Catjam

2020Twitch emote / reaction GIFclassic

Also known as: Vibing Cat · CatJAM

Catjam is a 2020 BetterTTV Twitch emote featuring Minette, a white cat bobbing its head to music, popularized as a universal vibing reaction emote.

CatJam is a BetterTTV custom Twitch emote showing a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head to music. Originating from a TikTok video posted in April 2020, the emote spread rapidly across Twitch after popular streamers like xQc enabled it in their chats, and it became one of the most widely used vibing reaction emotes of 20202. The cat, named Minette, turned into a universal symbol for grooving along to good music or reacting to satisfying moments1.

twitch emotescatsreaction memesmusic memesgif memes

Overview

CatJam features a white cat nodding its head in a smooth, rhythmic motion that looks like it's vibing to a beat. The original video shows the cat's head bobbing up and down, though the cat's owner later confirmed the movement was achieved by someone gently pushing the cat's head2. That detail didn't stop the internet from falling in love with the clip. As a Twitch emote, CatJam is typically dropped in chat whenever music plays, a beat hits, or something just feels right. The emote also spread beyond Twitch as a standalone GIF and reaction image, used in memes where the cat "vibes" alongside various songs or satisfying scenarios1.

On April 15, 2020, TikTok user micklagi posted a video of a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head, set to the EDM track "I Wanna Dance" by Jonas Blue2. The video picked up around 239,700 views and 17,000 likes over the following months. The cat, a female named Minette, belonged to a friend of Mick Lagi2. The head-bobbing effect was created by someone off-camera pushing the cat's head, as the owner confirmed in an interview with Know Your Meme2.

The video sat relatively quiet for a few months before getting a major boost on July 12, 2020, when Twitter user @TheTehseen reposted it2. That tweet pulled in over 753,500 views, 26,700 retweets, and 59,200 likes within a month, sparking a wave of reposts on Instagram and other platforms.

On July 24, 2020, BetterTTV user MadLittleCat submitted a transparent GIF version of the cat as a custom Twitch emote2. This was the moment CatJam went from viral video to chat staple.

Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok (source video), BetterTTV / Twitch (emote format)
Key People
Mick Lagi, MadLittleCat
Date
2020

On April 15, 2020, TikTok user micklagi posted a video of a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head, set to the EDM track "I Wanna Dance" by Jonas Blue. The video picked up around 239,700 views and 17,000 likes over the following months. The cat, a female named Minette, belonged to a friend of Mick Lagi. The head-bobbing effect was created by someone off-camera pushing the cat's head, as the owner confirmed in an interview with Know Your Meme.

The video sat relatively quiet for a few months before getting a major boost on July 12, 2020, when Twitter user @TheTehseen reposted it. That tweet pulled in over 753,500 views, 26,700 retweets, and 59,200 likes within a month, sparking a wave of reposts on Instagram and other platforms.

On July 24, 2020, BetterTTV user MadLittleCat submitted a transparent GIF version of the cat as a custom Twitch emote. This was the moment CatJam went from viral video to chat staple.

How It Spread

The emote's Twitch takeover happened fast. On July 28, 2020, fans in the r/xqcow subreddit lobbied streamer xQc to add CatJam to his channel. He did, and other major streamers like Tyler1 followed. By August 12, 2020, over 12,600 Twitch channels had enabled the emote.

Off Twitch, CatJam memes started flooding TikTok and Reddit in late July 2020. On July 30, TikTok user benbanana3 posted the cat vibing to "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley with the caption "When you order 10 chicken nuggets but get 11," racking up over 2.6 million views. TikToker milojk317 posted two CatJam edits on August 1 that pulled 4.4 million and 2.9 million views respectively.

