The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011

Cats. They are why we do what we do — why we continue to persevere in the face of a fearful present and an uncertain future. But they are so much more than just the unheralded inspiration for our greatest accomplishments — for instance, they are also furry and they roll around on the floor a lot. Let’s take a look back at the most important ones from this year.

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The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011
Jack Shepherd

30: The Saddest Kitten Of All Time
Kitten: “Sadness is not a temporary affliction to be shrugged off and discarded. It is a mode of being; a way of life; a heaviness on the soul that can never be lifted because its weight is the weight of existence itself.”
You: “JESUS CHRIST LIGHTEN UP YOU ARE A KITTEN.”

29: Glass-Of-Water Cat
We have all had the experience of wanting something so badly but not being able to fit our furry little noses far enough into it to reach, but never before has that feeling been made so vividly real as in this masterful performance by Glass-Of-Water Cat.

28: The Chillest Cat Ever
Is relaxing still relaxing if relaxing is your job? The chillest cat ever knows the answer to that particular koan, but she is too relaxed right now to give it to you.

Source: youtube.com

27: Awkward Family Photo Cat
In the great awkward family that is The United States Of America, this cat is the small but persistent voice of reason that whispers, ever so quietly, “what in the name of fuck are you people doing?”

26: Cats Trying To Understand A Treadmill
The Russian Romantic writer Mikhail Lermontov once said, “We almost always forgive what we can understand,” which just goes to show that the Russian Romantic writer Mikhail Lermontov was writing in a time before treadmills and that he was clearly not a cat.

Source: youtube.com

25: Cat Scans
In a world full of secrets and lies, the cats of Cat Scans said, for all who dared to listen, “Behold: I am a cat. Look at my underbelly, and how my feet squish into my fur. I have nothing to hide.”

24: Inception Cat
This is the way the world ends - not with a bang, but with a cat who is hugging a cat who is hugging another cat.

23: The Cat Who Played With The Dolphins
To reach across the vast gulf that exists between one’s own being and that of another and say not, “This is alien to me; I reject it,” but instead “Holy shit, I am going to rub that dolphin’s nose with my face!” requires bravery, vision, and wisdom that is rarely seen in a tabby cat.

Source: youtube.com

22: Little Red Riding Cat
“I have just realized that, run as I might, I will never escape the Big Bad Wolf, because it has been a part of me all along.”
-This cat

21: Fat Cat On A Diet
Be direct, honest, and uncompromising about your heart’s desires, for if you do not define them openly they will come, in time, to define you instead. Also, maybe give this cat something to eat?

Source: youtube.com

20: Underwater Treadmill Cat
If 2011 was something of an underwater treadmill for you, I hope that you have survived it with the same forbearance and grace that this cat has.

Source: youtube.com

19: The Cat Who Loves His Pet Spider
Love is a process of identification, and the wider the breach between two souls, the greater their love must be in order to gap it. It is therefore axiomatic that of all the many forms of love that take root in this wide world, there is no love more powerful than the love that exists between a cat and his terrifying oversized remote control spider.

Source: youtube.com

18: OCD Potato Cat
“Before you pass judgement, ask yourselves this: Which one of you would not take arms against the tide of a brutal determinism to keep your essence in its rightful place? Are you truly prepared to abandon yourself to the chaos of a random universe and allow your life’s potatoes to be dispersed without a fight?”
-This cat

Source: youtube.com

17: The Cat Who Sat On The Stairs
It is often said that when you look deep into someone’s eyes you can catch a glimpse of their very soul - though this is harder to do when they are a very silly little guy who should not be sitting like that!!

16: Perfect Comedy Timing Cat
“If we cannot learn to laugh at ourselves, then every stolen sardine will be a tragedy.”
-Ancient proverb about this video

Source: youtube.com

15: Dog Masseuse Cat
In a year beset by turmoil and war, Dog-Masseuse Cat implored us to set aside our prejudices and submit ourselves to the healing paws of a peacemaker.

Source: youtube.com

14: Mother Cat Hugging Kitten
In May, this video was revealed to the world and the world caught its collective breath and said, with one unified voice, “OK, sure! Cute! I will put it on Facebook.”

13: Printer Cat
While the rest of us spent another year studiously avoiding our fear of the infinite, Printer Cat had the courage to stare directly into the encompassing void - and the wisdom to back as quickly as possible away from it when something came out.

Source: youtube.com

12: Wrestling Kittens
“And Mittens was left alone; and there wrestled a cat with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he mewed pitifully but he did not let go until the dawn cast a flickering light upon the ground, which distracted him and he completely forgot what he was doing because he is just a kitten.”
-Old Testament parable about this video

Source: youtube.com

11: Voldemort Cat
This year Voldemort Cat taught us that just because you are determined to embrace the darkest parts of your twisted soul and transform the world into a vale of fear and misery doesn’t mean that you don’t need a hug sometimes.

10: NONONONO Cat
If we do not have the courage to stand up against injustice and say, “NONONONONONONONONO,” this Cat teaches us, then injustice will win the day and we will be sad and bristly.

Source: youtube.com

9: Begging Cat
Begging Cat was a much-needed reminder that no matter how many times life knocks you down, you always have the option of just completely abandoning your dignity and hoping for the best.

8: Bully Cat And The Box
If you do not have the courage of your convictions, then the bully cat that is society will trap you in the box that is convention. Is, I am pretty sure, what this video means.

Source: youtube.com

7: Invisible Force Field Cat
We all build walls around ourselves, but have any of us ever stopped to wonder whether it might be better just to let the kitten in after all?

