Bongo Cat is an animated meme of a simple white cat-like blob playing bongos or other instruments, synced to various songs[2].

Where did Bongo Cat come from?

It originated on Twitter on May 7, 2018, when @DitzyFlama added bongos and the Super Mario World "Athletic" theme to @StrayRogue's animated cat GIF[1].

What does Bongo Cat mean?

It's a wholesome, music-driven meme with no deeper meaning beyond the joy of watching a cute animated cat play along to songs[2].

How do you use Bongo Cat?

Take the cat animation, add an instrument, and sync the paw movements to any song. More advanced versions feature multiple cats forming a full band[1].

Is Bongo Cat still popular?

The meme peaked in 2018 but saw renewed attention in 2023-2025 through a viral Billie Eilish cover on TikTok and a Steam game release[2].

Who created Bongo Cat?

@StrayRogue created the original cat GIF, and @DitzyFlama edited it into the bongo-playing version that went viral[1].

What songs has Bongo Cat played?

Popular remixes include Daft Punk's "Robot Rock," DragonForce's "Through the Fire and the Flames," a-ha's "Take On Me," "Running in the 90s," and Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?"[1][2].

Is there a Bongo Cat app or game?

Yes. An open-source key-mapping program was created in 2018 by Hamish Duncanson, and Irox Games released a commercial Steam version in 2025[2].

Why did Bongo Cat go viral again in 2023?

A Bongo Cat cover of Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" spread on TikTok, with fans singing the "meow" version at her 2024 concerts[2].

Who is the Congressmeow?

Filipino congressman Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga adopted the Bongo Cat persona in 2025, branding himself "Congressmeow" and performing the meow lyrics on social media[2].

Bongo Cat

2018Animated video remix / music memeclassic

Also known as: Bongo Cat · BC · Bongo Cat Meme · BONGO CAT

Bongo Cat is a 2018 animated meme by @StrayRogue and @DitzyFlama showing a white cat-blob playing bongos synced to video game music, originally to Super Mario World's Athletic theme.

Bongo Cat is an animated meme featuring a simple white cat-like blob playing bongos, originating from a May 2018 Twitter exchange between artists @StrayRogue and @DitzyFlama2. The original video synced the cat's table-slapping animation to the "Athletic" theme from Super Mario World, and the format quickly spawned hundreds of remixes showing the cat playing different instruments to various songs1. Multiple outlets named it the best meme of 2018, and it later evolved into key-mapping software, merchandise, and even a Steam game2.

keyboard cat family cute character memes song remix memes gif memes remix culture memes

TL;DR

Bongo Cat is an animated meme featuring a simple white cat-like blob playing bongos, originating from a May 2018 Twitter exchange between artists @StrayRogue and @DitzyFlama.

Overview

Bongo Cat is a minimalist animation of a round, white, cat-like character sitting behind a surface and rhythmically slapping it with its paws. The original creator clarified it was technically a "cat-like blob" rather than an actual cat, even sharing a full-body drawing to prove it2. The meme's appeal comes from its flexibility: editors sync the paw movements to virtually any song, swap in different instruments, and create elaborate multi-layered musical performances. The character's simple design makes it easy to edit and adapt, which fueled rapid remix culture across YouTube and social media.

On May 7, 2018, Twitter user @StrayRogue posted a GIF of an animated cat-like blob slapping a table with its two front paws2. Fellow Twitter user @DitzyFlama replied with an edited version that added bongos under the cat's paws and synced the animation to the "Athletic" theme from Super Mario World1. The reply took off, pulling in over 3,800 retweets and 7,000 likes on Twitter1.

Origin & Background

Platform

Twitter (original GIF and remix), YouTube (viral spread)

Key People

@StrayRogue, @DitzyFlama

Date

2018

Year

2018

On May 7, 2018, Twitter user @StrayRogue posted a GIF of an animated cat-like blob slapping a table with its two front paws. Fellow Twitter user @DitzyFlama replied with an edited version that added bongos under the cat's paws and synced the animation to the "Athletic" theme from Super Mario World. The reply took off, pulling in over 3,800 retweets and 7,000 likes on Twitter.

How It Spread

The clip jumped to YouTube on May 14, 2018, when user anon eats crayons uploaded it. Six days later, user GarinBadger posted a full-length version of the "Athletic" bongo performance, which picked up over 61,000 views.

From there, the remix floodgates opened. On June 7, YouTube user Kirk Keely edited the cat playing Daft Punk's "Robot Rock" on electric guitar. By September 8, YouTuber BananaManPlays had produced a "Running in the 90s" parody, racking up over 41,000 views. DitzyFlama kept contributing too, dropping edits for DragonForce's "Through the Fire and the Flames" and a-ha's "Take On Me".

The meme's adaptability made it a perfect template. Editors expanded the cat's repertoire beyond bongos to include piano, guitar, drums, and full band setups. @StrayRogue capitalized on the character's popularity by launching official Bongo Cat merchandise. Someone even built an interactive Bongo Cat website where visitors could play along.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokDiscordInstagram

Timeline

2018-06

Meme format emerges

2019-01

Gains traction in internet circles

2020-01

Reaches peak popularity

2021-01-01

Brands and companies started using Bongo Cat in marketing

2023-01-01

Bongo Cat entered the broader pop culture conversation

2024-01

Current status in meme culture

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The standard Bongo Cat format works like this:

Take the base animation of the cat blob sitting behind a surface

Add an instrument (bongos, guitar, piano, drums, or anything else) under or near the cat's paws

Sync the paw movements to a song of your choice

More elaborate versions layer multiple cats playing different instruments for a full band effect

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

Bongo Cat became a critical darling of 2018's meme landscape. Polygon and Uproxx both called it the best meme of 2018. Ellen Scott at Metro described it as bringing "happiness to all, even in the trashfire year that was 2018". The Daily Dot tagged it as the most earnest and wholesome meme of that year, while Nicole Clark at Vice went further, calling it "the only good thing on the internet". Critics praised its flexibility, with several outlets comparing it to the earlier Keyboard Cat meme.

