To make everybody’s Friday better, Twitter user @ellle_em started an awesome, wholesome trend: asking cat owners to post a picture of their cat right after adoption next to a recent photo so everyone could see the “cat glow up.”
HEY TWITTER PEOPLE WITH CATS!
— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) July 26, 2019
Reply to this with a photo of your cat when you first brought them home and a photo of your cat RIGHT NOW (or you know….as recently as possible) so we can see how much they've changed (or….not changed?)
Use the hashtag #CatGlowUp
A “glow up” is a change for the better in style or confidence. Since it’s become a well-known meme, usually with before-and-after makeover pictures and photos of people at different ages, why not apply it to cats?
To kick it off, Elle started with pictures of their own adorable furballs.
#CatGlowUp Rhea has not changed much in the seven years I've had her 😂 pic.twitter.com/LsIMs6vhDW
— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) July 26, 2019
#CatGlowUp Liberty as a smol (2012) and now as a not-so-smol pic.twitter.com/UMlbG6ILkS
— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) July 26, 2019
Babby Wooloo is in the midst of an extreme #CatGlowUp pic.twitter.com/OdAPLxkdgh
— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) July 26, 2019
Not pictured: all the other abandoned street cats Elle takes in.
Hey while you're here! I live in Spain and I take in abandoned/unwanted cats and try to find families for them. If you're able, please consider taking a look at my wishlist for Cat Stuff!https://t.co/IHUAGN1Eev
— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) July 26, 2019
The ‘Cat Glow Up’ meme goes viral
Some hours later, Twitter user @CAwkard got ahold of the hashtag and tipped it into virality.
https://twitter.com/CAwkward/status/1154766856542183425
In the thread, some cats had sad backstories, which made their glow ups even more heartwarming.
my poor baby girl was shaved, she looked so pathetic 😂😭💕
— kelly knowles .art (@kellyknowlesart) July 26, 2019
now she's a proper poofster! #catglowup pic.twitter.com/ZrXUaZa2Rd
As a kitten, Kilter caught an eye infection before his eyes were even open. He has grown up to be a very handsome #pirate cat. #CatGlowUp pic.twitter.com/3P4r4Nuq0s
— Tiasha J. Garcia (@storyteaching) July 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/makeatxhome/status/1154773647749517312
It’s good to see that, even with his spectacular cat glow up, Mr. Ping has stayed true to his roots: He’s still furious.
https://twitter.com/figfugue/status/1154754697640710144
Even the ones who started out as adorable kittens blossomed into beautiful cats.
My handsome boy 7 years on ☺️🥰 #CatGlowUp pic.twitter.com/ONfnxkAvNQ
— L (@theboopzone) July 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/FarmerG_Paradox/status/1154778487493992449
#CatGlowUp Mabel & Dipper then and now pic.twitter.com/GViD2WTAS9
— Scrambled Still – working on A_Plague_Tale_Zine (@ScrambledStill) July 26, 2019
This story is particularly heartwarming:
Fun fact when Mabel was little my dad once cried when she looked at him bc she was so cute pic.twitter.com/1p7IV68nwg
— Scrambled Still – working on A_Plague_Tale_Zine (@ScrambledStill) July 26, 2019
While we’re here, let’s send some extra love to black kitties, since they are less likely to be adopted than cats of other colors.
#CatGlowUp Oswald nearly two years later😭 pic.twitter.com/Iwg0H74v9q
— mollie🌸 (@ysera__) July 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/nickwpreston/status/1154667214517264385
Some cat glow ups involve fashion!
#CatGlowUp when I brought Poe home in February he had some really bad teeth issues. It made him lethargic,his breath was terrible and he couldn’t eat dry food. Now it’s all sorted out and he grooms himself again and is full of energy.💛 pic.twitter.com/1pQQsR4UeT
— T O R I (@OhJeeToriG) July 26, 2019
Well #CatGlowUp certainly is a fun # for the day. pic.twitter.com/ae7lwF1qSZ
— Cat Cosplay (@Cat_Cosplay) July 26, 2019
This person is a hero, and her boy’s a little fighter.
Kaiden was dumped at a shelter because of his ears, and was dying of a respiratory infection. They told me over and over not to adopt him because he was dying. I didn’t listen. #CatGlowUp pic.twitter.com/juATbNYqHh
— Sarah Bethe (@Lady_Macbethe) July 26, 2019
As you can see, giants walk among us.
#CatGlowUp
— badly-drawn barbenheimer 🤯 (@soapachu) July 26, 2019
The day we brought Titian home vs now. He got bigger. pic.twitter.com/1Njz9TQh0Q
Since the world is on fire right now, physically as well as metaphorically, take some time to look at these cat glow ups. It’s self-care!
Our Katyusha, who has been with us for almost 2 weeks. #CatGlowUp pic.twitter.com/i7xs9H6NPA
— Fried Phish. (@friedphishes) July 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/Zealuu/status/1154679206728687616
This post has been updated for relevance.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Elle’s Twitter handle and referred to Elle with incorrect pronouns. Elle’s handle is @ellle_em, and the pronouns have been updated.
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