Bongo Cat

Bongo Cat is an Internet meme that originated when a Twitter user created and tweeted a GIF of a white cat-like blob smacking a table with its two paws.^[1][2] The tweet was then replied to by another Twitter user^[3] with an edited version of the GIF including bongos hit to the tune of a Super Mario World track.^[4] The reply went viral and caused the GIF to be edited to many other songs.^[5][6]

Bongo Cat

History

The original Bongo Cat GIF originated on May 7, 2018, when an animated cat GIF made by Twitter user @StrayRogue^[2] was edited by @DitzyFlama, with the edit including bongos which were hit by the cat to the tune of "Athletic" from the Super Mario World soundtrack.^[7] The original artist clarified that Bongo Cat was a cat-like blob rather than an actual cat, showing a drawing of the character's full body in another tweet.^[2]

It has later been edited to many other songs and many different instruments in fan-made videos, appearing on social media such as YouTube and Twitter.^[5][8] The meme has covered many songs from video game soundtracks, such as music from Persona 5 and Super Mario, as well as mainstream songs such as Toto's "Africa" and Darude's "Sandstorm".^[9] After an increase in popularity, Stray Rogue began making and selling Bongo Cat merchandise.^[1] Bongo Cat also has been made into an interactive website.^[3]

In 2023, Bongo Cat's cover of "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish was shared online. The cover went viral on TikTok and fans sang this version during Eilish's concerts in 2024.^[10] In 2024, Bongo Cat recreated "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. As of March 2025, the cover has amassed 1.5 million views on YouTube, coming just 2 months after the untimely death of Liam Payne.

Reception

Polygon and Uproxx both described Bongo Cat as the best meme of 2018.^[11][12] Ellen Scott of Metro also described Bongo Cat as bringing "happiness to all, even in the trashfire [sic] year that was 2018".^[13] The Daily Dot described it as the most earnest and wholesome meme of 2018.^[14] Reid McCarter of The A.V. Club and Megan Farokhmanesh of The Verge both praised the meme.^[8][3] Nicole Clark of Vice described the meme as "the only good thing on the internet."^[15]

Praised for its flexibility, Bongo Cat has also been compared to the keyboard cat meme.^[2]