Thumbs Up Cat Meme
Thumbs Up Cat is the wide-eyed tabby-and-white cat with an oddly human thumb sticking up beside it, the internet's favorite slightly awkward “sounds good.” Write your caption here and save the meme free, all inside your browser.
What does the Thumbs Up Cat meme mean?
Thumbs Up Cat is approval with a twist. On the surface it says “good job” or “sounds good,” but the wide-eyed stare and the oddly human thumb make the approval feel forced, awkward, or a little unhinged. That's why it's used when you're agreeing to something you're not thrilled about, pretending everything's fine, or giving encouragement you don't fully mean. It also works sincerely as a goofy reply in group chats. The caption goes on top and describes whatever is getting the thumbs up.
Where is the Thumbs Up Cat meme from?
Cats giving a thumbs up have been a running internet joke since at least February 2011, when a YouTube video titled “Amazing Cat Gives Thumbs Up” showed a black cat pressing its paw into the gesture on cue. Photoshopped versions followed, including a widely shared crying “sad thumbs up” cat on Reddit in 2019. This template belongs to a newer variation in which a cartoonishly human-looking thumb is edited in place of the cat's paw; Know Your Meme records a TikTok post using a human-hand version on October 9, 2022, and similar edits have circulated as reaction images since. We couldn't find a reliable record of who took the original photo of this particular cat.
Thumbs Up Cat meme caption ideas
- When someone says “let's circle back on this next week”
- Me approving my own 11 p.m. snack decision
- When the group chat votes for a 7 a.m. hike
- Me after fixing the bug by deleting the code that caused it
- When my friend asks if their homemade haircut looks okay
Tips
- Use it as a reply image; it reads well even with a one-word caption like “nice” or “sure.”
- Lean into the awkward side. Forced approval is funnier than straightforward praise.
- Keep the text in the top strip so it doesn't cover the cat's wide eyes, which sell the whole look.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Thumbs Up Cat meme mean?
It means approval, but usually awkward, forced, or not completely sincere approval.
Is the cat really giving a thumbs up?
No. In this image the human-looking thumb is an edit. Real videos of cats making a thumbs-up gesture with their paws have circulated since 2011.
Where does the Thumbs Up Cat come from?
It grew out of earlier cat thumbs-up videos and edits. Versions with a human thumb replacing the paw were circulating on TikTok by October 2022.
Sources: knowyourmeme.com
The image belongs to its owner and is offered for commentary and parody; see our copyright page.