Cartoon Icon
Pusheen
2010–present
The chubby grey tabby who became the internet's favourite cartoon cat
- Owner
- Claire Belton & Andrew Duff
- Years
- 2010–present
- Known for
- Cartoon Icon
Pusheen is a plump, grey-striped cartoon cat who has grown from a webcomic sidekick into one of the most recognisable animated cats on the internet. She was created in 2010 by Claire Belton and Andrew Duff for their site Everyday Cute, and was named after the Irish word "puisín", meaning kitten. With her round body, tiny limbs and permanently content expression, Pusheen quickly outgrew the comic strip to become a phenomenon in her own right.
Her real breakthrough came through social media and messaging: Pusheen animated stickers on Facebook and other platforms let millions of people send a wiggling, cake-eating, keyboard-tapping cartoon cat to their friends, and her simple, gently funny sketches about the small joys of life — snacks, naps, and being a cat — struck a universal chord. Today Pusheen anchors a huge merchandising world of plush toys, stationery and clothing, and a hugely popular Instagram following, all built around the same cosy, low-key humour.
Though she is a drawing rather than a living cat, Pusheen was inspired by real cats her creators have owned, and her enormous popularity has made her a genuine cultural ambassador for cat lovers everywhere — proof that sometimes the most famous cat in the room is one who was never real at all.