Source: youtube.com

6: Nyan Cat
2011 will be remembered as the year when we were all briefly obsessed with a rainbow-surfing cat with a poptart body. Which in the scheme of things there are probably worse things to be remembered for? But also, that was weird, right?

Source: youtube.com

5: Video-Ruining Cat
The point of Video-Ruining Cat, I think, is that sometimes the important thing that you think you are doing is not actually the important thing that is happening. And by “sometimes,” I mean, “always.”

Source: youtube.com

4: Guilty Cat
From Guilty Cat we learned that every joy has an attendant sadness and that the fleeting moment of ecstasy attendant upon knocking over the plants is but a waystation along the endless, painful road of atonement.

Source: youtube.com

3: Business Cat
Business Cat’s tenacity, his optimism, and his unimpeachable work ethic were inspiring in a year when morale was low and job satisfaction was essentially in the litter box.

2: Cat Who Demands Human Does His Bidding
From this cat we learned that, while we can’t always get what we want in life, it’s definitely worth trying to coerce someone else into getting it for you before you give up on the project.

Source: youtube.com

1. The Most Relaxed Cat In The World
And finally, Shironeko, who first appeared in our lives last year, took his innovative, inspirational, and, frankly, revolutionary brand of relaxation to new heights throughout 2011 - a year which, like all the years of his life thus far, left him utterly unfazed.

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    22 Responses So Far

    • Greg   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Win  about a year ago
    • Capa thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • raquelb3 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • sarahz3 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Win  about a year ago
    • markquinnw   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • reneec3 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is OMG, Cute & Win  about a year ago
    • larsipoo thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute, LOL & Win  about a year ago
    • cklaram   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Win, Cute & LOL  about a year ago
    • Tesseract thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • albertp a year ago

      Healing kitty.

    • albertp a year ago

      Cat protects kid from evil babysitter!

    • albertp a year ago

      This fucking bird!!!

    • albertp a year ago

      Skydive cat fail!

    • albertp a year ago

      The baddest ass cat EVER!!!

    • jenniek   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Win, Cute & LOL  about a year ago
    • staceyg3 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • Swtrktekt   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute, LOL & Win  about a year ago
    • scarletloser   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Win  about a year ago
    • southparkrox   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute  about a year ago
    • edgerrton   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute, Win & LOL  about a year ago
    • mikef23   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute  about a year ago
    • [percy.cilla]   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Win, LOL & Cute  about a year ago
    • susannec thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • Selenoushe thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute & LOL  about a year ago
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    • daver6   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute  about a year ago
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    • pistolas   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s LOL & Win  about a year ago
    • toddk3   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • rhondapibblea   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • acgence09 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
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    • isabellaa2   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
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    • alanv2 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is LOL  about a year ago
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    • anac7   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s LOL  about a year ago
    • tachitachi   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute  about a year ago
    • lauriecorona thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is FTW  about a year ago
    • ticoa thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • kristinag3 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • trishh2 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is LOL  about a year ago
    • alysondonohues thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • trashwire   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • trishh2 a year ago

      Number 28, Violet, looks and acts stoned.

    • alisong4 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • marissag3 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is LOL & Cute  about a year ago
    • nikkibear86 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is LOL, Win & Cute  about a year ago
    • viktoryap thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is LOL  about a year ago
    • meggiep86 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • eugeniag   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • mage13414   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • melw3   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s LOL  about a year ago
    • paulao2 thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is LOL, Win & Cute  about a year ago
    • lavinas   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • kelleej thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • tarao2   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • tracyw2   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 and thinks it’s Cute  about a year ago
    • debbiesnailymeowm thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • joanb2   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • elliejimenezs   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • Kelly Reeves   The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011  about a year ago
    • Carlos K. thinks The 30 Most Important Cats Of 2011 is Cute  about a year ago
    • Miss Cellania a year ago
    • ssb062000 a year ago

      I agree with those above me…while these cats are cute, the lack of Maru makes this list a fail… oh…what’s that? you’re making another list with 30 different Maru videos/images? oh…okay then I forgive you.

    • oweinamab a year ago

      No Nyan Cat???? Come on now

    • FatboyBabushka a year ago

      “What? I am not one of the 30 most important cats of 2011? Says who? That stinks … that stinks on ice. Well, maybe I’m not the most important … but I’m the most handsome and that’s more important … just sayin’. Some people think I look like Burt Reynolds. If you like my video you can see more of me on YouTube. My favorite is called “Come a Little Closer”. Love, Fatboy Babushka”.

    • SkelIy a year ago

      You forgot one. It’s ok. We all makes mistakes.

    • francescadej a year ago

      MARRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUUUUU?

    • busterg a year ago

      What about Jack The Cat that was lost at JFK Airport or Adlai Grace, the kitten who was thrown from a car & had so many fans on Facebook?

    • cybergata a year ago

      Great list Jack. I forgot a couple of these on my own list, but I’m glad to see that someone else agrees with me that Shironeko is one of the most awesome kittehs in the universe.

    • christianh4 a year ago

      What about the kitten hugging his teddy bear?!

    • Joannabanana90 a year ago

      Also, what happened to Voldemort kitty’s nose and ears? :(

    • Joannabanana90 a year ago

      #30/sad kitten os SO CUTE I WANT TO STEAL HIM AND EAT HIM SO HE WILL BE WITH ME ALWAYS.

    • I’m totally in the pro-Maru camp here. You could show 30 Maru clips/pics and I’d be happy. 30 x 1 is still 30.

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