Cat videos are good for you, according to science. Here are our favorite cats to watch.
In a social media landscape littered with terrible news, cat videos are furry, prissy, beacons of hope. You can eye-roll all you want, but watching cat videos is good for your health and they could make you kinder. How so, you ask? Humans are wired to have a compassionate emotional response to cuteness; when we see something cute (e.g.: huge glossy eyes, round face), the emotional pleasure center of our brain immediately lights up.
Because this response is so rapid, our brain assigns importance to the cute thing that got our attention, decides that it’s valuable, and then we have feelings of protection towards it. Also, the logic of neural repetition implies that the more often we have these caring feelings, the more likely we are to have them in the future.
To help you reap these benefits, we’ve rounded up five cats of Instagram who love hamming it up for the camera. They'll l teach you how to surf, how to cook, and fully hijack your puny hooman brain with their cuteness. You’re welcome.
Sheldon Thunderpaws
Imagine a six-month-old Texan street-turned-bougie cat who preaches the gospel of rescue culture, all while boasting his enormous eyes, sass, and unparalleled ribbon-chewing skills.
Nelly, Gilbert, and Nala
These mischievous cat siblings make domestic-diva-style instructional cooking videos and do regular cat things like carve pumpkins and or/keep them warm by sprawling over them.
The Dark Lord
All hail The Dark Lord, a hairless and heartless (not really) ruler who’s always Facetiming his human wench, Amanda, at work with his demands. So seductive are his dark charms that he has spawned a fan base of wench wannabes as well as coined his own line of merch.
Nathan the Beachcat
This guy was found in a box on the freeway, and now he lives the life of all our dreams. He spends his time making surf videos, lazing in the sun, and — like many of his influencer peer— spreading the message of cat rescue.
Venus the Two-Face Cat
This creature is a living, breathing, adopted work of art whose face is half orange tabby and half black. Her striking good looks have garnered the attention of millions of fans, including the Broadway cast of CATS.
Not only can these glorious felines entertain and soothe us, their social media personas raise awareness about adoption. If you want to rescue the next Instagram star, contact your local rescue or the ASPCA. If you just want to feel better about life without the added responsibility of tending to one of these divas, keep scrolling.