The meme took on a second life as software. In 2018, developer Hamish Duncanson created an open-source key-mapping program based on Bongo Cat, where the animated cat would mirror the user's keystrokes and mouse movements. Contributors like MMmmmoko, ayangweb, and kuroni expanded the tool over time.

In 2023, a Bongo Cat cover of Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" went viral on TikTok. Fans adopted this "meow meow" version and sang it at Eilish's concerts during her 2024 tour. By 2025, Filipino congressman Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga had incorporated the Bongo Cat cover into his public persona, branding himself "Congressmeow" and posting "meow meow meow meow" videos on social media.

Also in 2025, Irox Games rebuilt the Bongo Cat key-mapping tool in Unity and published it on Steam. They stripped the key-mapping functionality, simplified it to click tracking, and added online rooms and in-app purchases. The commercialization sparked some backlash, though the original MIT License technically permitted commercial use.

Fun Facts

The original creator @StrayRogue specified that Bongo Cat is not a cat but a "cat-like blob," posting a full-body drawing to clarify.

The first bongo edit used the "Athletic" theme from Super Mario World, connecting Bongo Cat to gaming culture from day one.

Reid McCarter of The A.V. Club and Megan Farokhmanesh of The Verge both independently praised the meme during its 2018 peak.

A Filipino congressman literally adopted the meme as his political brand in 2025, going by "Congressmeow" on social media.

Derivatives & Variations

Community variations and adaptations

A variation of Bongo Cat

(2018)

Platform-specific versions

A variation of Bongo Cat

(2018)

Subculture-specific remixes

A variation of Bongo Cat

(2018)

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

1
Bongo Cat - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
2
Bongo Catencyclopedia
3
Bongo Cat - Urban Dictionarydictionary

Bongo Cat

2018Animated video remix / music memeclassic

Also known as: Bongo Cat · BC · Bongo Cat Meme · BONGO CAT

Bongo Cat is a 2018 animated meme by @StrayRogue and @DitzyFlama showing a white cat-blob playing bongos synced to video game music, originally to Super Mario World's Athletic theme.

Bongo Cat is an animated meme featuring a simple white cat-like blob playing bongos, originating from a May 2018 Twitter exchange between artists @StrayRogue and @DitzyFlama. The original video synced the cat's table-slapping animation to the "Athletic" theme from Super Mario World, and the format quickly spawned hundreds of remixes showing the cat playing different instruments to various songs. Multiple outlets named it the best meme of 2018, and it later evolved into key-mapping software, merchandise, and even a Steam game.

keyboard cat family cute character memes song remix memes gif memes remix culture memes

TL;DR

Bongo Cat is an animated meme featuring a simple white cat-like blob playing bongos, originating from a May 2018 Twitter exchange between artists @StrayRogue and @DitzyFlama.

Overview

Bongo Cat is a minimalist animation of a round, white, cat-like character sitting behind a surface and rhythmically slapping it with its paws. The original creator clarified it was technically a "cat-like blob" rather than an actual cat, even sharing a full-body drawing to prove it. The meme's appeal comes from its flexibility: editors sync the paw movements to virtually any song, swap in different instruments, and create elaborate multi-layered musical performances. The character's simple design makes it easy to edit and adapt, which fueled rapid remix culture across YouTube and social media.

Origin & Background

Platform

Twitter (original GIF and remix), YouTube (viral spread)

Key People

@StrayRogue, @DitzyFlama

Date

2018

Year

2018

How It Spread

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokDiscordInstagram

Timeline

2018-06

Meme format emerges

2019-01

Gains traction in internet circles

2020-01

Reaches peak popularity

2021-01-01

Brands and companies started using Bongo Cat in marketing

2023-01-01

Bongo Cat entered the broader pop culture conversation

2024-01

Current status in meme culture

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The standard Bongo Cat format works like this:

Take the base animation of the cat blob sitting behind a surface

Add an instrument (bongos, guitar, piano, drums, or anything else) under or near the cat's paws

Sync the paw movements to a song of your choice

More elaborate versions layer multiple cats playing different instruments for a full band effect

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

Fun Facts

The original creator @StrayRogue specified that Bongo Cat is not a cat but a "cat-like blob," posting a full-body drawing to clarify.

The first bongo edit used the "Athletic" theme from Super Mario World, connecting Bongo Cat to gaming culture from day one.

Reid McCarter of The A.V. Club and Megan Farokhmanesh of The Verge both independently praised the meme during its 2018 peak.

A Filipino congressman literally adopted the meme as his political brand in 2025, going by "Congressmeow" on social media.

Derivatives & Variations

Community variations and adaptations

A variation of Bongo Cat

(2018)

Platform-specific versions

A variation of Bongo Cat

(2018)

Subculture-specific remixes

A variation of Bongo Cat

(2018)

Frequently Asked Questions

References (3)

1
Bongo Cat - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
2
Bongo Catencyclopedia
3
Bongo Cat - Urban Dictionarydictionary