The Thumbs-Up Crying Cat: The Meme that just can’t stop winning

Image via Reddit/@r/HollowKnightMemes @r/cyberpunkgame
Image via Reddit/@r/HollowKnightMemes @r/cyberpunkgame

The Thumbs-Up Crying Cat meme denotes an image of a cat with tears in its eyes while doing a thumbs-up reaction. This meme is generally representing a situation when a person is feeling down, but still appears to be optimistic.

The meme originated in 2019 when it was created by a Reddit user who goes by the handle name - IAMAdumbgirl. They captioned the meme as “sad thumbs up” and it went on to garner 1700 points.

However, the earliest version of the meme was created by a Discord user in 2017. He shared the image in the JabGood server and named it as “JabGood.”

The Crying Cat, also known as Schmuserkadser, became a popular meme among Twitter (now known as X) and Reddit users. They used the meme as a reaction emoji in posts and comments.

Here are some examples of the “Thumbs-up Crying Cat” meme –

A Reddit user shared the "crying cat" meme discussing his opinion on Cyberpunk game.

A user named "dankmemes" on Reddit shared an animated version of the meme.


When did The Thumbs-Up Crying Cat meme become viral on the internet?

The Thumbs-up Crying Cat meme became viral on the internet in April 2020, when people used it to express feelings of isolation and distress. This was when the world was hit with the Coronavirus pandemic. It was a depressing situation as people were confined to their homes amid the outbreak. Only humour could have added a dose of laughter to our mundane lives. This is when memes like “Thumbs-up Crying Cat”, "This is Fine" dog and "The Squidward Window" meme emerged across the social media platforms.

One of the users on X used the “Thumbs-up Crying Cat meme as a reaction image to respond to a post by a Twitter handle called Respectful Memes. In the tweet, the page shared an image which showed a diagram depicting how people are spending their time during social distancing. The answer reads, “Thinking about you”. One user used the thumbs-up cat meme to reply to it and wrote, “They not thinking about us though lmao.”

In another example, a Reddit user - r/EDanonymemes on June 22nd, 2020, used it in a meme. The meme showed the Thumbs-up Crying Cat and the caption read, “When you’re chilling with your BF and he asks if you’re good, but all you can think about is how fat your thighs look when you cuddle.”


Is the “Thumbs-up Crying Cat” meme popular in 2024?

In 2024, the “Thumbs-up Crying Cat” meme is as popular as it was earlier. Its usage in social media posts and comment sections has increased with time. It is often used by the users to convey the feeling of rejection.

It has also been used to comment on societal issues like relationships, mental health, anxiousness, depression and other struggles of modern life.

This meme comes with a mix of humour and melancholy. Its capability to convert intense moments into light-hearted ones has made it a common meme among users.

Disclaimer: The article contains the writer's personal views and opinions. Do comment below to let us know about the feel-good memes that should make it to the list.

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Edited by Mudeet Arora