Emoji dictionary
๐ Cat emoji
[kat ih-moh-jee]
What does ๐ Cat emoji mean?
Here kitty, kitty, kitty. As opposed to the cat face emoji ๐ฑ, theย cat emoji, ๐, shows the whole kitty and caboodle to signify our feline pets.ย It is variously used to express affection for our domestic cat companions.
Where does ๐ Cat emoji come from?
The cat emoji curled up on emoji keyboards (just as we were settling down to work) under Unicode 6.0 in 2010. Across platforms, the emoji points left and is sometimes sitting. Its form and color vary by vendor. Apple’s design is regal and realistic, with red-orange stripes and a white underbelly. Most others feature a more cartoonish, orange-hued Mittens, as shown in the screenshot from Emojipedia below.
Emojipedia
The cat emoji joins other digital felines, like the tigerย ๐ or lion faceย ๐ฆ. Ever wonder about all those other cat smileys on the keyboard, like pouting cat faceย ๐พ? They harken back to the fact that emoji originated in Japan, where cats are considered symbols of good luck and fortune.
NIPPON & CO
People feel feelings about cats. People feel feelings about emoji. And, some people really feel feelings about theย cat emoji. One person launched a Change.org petition to Google to change its cat emoji back (which they recently modified in 2017):
Her beautiful smile was a shining light in these dark times we find ourselves in. I urge Google to reconsider this change because she is the one thing keeping this nation together today. Don’t take my beautiful cat child away.
Examples of ๐ Cat emoji
Who uses ๐ Cat emoji?
Cat people. You know them. You might very well be one. Either way, that’s who especially loves the cat emoji, whether showing off their handsome house cats online or wishing folks a Happy Caturday.
Good Morning & Happy #Caturday๐ pic.twitter.com/7i910STIi9
— Eva Brown ๏ฃฟ (@evawut) July 21, 2018
keep that mf thang on me ๐
iโm definitely becoming a crazy cat lady pic.twitter.com/7AQD0lKGr0— baby blue (@sluttt0n) July 16, 2018
Vets and animal-rescue agencies often use the cat emoji to promote their work and causes.
Brilliant day out for all the family๐๐ฉ๐ฉโ๐ฆ๐
Only 8 weeks until #PupAid2018 fun dog show, raising awareness of #puppy farm cruelty & rescue pet adoption๐ฉ๐๐ฅฐ#PrimroseHill SEPT 1ST#WheresMum #Adopt #LucysLaw@pupaid @rickygervais @Protect_Wldlife @PeterEgan6 @Lucy_Cavalier pic.twitter.com/GRXKoHG3qZ
— ANIMAL ADVOCATE โ (@_AnimalAdvocate) July 7, 2018
We made it! What a week! We've had multiple major surgeries, tick paralysis cases, emergency dentistry, dog attack patients and fish hook eaters….along with all of our usual suspects! You just never know what the week will bring. Enjoy your weekend ๐๐๐๐พ
— East Port Vet (@EastPortVet) July 27, 2018
As do lovers of Halloween or anything spooky, with cats long associated with magic and witchcraft.
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH MY FELLOW WITCHES ๐๐๐ฎ
— space bounty hunter๐๏ธ watch KILLJOYS ๐ (@spacekya) July 13, 2018
115 days until Halloween ๐๐๐ป pic.twitter.com/dRHPJCBUV9
— แทแแฉแแชOแ แชE แผOYOแ ๐ (@BrandonABC13) July 9, 2018
We have many cat-related expressions in the language, like look what the cat dragged in or the adjective catty. The cat emoji sees ready use in those contexts.
Look what the ๐ dragged in! Ace to hear from @sam_trett and @sharonInflux, who shared their inspiring stories with other Acorns! #dundee ๐ณ pic.twitter.com/Vcz9PsOG30
— Acorns (@AcornEnterprise) September 26, 2017
I told my supervisor our workplace is so catty it might as well be an animal shelter and she loved it๐น๐๐ #timmyhell #fiestyhoes
— Candace (@scrandace) June 23, 2016
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of ๐ Cat emoji like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of ๐ Cat emoji that will help our users expand their word mastery.