Welcome the internet’s latest viral cat: A sad-looking little guy named Fishtopher
After a description of the "very sad and depressed" cat went viral, it was quickly adopted
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The internet can only go so long before it must make some previously unknown cat into a viral sensation. Some collective urge bubbles beneath the surface of the world, eager to crown another hapless kitty the current ruler of the moment. Over the years, we’ve seen this effect propel Lil Bub, Cinderblock, Grumpy Cat, Perdita, and Jorts into feline stardom. And now it’s time for everyone to hear about Fishtopher, a cat that’s become famous for looking really bummed out.
Fishtopher first came to the internet’s attention with an adoption ad that was highlighted by Molly Clarke and subsequently retweeted almost 22,000 times. Just below images of the cat’s impossibly morose face, eyes seeming to plead for a solution to some indescribable feline problem, Fishtopher was described as a five-year-old domestic shorthair and Bengal mix who “is very sad and depressed.”
Every new detail about Fishtopher from the ad breaks the heart further. We learn that the cat “will only eat when he has company,” was “found as a stray” and might be “missing his family,” and that “he wouldn’t even look up for pictures” when his adoption photos were taken.
Fortunately, only a couple of days after the internet discovered Fishtopher, there were plenty of people interested in adopting him. In a Facebook post from last weekend, New Jersey’s Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center said that the cat’s “sad, fat face” had led to “hundreds of inquiries” and a line of people waiting outside its building for a chance to take home a rising star.
Among them were Laura Folts and Tanner Callahan, a couple from Baltimore who, NBC News states, took a two-hour drive to wait outside for the shelter to open on the weekend. They ended up being the first in line and adopted Fishtopher.
Now, as was probably inevitable, Fishtopher has an Instagram and a Twitter account. He no longer looks sad and his accounts are used to both document this fact and share links to other cats in need of homes. All in all, this seems like one of the better results that could come from an animal looking sad on the internet.
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24 Comments
Full name is “Fishtopher Grace”
God, I want to go full Elmyra on this cat
Jackson Galaxy could find a way to cheer up this cat. Anyone have his number?
I was ready to be annoyed at the adopters for turning him into a meme machine but I’m happy to read that he’s doing well and they link to more available cats.
Rescue an animal from a shelter, you monsters! Breeders are NOT the answer to over-crowded shelters and countless dogs and cats cowering in cages all Winter. Fuck breeders and you maniacs who pay $2,000 for a pet when you can adopt one, often for free!, at hundreds of shelters. Plus, I guarantee your new fluffy friend will love you ten times as much as some pampered lab creation.
I agree with you in principle, and yet… Everything is a rescue unless we fix the system that lets breeders make as much product as they want. Either way, you pay money and get an animal. You might as well get what you want, and what is right for your family. There are too many cases of pitbulls and other emotionally damaged dogs that are adopted out by agencies and end up being euthanized anyway after biting someone. It is sad, but it would be more merciful to put those particular dogs down and make room for adoptable animals. Because, I guarantee you that almost every adoption agency I’ve encountered has some shady element that is just interested in unloading dogs because they think adoption is magic or something. Unfortunately, it’s about money at every stage. We can’t be naive enough to think we’re going to fix the problem by simply adopting all the dogs. We’re never going to run out of dogs.
I’m not really into this particular debate, but, on the subject of those adoption agencies: we got properly ‘took’ by a small one in a distant city. They demanded $200. After a few weeks the dog was having serious physical problems. Oddly, it was a purebred. We hadn’t been looking for one. It had a serious congenital problem so we couldn’t keep her. The pup was obviously a reject from a breeder. The guy probably just dumped the dog at the agency knowing it’s life would be awful and the agency didn’t give af.
I’ve adopted specific breeds from rescues that help those breeds (Italian Greyhound) and the one I dealt with was VERY good. On the other hand, a Siamese rescue group was run by an HOA president. ;)I have adopted Siamese kittens from a local shelter (no kill) that have been dumped by breeders (they suspect) on the street because their confirmation or a defect (umbilical hernia in my Sam’s case) made them unsaleable. Not all breeders suck – but MANY of them do. Some people breed because they have a real affinity for that particular animal. And they usually are “small scale” in home breeders. A pair or two of animals bred thoughtfully and not constantly.
I agree mostly. What we have in UK are rescue centres that insist you already have a calm friendly dog to help socialise the train wreck you took on. Or they send someone round to ensure your gardens big enough etc. I can see the point in that, but meanwhile, lots of people adopted dogs during the pandemic because they were home alone and bored. Once back in work, one helluva lot of dogs got dumped. But I can guarantee that if I tried to adopt from the rescue place, even though I have tons of experience, I’d get turned down. I’m disabled, and I live next to a busy road. Meanwhile, the ex pm of Britain was allowed to adopt a dog by a rescue centre when he was clearly never suitable. No experience with that breed of dog…in fact, no experience of dogs or pets at all, psychological anger issues (abusive to partners) and deadbeat dad. But hey, let’s give him a dog! And breeders… I have known too many and I have nothing good to say about them.
Giving breeders business actively bolsters that business. I’m afraid you’re engaging in some light gymnastics.
Breeding should be illegal.
That cat looks like he just invested his life savings in a Stewart Rhodes firearms safety video.
Hopefully all of the hundreds of people who didn’t adopt Fishtopher adopted some other animal who needed a home and wanted to be loved.
Sadly, sometimes we already have cats we’ve rescued and cannot in good conscience bring any more into our homes. I’m currently dealing with what is likely end-of-life treatment for a cat who has basically been a charity case since I officially adopted him. (He’s less of a companion than a feral cat I feed who lives in my apartment.) As much as I desperately want to adopt a couple new shelter cats, I know that caring for him until his life ends will be made extremely difficult should I add other cats into the mix.
Hopefully that means you wouldn’t go stand in line to get a famous cat, then, like hundreds of people did.
All my best to you and your cat. I know how difficult that kind of end of life care can be.
and he becomes milkshakecat in 3,2,1…
Either that, or we learn that once the cat doesn’t continue to grow in internet fame, the adopters dump him off at another shelter.
“Fishtopher’s meow sounds like he’s saying the n-word!”
I finally joined facebook after willing myself to avoid it thus far.God, I’m sick of cat pictures and memes. And people’s kids. Gah! All those freakin’ kids.
They are the best part of social media. They crowd out the conspiracy theories and political arguing.
While cats can indeed become sad, and their expressions will reflect it, I wonder if there’s something more with this one? Such as an internal inflammation or tooth problems? But I guess he’s been checked out, so that might not be it.
Looks like he’s doing well..I used to volunteer at a great animal shelter back when I had free
time (enormously rewarding) and you could see look on the faces of the
cats and dogs as they were being checked out and realized they were going home
with someone. It was…amazing. Ditto the expressions on the faces of the
people adopting them.Also, a shelter pet will love you like you didn’t know
was possible. OK, now I’m getting choked up…
Hopefully they don’t take him on book tours