have noticed). Since then, it's broken the internet as a wildly-popular cat meme, an emoji and a gif known as CatJAM, and in thousands of beatastic vids, like this one with talented street performer Levan Pollka. Vibing Cat: symbolic of our need to shake off 2020 and just shut up and dance in 2021.

"I'm Not a Cat."

Still plenty of web-conferencing Zoom happenings in 2021 and with them, many laughable mishaps. Texas lawyer Rod Ponton, a county attorney, gained instant internet fame when a cute kitten Zoom filter popped up instead of his face during a hearing. Havoc ensued, but only temporarily, and now we're all in on the joke and the merch, like cookies!

Sad Cat With Wine

Just when we thought the anguish of 2020 was over, nearly 8 million people could relate to TikTok poster annaolala's forlorn feline, slacked-gazed into a rather full glass of (cat?) wine pondering the meaning of life in 2021. Related memes and gifs abound.

Bernie with Mittens and Kittens

We don't have the exact stats, but we're rather confident that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders at President Joe Biden's inauguration was the one meme to rule them all in 2021. Once New Yorker writer Rachel Syme tweeted the singular shot of Bernie and his infamous mittens from the event, the 'net cracked open. This isn't the only funny cat meme to feature Bernie, but it's as close to purrfection as any.

"The Boy"

When TikTok maven june_banoon crooned a happy hello to "The Boy"—a wandering neighborhood cat called Mashed Potatoes—the interwebs went wild. More than 6 million views, numerous duets and reaction mashups (heh—see what we did there?) like this snazzy number and this luscious piece, and some hilarious, uh, copycats. Originally thought to be a stray, he has a happy home where he's known as Johnny, and seems totally oblivious to his fame.

Ricky the Liquid Cat

Without a doubt, there are times when kitty liquidity would come in handy—to perform magical escape acts, for example. Though TikTok user @rlynneg's freakishly-fluid cat oozing down the stairs is more reflective of how we feel e-v-e-r-y morning. Ricky the orange and white tabby is definitely having his own 'no bones' day! We feel you, sir.

Merlin the New Grumpy Cat

Picking up where Grumpy Cat (RIP, Grumpy!) left off is the ragdoll curmudgeon, Merlin. Like many Instagram superstars, supposedly his online persona doesn't reflect his true soft-purring and lovable self. The plushie seems to be a too-cool hint at both.

Walter

It's the slow paw stroke that gets you. Walter.the.catt captivated more than 6 million viewers on TikTok with his appreciation of new neckwear—not a sparkly collar, mind you, but a sleek new tie. In the video, Walter is such a handsome fashion-forward feline, and when he smoothes it down, it's evident that he knows he's looking chic. We could totally see him in a poster sporting a sophisticated sweater and tie ensemble and some vague inspirational workplace message like, "Plan your work and work your plan."

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