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Joy

Someone changed 'Titanic' so it's starring a cat as Rose. Get this person an Oscar.

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And the award for cutest co-star goes to...

With the Oscars soon to be upon us again, it's a great time to look back at one of the great cinematic moments of the last few years. In early 2022, it seemed that all anyone could talk about was which movies were getting snubbed for the Oscars. While that was happening, however, a true genius of filmmaking graced the Internet with a short that really should've been the talk of Tinsel Town.

In case you somehow missed it, let me reintroduce OwlKitty.

OwlKitty, a then 2-year-old cat, lives in Portland, Oregon and has undertaken some roles of a lifetime. In amazing shorts, Owlkitty replaces the starring roles in beloved movies and television shows, in exchange for lots of treats and cuddles, according to her bio. OwlKitty’s real name is Lizzy, but everybody knows that all the great actresses have stage personas.

OwlKitty’s purrodies include pop culture standouts like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Stranger Things, Avengers: Endgame, and even a Billie Eilish music video. The editing on these things is so seamless, it’s nothing short of wizardry. Which makes sense, considering one of OwlKitty’s owners, Tibo Charroppin, is a professional filmmaker.

Of course, OwlKitty had to reboot Titanic. Only instead of Kate Winslet playing her iconic role of Rose, OwlKitty takes the lead—and shines like the furry star she is.

This faux trailer has all the quintessential Jack-and-Rose moments: the Irish spinny dancy thing, the “draw me like one of your French girls” scene, and yes…the door. OwlKitty clearly has no problem leaving Jack to freeze to death.

Kate Winslet actually does an appearance at the end, being utterly offended at Jack’s drawing of OwlKitty. Sorry, Rose. The heart wants what it wants.

OwlKitty might receive no nom this awards season, but when it comes to public consumption, her version of Titanic is sweeping all the viral categories. In only a few days, the video garnered 11 million views on Facebook alone.

Plus it received some truly lovely (and funny) comments from fans:

“I would gladly pay to see a 3 hours version of this.”

“I laughed out loud when they showed the cat’s face when they were dancing.”

“This is the first thing that's made me laugh in days. Thank you.”

“This was AMAZINGLY put together. Please never stop making these! They make my day!!!”

“Now, this is the kind of deepfake I’m here for.”

Forget the critics, people love OwlKitty! Plus, according to the video, OwlKitty is already an Academy Award Winner anyway.

If you’re like me, nothing quite brings joy to the heart like cats and creativity. So OwlKitty definitely delivers a winning combination. When it comes to making audiences smile, this cat deserves all the awards. Even better? OwlKitty sells merchandise.

Cats in film have always been a crowd-pleaser and remain popular in Hollywood. In August 2024, the cat talk(s) of the town were Schnitzel and Nico, the kitties who brought Frodo to life on A Quiet Place: Day One starring Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn. Even in a movie with such star power, it's no surprise the cat(s) stole the show.

Thankfully for us, OwlKitty is still doing her thing and there's a good chance we'll see her in more iconic roles. Her latest appearance was in her 2023 Barbie purrody and we're hoping for even more in 2025.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Joy

Comedian mocks ridiculous cat behaviors in viral 'If Cats Went to School' skit

The what-to-do-if-your-human's-on-a-Zoom-call instruction is spot on.

Photo credit: Canva

Cats would much rather play with a box than with the toys that came in it.

Ah, cats. Those of us who've been chosen by the Cat Distribution System know their propensity for quirky behavior, and those who haven't have least heard the rumors. It's all true, of course. Cats are weird little creatures who defy our expectations of them simply because they can. They're undeniably gorgeous and graceful—the perfect predator—yet also loveable, doofy dinguses. They are wicked smart and oh so dumb at the same time. The fact that cats are basically walking contradictions is part of what makes having them so fun.

It's also why British comedian Jake Lambert's video imagining "If Cats Went to School" has cat owners everywhere chuckling. In the viral sketch, Lambert plays the role of a teacher instructing cats on what to do in various situations, with "lessons" that are seemingly universal among our feline friends.

"Now, does anyone know what you should do if your human buys you a toy?" Lambert begins, eliciting an imaginary response from the class. "No, you don't want to play with it. What you want to do is give your full and undivided attention to the box it came in."

