The popularity of Meetissai’s odd animal sculptures really has to do with the fact that people are obsessed with cats (and dogs), and half if not more of the content online has to do with funny pet pics and videos. And by funny, I mean the weirder, the better.
Cats are perfect for such content—they’re goofy, jumpy, independent, and predominantly wild. Thus, their ancient instincts kick in without warning, whether it’s jumping through the living room in the middle of the night, or casually accommodating themselves in the most awkward pose there is.
No wonder some major online communities are doing precisely that, celebrating pets acting weird, lovingly calling it “cat logic.”
Like, the subreddit WhatsWrongWithYourCat and WhatsWrongWithYourDog that got owners sharing really funny pictures of their four-legged friends. Hence, you see pictures of cats “making biscuits,” dogs “sitting like hoomans,” and anything that combines unlimited amounts of cuteness and goofiness.
Other incredibly popular platforms of goofy-animal content include the We Rate Dog Twitter account, and its spin-off for feline friends—The Cat Reviewer Twitter.
But it turns out, our brains may be to blame for the obsession with all things pets these days. Take a squirrel photobombing a couple's holiday photo as an example. Scientists believe that “Psychologically, the surprise appearance of this cute furry friend causes a cognitive orienting response.”
There’s a conflict in what we see in a sense that we don't expect to see a cheeky critter in a nicely composed photograph. This very unexpected sight makes us search for an explanation of some sort, and takes away our attention from what we’re really seeing.
“In the case of the squirrel, it’s a pleasant surprise and the unexpected pleasure of seeing something funny when we were expecting something more mundane triggers a positive response (in this case smiling or even laughing).”
We also become used to this unexpected trigger that causes a positive response, and start browsing for more similar content. The Facebook group Crap Wildlife Photography is a great example of similar photobombings that people totally adore. It celebrates not the elaborate wildlife photos, but the very contrary of them—bad timing, poor composition, odd angle, totally unphotogenic animal, etc.
