New cat meme "Drooling cat" hits the internet, instantly goes viral, taking over timelines everywhere for capturing a purrfectly hilarious relatable feeling

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Jun 20, 2026 1:30 PM EDT

For everyone who has been asking for a new mega-viral cat meme in 2026 - the internet has finally delivered.

Maybe this is a sign of things getting better in the world. A new cat meme going mega viral on the internet feels like something from the old days, something pure, something that we have truly been waiting for. No one knows exactly where this cat meme came from or who was the first to post it. All that we know is that around a month ago, this meme popped up online for the first time, and since then, it has been impossible to get it off our timelines. Not that we would want to.

Of course, it's a slightly strange cat meme, but considering other super viral cat memes, maybe we shouldn't be surprised by that. We should just be thankful. The world is healing. The timeline is full of cat memes. What more could we ask for?

We, here at ICHC, have been trying our very hardest to keep the cat meme tradition alive. We have been making our own LOLcat memes for years. We have never stopped, hoping to grab the attention of the timeline, move it away - at least for a little while - from the ragebait and the sadbait and all the rest. But at the end of day, we know that we cannot control the cat side of the internet. So, we have been lying in wait, hoping for a new cat meme to pop off, and finally, the waiting is done.

It's official, "drooling cat" is the cat meme of 2026. There's no getting rid of it. It became instantly iconic. Maybe, if we're lucky, another new cat meme will pop off online, and there will be actual competition for the best cat meme of the year. We can only hope. But for now… Everyone, meet "drooling cat".

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via @Kama_Kamilia
It had to be this kind of meme, didn't it? Low resolution, weird as heck, and… strangely relatable? At first, maybe this seems like a weird thing to go super viral. But if you look at this picture for long enough, you'll see it. It is just so easy to apply it to so many situations.
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via @literallymecats
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via @impossiblyeve
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via @shrimpIeasthat
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via @nottcomplaining
This format - the "crowd of drooling cats - if the format that went viral first. After that, many iterations of the meme have been created. As it should be when a new cat meme goes viral online. It's been nearly impossible to keep up, but it's been worth it.
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via @Clutch_Tradez
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via @megumeovv
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via @Yupina_Ch
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via @mintmellowdies
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via @nottcomplaining
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via @Kaartikkkkk
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via @hardcatmemes
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