17 "Woman Yelling At A Cat" Variations For When You’re Done With Everyone’s Drama

The "Woman Yelling at a Cat" meme consists of two unrelated images side-by-side. The left panel features Taylor Armstrong during a heated confrontation in the 2011 Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode "Malibu Beach Party from Hell." The right panel shows Smudge, a white cat from Ottawa, reacting to a plate of salad.

The format is primarily used for object labeling, where the woman represents a person or group making a loud, emotional demand, and the cat represents a party that is either confused, following logic literally, or simply doesn't care.

History

• Dec 2011: The Real Housewives footage airs. It becomes a standalone reaction image for years.
• June 2018: Smudge’s owner posts the "salad cat" photo to Tumblr. It gains traction as a standalone reaction for "disgust."
• May 1, 2019: Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL posts the two images together. This is the definitive origin of the combined format.
• June 2019: The template migrates to Reddit (specifically r/dankmemes), where object labeling becomes the standard usage.

The following examples demonstrate the template’s utility in highlighting the disparity between expectation/effort and the cold reality of the outcome:

• Disappointing Bathroom Results: This version maps the extreme time investment (45 minutes) against a negligible result (two pellets). The cat’s small size and bewildered face serve as the punchline for the lack of ROI.
• Debugging Frustration With Computers: The user screams at the code for "not working," while the computer (the cat) simply executes the exact instructions it was given. It captures the programmer’s frustration with their own unintentional logic.
• Mom Misunderstanding Weight Loss: A third party (the mother) interprets weight loss as a serious disorder, while the subject (the cat) reveals the cause is a mundane dietary swap (soda for water). It mocks the gap between external drama and internal simplicity.