AI cat stories are breaking hearts on TikTok. It’s all Billie Eilish’s fault

Cats and the internet have always been a match made in heaven. But the latest viral cat memes show them going through hell. We all know cats have nine lives, but in these AI-generated cat stories, each and every life is full to the brim with drama. 

From schoolyard bullying to shark attacks, there’s never a dull moment with our feline friends. That’s probably why the business of AI cat videos has become a whole industrial complex, amassing hundreds of millions of views and dozens of copy-cat (ha) accounts. They say curiosity kills the cat, but if you’re as invested in these cat-tastic soap operas as we are, you’ve come to the right place. 

@mpminds Poor family… #catsoftiktok #cat #ai #aiart #poorcat #chubby ♬ son original - Cat’slife

The sound

The most popular iterations of these videos feature a catted-out version of Billie Eilish’s "What Was I Made For." The lyrics might be replaced with forlorn “meows,” but the general melancholy of the tune remains. Sometimes, if the maker is feeling especially creative, we might be treated to a meow-ified version of Rihanna’s "Diamonds" or Sia’s "Unstoppable."

For the most part, these videos feature a fat tabby ginger cat, creatively named "Chubby." And/or his son, the even-more-creatively-named "Chubby Jr." If these videos are anything to go by, they really can’t catch a break. They’ve experienced homelessness, house fires, betrayal, and in one video, Chubby Jr. got kidnapped by a pigeon. Sometimes, these videos end with a moral. Like not judging others based on appearances. And other times, it really is just a cat getting kidnapped by a pigeon. 

@mpwild Stay unique ! #catsoftiktok #cat #aiart #ai #poorcat ♬ son original - Cat’slife

Where’s it from?

As mentioned, the meow-ified, likely-AI-generated tunes sound familiar because they’re based on major pop songs. While it’s comparable to the heartbreaking woof and meow ballad that entranced TikTok a couple of years ago, the two things aren’t related. 

These kind of cat-themed AI stories have been populating the site since January, but the ones featuring "What Was I Made For" have taken off the most. TikTok account @mpminds was the first one to use this song in a TikTok posted on April 13, 2024. Since then, the clip has been viewed 50.2 million times.

Astonishingly, the sound has been used in 931,400 videos—most of them being other sad cat tales to tug at the heartstrings. 

@cute_cat_games Daddy Fights For His Little Kitten ????????#cat #4upage #funny #viral #fyp #catlover #aicats ♬ som original - - ⌗ ᰔ -「 ???????????????????????????? 」( s

Sound off

A lot of parents are going viral after filming the reactions of Gen Alpha kids and toddlers when they watch the videos. The crying cat and heart-wrenching music is usually enough to reduce these iPad kids to tears. Given the earliest example of this has amassed 23.4 million views, it should come as no surprise that this has become something of a trend among other parents on the platform.

People are also going viral for using cat filters and meowing along to the feline-fied "What Was I Made For." But if I’m being honest, those videos are just straight-up disturbing.

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