Close-up of Ben Cat, the 'Huh Cat' meme, looking confused with wide eyes and open mouth.
The “Huh? Cat” meme has become a viral sensation, perfectly capturing the universal feeling of confusion. This meme utilizes a short video clip of a cat with wide eyes and an open mouth, seemingly uttering a “huh?” sound. Since its emergence on TikTok in early 2023, it has rapidly spread across the internet, predominantly used in object-labeling memes to illustrate moments of bewilderment and disorientation. The meme resonates deeply with online audiences because it visually and aurally encapsulates the relatable experience of feeling lost or perplexed in various situations.
The Origin of the “Huh? Cat” Phenomenon
The star of this meme is Ben Cat, a charmingly chubby feline belonging to TikTok user @planetvenus500. @planetvenus500 frequently shares videos of Ben Cat, endearing him to a growing online audience. While the video that spawned the meme was initially posted in September 2021, it was later removed and then reposted on February 12th, 2023. In its original context, the video depicted Ben Cat meowing, seemingly in anticipation of food. This reposted video quickly gained traction, amassing over 2 million views and 332,000 likes within just two months, demonstrating the inherent appeal of Ben Cat’s expressive face.
@planetvenus500 Replying to @nyippaa #benderchonkycat#original ♬ original sound – BenChonkyCat
Interestingly, the meme’s initial stirrings can be traced back to the Russian TikTok community even before the 2023 viral explosion. As early as September 24th, 2021, TikTok user @aromobar utilized the video, adding overlay text that complemented the cat’s confused expression. This early iteration (shown below, left) garnered significant attention with over 2.4 million views and 80,000 likes over two years. Shortly after, on October 3rd, 2021, TikTok user @planeta_belki further popularized the clip by using Ben Cat’s meow as a reaction video (shown below, right). This video also achieved viral status, accumulating over 3 million views and 231,000 likes in the same timeframe, highlighting the meme’s cross-cultural appeal and early recognition of its comedic potential.
@aromobar И такое бывает😂 ДЕУОЧКИ, У нас только 100% ОРИГИНАЛ⚡️ по самой низкой цене! Ниже уже некуда😱😱😱 #требовательныйкот #коттикток #жирныйкот ♬ оригинальный звук – AromoBar
@planeta_belki 😻 #bendercat #бендер #котмем #коткиваетголовой #котмяукает #котмяукаетикиваетголовой ♬ оригинальный звук – Ирина
Widespread Adoption of the Meme
The “Huh? Cat” video officially solidified its meme status on December 8th, 2022, when TikTok user @21pamix paired the original cat video with a simple “huh?” sound effect, perfectly synchronizing with the cat’s meow and expression. This seemingly minor addition transformed the video into a relatable expression of confusion. This video (shown below, left) quickly garnered approximately 135,000 views and 5,000 likes within a year, signaling the meme’s growing recognition. However, the meme truly exploded in popularity on May 11th, 2023, when TikTok user @nyc.jav3 posted a new iteration of the “huh?” sound meme video (shown below, right). This version resonated even more strongly, achieving over 1.7 million views and 135,000 likes in just six months, firmly establishing the “Huh? Cat” as a dominant meme format for expressing confusion and disbelief online.
@21pamix Huh?#foryou #minecraft #huh #cat #meme ♬ original sound – Parsa
Related Meme: Rambling Goat and Huh? Cat
The “Huh? Cat” meme has also branched out into related formats, most notably the “Rambling Goat and Huh? Cat” meme. This variation combines the confused cat video with a video of a goat making nonsensical bleating sounds. The humor arises from the juxtaposition of the goat’s incomprehensible noises and the cat’s visual representation of confusion, effectively portraying situations where individuals feel overwhelmed and unable to understand what is happening. A popular example, posted by TikTok user @takutyan_ut on October 7th, 2023, illustrates this perfectly. The video (shown below) humorously depicts a Japanese person’s first experience in London and their struggle to comprehend spoken English. This relatable scenario quickly resonated with audiences, amassing over 2 million views and 298,000 likes in a single week, demonstrating the power of combining “Huh? Cat” with other memes to amplify comedic effect and broaden its applicability.
takutyan_ut#Meme #huhcat #English #Japan #british ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – 東大卒ふつうのひと@ちいかわ大好き – Super Elite 東大卒ふつうのひと@ちいかわ大好き
Diverse Applications of the Huh? Cat Meme
The versatility of the “Huh? Cat” meme is evident in its wide range of applications across social media. It’s used to react to bizarre or unexpected situations, express confusion at complex instructions, or simply convey a general sense of being lost. Below are several examples showcasing the meme in action:
@forever_lonely_lizzy #jigsaw #saw #huhcatmeme #fyp #comedy #catsoftiktok ♬ Saw Theme (Hello Zepp) – Metal Version – Dad Metal
@chu_gomikasudegomenn_ huh?cat 素材です#catmeme #goat #greenscreen #fyp #何言ってんのこいつ ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – ななす – あせるなくす
@planetvenus500 #benderchonkycat#huhcatmeme ♬ original sound – BenChonkyCat
@boojenny02 #CapCut #meme #MemeCut #huhcat #huhcatmeme ♬ HUUUUUUUH – ⚡️SpeedSong⚡️
Search Interest
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External References
[1] TikTok – planetvenus500
[2] TikTok – 21pamix
[3] TikTok – nyc.jav3
[4] TikTok – takutyan_ut
[5] TikTok – aromobar
[6] TikTok – planeta_belki
