About
Maxwell The Cat, widely recognized as Spinning Cat, is a black and white tuxedo cat that became an internet phenomenon in late 2022. The virality began after a 3D model of the cat was introduced to Garry’s Mod. This model quickly became the centerpiece of numerous online videos, depicting the cat spinning dynamically to various soundtracks, drawing parallels to the earlier Horizontally Spinning Rat memes. Adding to the playful confusion, Maxwell the Cat is also sometimes referred to as Dingus the Cat or Big Boobs, although its actual name is Jess.
Origin
The origin of the Maxwell the Cat meme can be traced back to November 20th, 2017, when Imgur user Voidhawk42 shared a picture of Jess, a black and white cat, perched on a piece of paper with the humorous instruction “please do not bend.” The original source of this image remains unknown. This image began to gain traction around 2020, frequently reappearing on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, establishing the cat’s recognizable appearance online.
The pivotal moment for Maxwell’s meme status arrived on October 12th, 2022, when Steam user шизео кодзима uploaded a 3D model of this very cat to the Steam Workshop. Designed for use in Garry’s Mod and other Source engine games, the model rapidly gained popularity, amassing over 20,000 views and 500 favorites within just two months.
3D model of Maxwell the Cat uploaded to Steam Workshop for Garry's Mod.
Unveiling Maxwell’s True Identity
The cat behind the meme, known as Jess, is indeed owned by Imgur user Voidhawk42. However, online, there has been some understandable confusion regarding the cat’s identity. Maxwell the Cat has been mistakenly identified as Dingus the Cat, a similar-looking black and white cat featured on the TikTok account @BigOldBuns and the Instagram account @big_old_buns. Another case of mistaken identity involves Uni the Cat, who bears a resemblance, fueled further by the viral “His Name Is X, Look Him Up” meme from November 2021, initiated by Twitter user @calicokritter. This meme humorously encouraged searching for “Big Boobs” online, adding to the layers of online cat identity confusion.
Two images of Dingus the Cat, a black and white cat often mistaken for Maxwell the Cat, with humorous captions.
Another image of Dingus the Cat being mischievous, further contributing to online cat identity confusion.
The "His Name Is X, Look Him Up" meme featuring a similar-looking cat, contributing to the Maxwell/Dingus/Uni cat confusion.
Spread and Viral Momentum
The Maxwell the Cat meme truly began to spread rapidly starting October 21st, 2022. Steam user ScottRim enhanced the initial 3D model, transforming it into a carryable in-game item. This modification significantly amplified the model’s reach, attracting over 119,000 unique visitors and garnering more than 6,700 favorites within a single month. It was on this Steam Workshop page that the feline model was explicitly named “Maxwell the Carryable Cat.”
On October 25th, 2022, the meme expanded beyond the gaming community when YouTuber Awesome Te4m uploaded a comedic Half-Life 2 video titled “Half-Life 2, but i have a cat.” This video, showcasing the Maxwell the Cat model within the game, quickly accumulated over 639,000 views in just one month, introducing the spinning cat to a broader audience.
The spinning aspect of the meme was solidified on November 4th, 2022, when Twitter user @blastycat shared a GIF animation of the Maxwell cat model spinning. This tweet resonated widely, amassing over 34,100 retweets and 161,300 likes in a month, firmly establishing the spinning cat as a recognizable and shareable meme format.
acquired C A T. You put the C A T in your K E Y I T E M S pocket. pic.twitter.com/FbvHBWmE9B
— â“’â“ⓣⓢⓣⓨ (@blastycats) November 4, 2022
The meme’s catchphrase “You have acquired CAT!” emerged shortly after. On November 5th, Twitter user @hacer_kun posted an edited iteration of the spinning cat GIF, adding this now-iconic caption. This tweet further propelled the meme’s popularity, achieving over 1.4 million views, 35,800 retweets, and 171,200 likes, cementing “You have acquired CAT!” into the Maxwell the Cat lexicon.
— Hacer (parody) (@hacer_kun) November 5, 2022
Tumblr played a significant role in merging the spinning Maxwell cat with music. On November 6th, 2022, Tumblr user escuerzoresucitado reposted the spinning GIF. Two days later, Tumblr user funke responded to this post with the song Around the World by Daft Punk. This interaction sparked a trend, accumulating over 69,000 reblogs and 83,500 likes within three weeks and launching the meme into the realm of musical pairings.
Following these viral posts, the spinning Maxwell the Cat GIF exploded in popularity, becoming a canvas for countless musical mashups. Among these, the jingle “Stockmarket” by Weebl rose to particular prominence, becoming affectionately known as “Maxwell’s Theme,” solidifying the meme’s audio identity.
Various Examples
Maxwell the Cat’s spinning animation has been famously paired with a variety of songs, enhancing its comedic and meme-able nature. Besides “Around the World” by Daft Punk and “Stockmarket” by Weebl, other popular musical pairings include:
- “Rasputin” by Boney M.
- “Better Call Saul Main Theme” by Little Barrie
- “Gangnam Style” by PSY
- “My Ordinary Life” by The Living Tombstones
- “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee
These are just a few examples, and the meme’s versatility allows for continuous evolution with new song pairings and creative edits.
Template
Spinning Maxwell the Cat GIF template for meme creation.
Search Interest
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External References
[1] TikTok – @bigoldbuns
[2] Instagram – @big_old_buns
[3] Twitter – @calicokritter
[4] Steam – dingus
[5] Steam – Maxwell the carryable cat
[6] YouTube – Half-Life 2, but i have a cat
[7] Twitter – @blastycats
[8] Twitter – @hacer_kun
[9] Tumblr – escuerzoresucitado
[10] Tumblr – funke
[11] Imgur – Cat does not care for the laws of man
[12] Facebook – Stolen Cat Posting
[13] Twitter – @gatinarios
[14] Imgur – I have no idea what I’m going to do
[15] YouTube – Weebls Stockmarket
