Please Do Not The Cat started as a simple edited image featuring an angry cat turned into a widely shared joke built around intentionally broken English. Years after it first appeared online, the meme is still recognized across social media platforms and meme communities.
What Is Please Do Not The Cat?
Please Do Not The Cat is an image macro showing a hand reaching toward an angry-looking cat. The image includes the caption Please Do Not The Cat which is intentionally written with incorrect grammar. The humor comes from the fact that the sentence is incomplete and makes little sense, yet most people instantly understand the warning: don’t bother the cat.
The meme belongs to a long tradition of internet jokes that use broken English, often called “Engrish” or meme-speak. Instead of proper grammar, the caption removes the verb entirely, making the phrase sound absurd while remaining understandable.
Origin of the Meme
The meme originated on September 29, 2019, when a Facebook page called “WikiHow Image Macros” posted an edited WikiHow-style illustration. The original image showed a hand reaching toward an irritated cat, but the creator replaced the normal instructional text with the phrase “Please Do Not The Cat.” The unusual wording quickly caught people’s attention and encouraged sharing.
The image was designed to imitate WikiHow’s well-known illustration style, which has inspired many parody memes over the years. Because the picture already looked like a serious instruction guide, the nonsensical caption made it even funnier.
Also Read: Minor Spelling Mistake Meme Meaning Origin
How the Meme Spread
Shortly after appearing on Facebook, the image spread to Reddit communities that focused on absurd humor and intentionally confusing posts. Users shared it across multiple meme subreddits, where the awkward wording became part of the joke.
During 2020, people began creating their own versions. Instead of using the original cat image, they copied the phrase structure and replaced words to create new jokes. These edits helped the meme survive long after the original post faded from attention.
Why People Find It Funny
The humor comes from several factors:
- The sentence is clearly wrong but still understandable.
- The angry cat makes the warning feel strangely serious.
- The image resembles a real instructional guide.
- The caption invites endless variations and remixes.
The meme also reflects the internet’s long history of cat jokes and intentionally incorrect grammar. Similar humor appeared in earlier cat memes and lolcat captions that used unusual spelling and sentence structures.
Also Read: Spinning Fish Meme Meaning and Origin
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Meme Name | Please Do Not The Cat |
| Type | Image Macro |
| Origin Date | September 29, 2019 |
| Origin Platform | |
| Source | WikiHow Image Macros page |
| Main Image | Hand reaching toward an angry cat |
| Key Caption | “Please Do Not The Cat” |
| Humor Style | Broken grammar and absurd instructions |
| Popularity Peak | 2019–2020 |
| Common Use | Warning jokes, reaction images, and meme edits |
The meme gained popularity in late 2019 and continued spreading through Reddit and other social media platforms during 2020.
It is an image macro meme, meaning it combines an image with a humorous caption to create a joke.