Name: Pusheen. Gender: Girl. Best Feature: Toes look like beans.
This is the official website bio of Pusheen, a cartoon cat that has captured the hearts of internet-users around the world for more than a decade. But who is she, really?
If you google “Pusheen,” Google’s search engine is likely to suggest Gudetama, Bugcat Capoo and Hello Kitty — three fictional characters originating from East Asia. If you scroll a little further, you will find an auto-filled question asking “Is Pusheen Japanese or Korean?” and “What culture is Pusheen from?”
Speculation surrounding Pusheen’s origins seems to be missing middle America: Illinois, where Pusheen is actually from. Inspired by her real female cat — also named Pusheen — Illinoisan Claire Belton created the cartoon alongside co-founder Andrew Duff in 2010.
Pusheen first appeared in Everyday Cute, Belton and Duff’s blog website, sporting a simple design: geometric features, triangular ears protruding from her round head and short legs supporting her round body. After launching Everyday Cute, the Pusheen webcomics transitioned to Tumblr where the cat’s fame began to accelerate.
In 2013, Pusheen became a featured digital sticker for Facebook chats, which is where Katherine Ann-Marie, a popular New Zealand Instagrammer who runs the Pusheen fan account @pusheenthecatloves, first discovered her.
“I liked Pusheen in the beginning, from the stickers on Facebook, which is the most random place to find Pusheen,” Ann-Marie said. “From there, I was struck by how personable, relatable and cute Pusheen is.”
The cartoons have shown Pusheen in a variety of scenarios, and have been published with storylines tailored towards different holidays and seasons: A Christmas edition of the Pusheen comics shows the tabby cat crawling into a Christmas tree, while the Spring comics show Pusheen gardening or splashing in puddles.
Pusheen has also been joined by a collection of other cute characters that supplement her adventures, such as Bo the blue parakeet and Cheek the hamster.
As Pusheen’s world grew, so did her online popularity, and she soon found herself transformed into real-life merchandise, such as books, pajamas and toys. Pusheen’s whiskers and rosy cheeks are printed onto everything from refrigerator-shaped plush toys to bread-shaped plush toys.
“I think me and the other fans love how Pusheen comes in so many different ways, and personalities, and that there are so many facets to Pusheen. You’ve got all the different characters, but they’re sort of like Pusheen presenting differently, like Dino-sheen [dinosaur Pusheen] and Mer-sheen [mermaid Pusheen],” Ann-Marie said.
According to Ann-Marie, Pusheen’s evolution from webcomic to everyday objects has made Pusheen more “kawaii.” Kawaii is a term used to describe the culture of cuteness in Japan — hence the popular misconception that Pusheen’s origins are in East Asia rather than Illinois.
“There are a lot of E-girls, gaming channels and cosplay channels very active with Pusheen, but in a way, they identify with Pusheen as an accessory,” Ann-Marie said. “You have people with their computer setups, desk setups … [the setups] are extra cute because they’ve got bits and pieces [of Pusheen].”
And in Asia, Pusheen’s cuteness has even taken her from merchandising to the food industry. In 2019, the first Pusheen-inspired pop-up café opened in Singapore, where the menu included Pusheen-themed green tea buns and soft-serve ice cream with decorative Pusheen toppers.
But at the heart of Pusheen’s international fame is something much closer to home: a universal love for cats.
Pusheen is one of many cats to experience internet fame: Wikidepedia’s “Cats and the Internet” entry features more than 20 iconic cats that reached virality. And Grumpy Cat, a cat who became Internet famous in 2012 for her intense frown, currently has 2.6 million followers on Instagram — rivaling Pusheen’s 2.5 million.
Some scholars have suggested that cat content trends on the Internet because it creates online communities for cat lovers. Pusheen herself has inspired several online communities, such as Ann-Marie’s upcoming forum and Facebook group for Pusheen fans.
Others think virtual admiration for felines could be a reflection of a deeper connection to pets outside of the Internet: the bond between pets and people surpasses mere emotional support, and many owners consider their pets members of the family.
“I think [Pusheen] connects people more with their pets,” Ann-Marie said. “A big part of why Pusheen took off was because all the cat owners could just really, really relate to all the little comics of what it’s like to own a cat and the personality of that cat.”