"So we're ignoring the toy completely and focusing fully on the box," he clarified.

His delivery as a teacher patiently and clearly explaining the lesson is what really sells it.

"Now, if your human wants you to sit on their lap, what should you do?" he continues. "Yes, sit anywhere else. Correct, Luna. Now, preferably that will be as close to the human as possible, but without actually touching them."

How about when you want a human to stop petting you? Naturally, you turn around and bite their hand with no warning whatsoever, right? And how about Zoom calls? What should you do when your human has one?

"Try to get their attention, yes," he says. "But what you really want to do is make sure that you get your bum in front of the camera. That's very important."

Very important, indeed. We've all been there, either as the cat owner or the Zoom call participant. How do all cats know exactly what to do in those situations? It really does seem like they're all taking the same lessons somewhere.

Finally, the homework: "Go home and completely ignore your scratch posts and just use the sofa instead. Okay?"

cat scratching a sofaJust a cat doing their homework like a responsible student.Photo credit: Canva

People saw their own cats in the sketch and appreciated the explanation for why they are the way they are.

"Owh…so my cat was just doing her homework."

"My cat Theo went to that school. He received straight A’s."

"My cat is a full star pupil."

"You’re clearly my cat’s teacher… and you’re fired."

Some also pointed out other lessons that Cat School surely teaches:

"You forgot to mention the correct time to barf : just after your human fell asleep."

""And if you need to barf, make sure to do it on your human's favourite and most expensive rug. Even if there is much more space that is easily cleanable tile."

"And don't forget to walk on the keyboard in order to create very interesting sentences for your human."

"When a human is working, paper in front, don’t forget to sit on the paper and completely cover everything :)"

"Also absolutely refuse to use the fresh water fountain your human has bought you!"

"My cat is working on his master’s thesis, 'Prescription Cat Food: The Most Efficient Way To Bankrupt A Human While Destroying The Same Spot On a Carpet.'"

All relatable. Here's to our hilariously predictable yet somehow totally unpredictable feline friends and their classmates.

You can find more of Jake Lambert's comedy on his Instagram channel.


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Joy

She asked an older neighbor to watch her pets. His letter of gratitude is everything.

"They gave me the motivation to restart my life again."

u/SnooCupcakes8607/Reddit

When older people get lonely, interacting with pets can be a game-changer.

Sometimes when we're in the younger, busier time of our lives it's easy to forget—or not even realize—that our elderly friends and neighbors might be lonely. But very often, people who have long been retired, who may have already said goodbye to many of their friends or who have physical limitations that make it difficult to get out to visit people can find themselves alone most of the time. Feelings of loneliness can lead to depression and other health risks, in addition to simply being not very enjoyable.

A viral Reddit post offers a good reminder of this fact, but in the most heartwarming way.

Reddit user u/SnooCupcakes8607 shared a photo of a typed letter with the caption: "I went on a vacation 2 weeks ago, and let my neighbor babysit my pets. Shortly after I got back home, I received this letter from him in the mail that made me smile and cry. I’d like to share it here."

"Good afternoon," the letter begins. "This letter is regarding your vacation two weeks ago, and how you let me babysit Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer. I'd just like to give you a letter of thanks."

(The letter doesn't specify what kind of pets Smokey, Oreo and Jennifer are, but the original poster later shared that they are a German shepherd, "the crankiest little beagle you’ve seen in your life," and a cat named Oreo.)

Then he continued:

"As you know, I'm an old man. You don't see me outside often anymore, as these joints aren't as lively as they used to be. To add to that, two years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, my dad got diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. After his death, I was left alone in my home. I don't have a wife or kids. I could go to sleep one day and never wake up again. Every day is just sitting around and wondering what I have done for this world.

Until I met Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer.

Your pets are the cutest, funniest, and most troublesome (In a good way, don't worry, they didn't mess up my house too much!) individuals. They gave me the motivation to restart my life again. I started waking up early in the mornings. I began to take walks outside with your pets for the first time in years. Every 10 minutes, whenever I felt sad for a second, they would bark or rub against my leg and make me laugh.

