I Can Has Cheezburger's 2026 Kitten Bowl Recap: A purr powered pep rally of pawsitivity that left us feline purrfectly happy

If cuteness was a competition, the Kitten Bowl would have won by a landslide.

Many of you probably tuned in to Super Bowl Sunday yesterday, but we only had one thing on our brains: the Kitten Bowl. This year, the Kitten Bowl was a part of the "Great American Rescue Bowl", a program that was dedicated to pet adoption and animal shelters. Our hostess with the mostest was none other than Beth Stern, a purrfectly outspoken animal advocate and TV purrsonality, who commented on all of our criminally small "players" this year with a hissterical and pawsitive attitude.

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via idahohumanesociety

Beth Stern posing with a kitten for the Great American Rescue Bowl
Now, to get down to our teams competing for the most awwdorable touchdowns and fluffiest feline field goals: the Snuggle Squad and the Cuddle Crew, both a combination of puppies and kittens. The Snuggle Squad featured some purrfectly cute players, such as: Joe Meowmath (part of the kitten squad), Patrick Furhomes (featured playful kitten), Pouncy Pants (listed as “leading scorer” for fun pet stats), Ruffer Snuffer (playful pup often highlighted in the game), and Patrick Furhomes (another featured playful kitten).
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via Hallmark Channel
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via Hallmark Channel
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via Hallmark Channel
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via @hallmarkchannel
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via @HallmarkChannel
Across shelters around the nation, many heartwarming stories were shared by animal rescue workers. These tails (pun intended) showed people that even shy, scared animals can change once in a home that's full of love and care. They reminded us to take a chance on the cats that “no one wants”, because sometimes, they just need to find the right purrson to open up and be their true, loving selves. More than anything, this was probably the most widely broadcasted plea to help animals in need in the whole year, reaching millions of people at the same time.
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
While no actual points were scored, we were purrfectly amazed by how cute all these kittens were. And the best part is that, at the end, all 92 of the kittens that were available for adoption by North Shore Animal League America were adopted! Yay!
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
We know the Super Bowl had its controversies this year, but you can't say the same about the Kitten Bowl. This purr-powered pep rally of pawsitivity was the breath of fresh air we needed amidst the craziness that seems to be purrvasive in our lives at the moment. This is why we love to report on this kind of stuff here at I Can Has Cheezburger - it reminds us that it doesn't take much to smile. Just some cute cats, wholesome rescue stories, and kittens playing is enough to change our day from bad to good. So, whenever you're feeling down, just scroll through some kitty cutie-pies and we guarantee you'll be feline a little bit better in no time.
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @CatMacroz, @hallmarkchannel, @petsmart
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via @reallyGregRyan
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via @CatMacroz