ЪУЪ Съука

The original 2008 photo

The base of the image is a news photograph. Getty Images photographer Christopher Furlong took a picture of a black cat crossing a road next to police officers; the image was uploaded on November 12, 2008. The frame is tied to police work in Derby, UK, but the details of that event did not make it into the meme.

In the original photo the cat simply walks along the road and stands on four legs. Over time the photo was used in cropped form, until someone edited it.

The edit that made the cat “weird”

The version with raised paws appeared in November 2018. An unknown author edited the photo so the cat stands on its hind legs, with its front paws raised and bent, like a character in a fighting stance. The earliest known post of this edit is a Twitter entry from November 28, 2018; on December 1 of the same year the image reached a Facebook group devoted to ‘cursed’ images.

The author of the edit has not been identified, so this article gives only dates, not names. The earliest version found is not necessarily the first: the edit could have been posted earlier.

The path to the Russian-language internet and Reddit

In January 2019 the image appeared in Russian-language communities. It was used as a reaction in a trend around words with the letters ‘ъ’ and ‘ы’: a caption made only of the letters ‘ъ’ and ‘у’ became an onomatopoeia for an annoyed hiss. The image spread through VKontakte groups and on Twitter.

In March 2019 the version with the menacing caption reached Reddit and quickly gathered tens of thousands of votes. Many variants then appeared in other communities. The first publication of the edit nonetheless remains unknown.

Why the frame reads as a reaction

The meme's meaning rests on the contrast between an ordinary frame and the image added during editing. A cat on a road is an ordinary news picture. Once it is given a human pose, the viewer starts to see a character with personality in it.

The threat here is almost comical. The cat holds its paws in the air, its glowing eyes look straight at the viewer, and it seems about to say something. That is why the meme is used for irritation when there is nothing to say but the emotion is obvious. The pale asphalt around makes the black silhouette stand out even more.

Caption examples and how they work

“Came in on Monday and they're asking for the report again.” The caption turns the cat's pose into a reaction to a work situation. The humor comes from the cat looking more serious than the circumstances deserve.

“When someone asks why I didn't reply to the message yesterday.” The pause does the work here: the viewer expects an excuse and sees a cat with raised paws. The question goes unanswered, and that is the joke.

“Said I'd keep it quiet, and already told everyone.” The example rests on the contrast between a promise and behavior.

“Line at the store where the cashier announced a break.” The caption uses a shift in expectation: the scene is mundane, and the emotion is too strong for it.

How to use the template

The meme suits short everyday situations where emotion is needed without long explanations. Better not to use it in connection with crime news or sensitive topics, because the original photo was taken at a real event. It is safer to use the frame as a joke about character, not about an incident.

If you need a topical caption, keep it short. The picture sets the tone itself, and extra words only weaken the effect. Onomatopoeic captions with the letter ‘ъ’ work well when the topic is annoyance or grumbling.