The highlight of their stay was when I took them to the park. It was the longest time I've spend outside in a while. It didn't just bring back pet interaction, I also met other people, started talking, and made friends with a handful of fellow human beings. I was so happy to finally be able to talk with friends again, interact with others, and feel like I'm part of the human race.

I realize I sound very existential right now, but I'm telling the truth. It's nice knowing that I'm doing something for someone, even if it's my neighbor.

I adopted two dogs soon after. (You may have been hearing noise from my home, pardon them!) I now take regular walks to the park with them and talk with friends I made there. Anyways, I'd just like to say: thank you so much. You brought back meaning to my life. And that's all that matters.

Sincerely,

Robert (P.S. I think it's time for you to mow the lawn, haha!)"

People absolutely loved Robert's letter—and Robert himself, judging from some of the comments:

"Robert is a national treasure and I take anything less to be an insult!"

"I wouldn’t just mow my lawn, but Robert’s too. Forever."

"Robert really is the good in all of us. He must be protected at all costs."

Some people related to Robert, having found a new zest for life after getting pets of their own. Others joked that the whole letter was just an elaborate, "Midwest-nice" way to tell the poster their lawn needed attention. Some doubted the veracity of the letter, but even if it's not real, the comments from people sharing how their elderly loved ones had been helped by neighbors sharing their pets with them show that animals really can help people who are lonely find more connection and purpose in their lives.

It's a good reminder to check in with older folks around us and to share the joy of our pets with people who might be lonely. You never know whose life you might touch with your furry friends.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Ricky the kitten spent 2 weeks at Gramma and Grampa's and the photobook is everything

Gramma's adorably over-the-top book documenting Ricky's visit has people clamoring for more.

@goldfishclub/TikTok

Ricky had many exciting adventures at Gramma and Grampa's house.

There are kitten lovers…and then there are Ricky's grandparents. When Izzie Grass left her kitten, Ricky, with her parents for two weeks, she had no idea what was in store for her after she got him back. Not only had RIcky been well taken care of, but his adventures with his human grandparents were fully documented in a photobook created by Grass' mother, which she titled "Ricky Goes to Gramma's and Grampa's."

The photo album that reads like a children's book first went viral when Grass shared it on TikTok in 2020. Now it has resurfaced again, and people are clamoring for more riveting Ricky content after reading about how the kitten "helped Gramma do the dishes" and how "Cousin Jasper and Charlie ate most of" the pancakes Gramma made for him.

Check out how adorably extra Gramma is:

@goldfishclub

I’ll never run out of content. #Rickythesquittenkitten #cats #kitten #animals #pets #fyp #foryou #cute #happy #teachersoftiktok

Has any kitten ever been more loved?

"I would die for Ricky, Gramma, and Grampa," wrote one commenter.

"This is GOLD. I want to see 'Ricky Learns to Drive.'" wrote another.

"My parents didn't even put this much effort into making scrapbooks for ME," shared another.

Grass told Newsweek that her mom told her she made the book because "that's what she does," adding, "She is known for creating very sentimental gifts."

Grass also shared that the book almost didn't get made because Ricky almost didn't make it as a kitten. He was brought to the veterinary clinic where Grass worked when he was 9 weeks old to be euthanized.

"The individuals who dropped him off reported that they found a kitten with broken legs and that was throwing up everything they tried to feed him," she said. "I came back from my lunch early to care for this kitten and in the kennel was Ricky."

As it turned out, Ricky had some birth defects and health problems that required specialized care, but he didn't need to be euthanized. Grass took him home but needed a little time to prepare to give him the care he needed.

"My mom stepped up and offered to watch him for a couple weeks while I got a handle of my schedule," Grass told Newsweek. "It was during this time that she created the book."

The fact that Ricky had specialized care needs at the time makes Gramma's photobook all the more endearing.

Now Ricky is now 3 years old and is doing remarkably well considering his health challenges as a kitten.

"He has made so much progress," Grass told Newsweek. "His esophagus works significantly better, he has learned how to walk, climb and run, and he continues to help me raise other foster kittens. Ricky is very loved and lives the life he deserved to have."

With a mom and grandparents like he has, it's not a surprise. Find more videos of Ricky and the animals Grass fosters on her TikTok channel here.


This article originally appeared last year.

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