THE INTERNET CAT HALL OF FAME

The original cat-meme format — image macros with deliberately misspelled "lolspeak" captions. "I Can Has Cheezburger?" launched in 2007 and arguably defined the early internet.

Footage of a cat "playing" a keyboard (originally Fatso in 1984) became a viral send-off gag in the late 2000s — played after someone made a mistake or was carried off "stage".

Tardar Sauce became an icon due to her permanently grumpy expression (caused by feline dwarfism and an underbite). She appeared at conventions, on TV, and on merchandise worldwide.

A perma-kitten with a unique appearance (extra toes, no teeth, osteopetrosis) who raised millions for special-needs animals through her celebrity.

Held the Guinness record for longest cat fur (up to 9 inches). His permanently unimpressed scowl made him a beloved internet presence.

An animated Pop-Tart-bodied cat flying through space leaving a rainbow trail. One of the most-shared early internet animations.

Cats dominate the internet in part because they fit small screens, have readable expressions, and live indoors alongside the people who created the internet. The lineage runs from LOLcats to today's TikTok cats — same instinct, new medium.