Reddit picked it up around the same time. On August 8, 2020, user Awsisazeen posted a "STFU I'm Listening to" meme using the CatJam GIF to r/okbuddyretard, earning over 27,000 upvotes. That same day, user docohoi posted a GIF caption version to r/memes that hit 78,100 upvotes. The format became especially popular as GIF caption material, where the vibing cat appears alongside text describing minor wins or good vibes.

eBaum's World covered the emote's viral spread on August 12, 2020, noting its jump from Twitch chat to mainstream meme subreddits. The meme also gained traction on iFunny, where a repost earned over 95,800 smiles.

In a bittersweet footnote, the cat Minette was given away sometime during Autumn 2020 after her owner's son developed an allergy.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokDiscordInstagram

Timeline

2020-06

Meme format emerges

2021-01

Gains traction in internet circles

2022-01

Reaches peak popularity

2023-01-01

Brands and companies started using Catjam in marketing

2024-01

Current status in meme culture

2025-01-01

Catjam is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

CatJam works in two main contexts:

As a Twitch emote: Type "CatJam" in any chat where the BetterTTV emote is enabled. It's typically used when a streamer plays music, when a beat drops, or during any moment that just feels good. Think of it as the chat equivalent of nodding along approvingly.

As a meme format: Pair the vibing cat GIF with a scenario that describes a small, satisfying moment. Common setups include things like getting an extra nugget in your order, hearing your favorite song come on, or any "life is good right now" situation. The cat GIF usually appears as the punchline or reaction. GIF caption memes place text above the bobbing cat, while video edits sync the cat's head movement to different songs.

The emote also picked up slang usage, with "catJAM" used as an adjective meaning "cool" or "hip" in some Discord and Twitch communities.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

CatJam rode the broader wave of cat content that has dominated internet culture since the early days of the web. Cats are one of the most searched keywords online, and as of 2015 there were over 2 million cat videos on YouTube alone, averaging 12,000 views each, higher than any other content category. CatJam fit neatly into this tradition while adding a Twitch-native twist.

Research has suggested that viewing cat content online is linked to positive emotions and can even work as a form of digital stress relief. CatJam's appeal tracks with this: it's pure, uncomplicated vibing. No controversy, no edge, just a cat nodding to music.

The emote's rapid adoption by major streamers like xQc and Tyler1 showed how BetterTTV emotes can bypass Twitch's official emote system to become de facto standard chat vocabulary. With over 12,600 channels enabling it within weeks of its creation, CatJam became one of the fastest-adopted third-party emotes of 2020.

Fun Facts

The cat's real name is Minette, and she's female. Many viewers assumed the cat was male.

The head-bobbing wasn't natural. Someone off-camera was gently pushing the cat's head to create the rhythmic motion.

Mick Lagi, who filmed the original video, was a friend of the cat's owner, not the owner himself.

Minette was given away in Autumn 2020 after her owner's son developed a cat allergy, just months after she became internet famous.

The emote was enabled on over 12,600 Twitch channels in less than three weeks after its BetterTTV submission.

Derivatives & Variations

Community variations and adaptations

A variation of Catjam

(2020)

Platform-specific versions

A variation of Catjam

(2020)

Subculture-specific remixes

A variation of Catjam

(2020)

Frequently Asked Questions

Catjam

2020Twitch emote / reaction GIFclassic

Also known as: Vibing Cat · CatJAM

Catjam is a 2020 BetterTTV Twitch emote featuring Minette, a white cat bobbing its head to music, popularized as a universal vibing reaction emote.

CatJam is a BetterTTV custom Twitch emote showing a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head to music. Originating from a TikTok video posted in April 2020, the emote spread rapidly across Twitch after popular streamers like xQc enabled it in their chats, and it became one of the most widely used vibing reaction emotes of 2020. The cat, named Minette, turned into a universal symbol for grooving along to good music or reacting to satisfying moments.

twitch emotes cats reaction memes music memes gif memes

Overview

CatJam features a white cat nodding its head in a smooth, rhythmic motion that looks like it's vibing to a beat. The original video shows the cat's head bobbing up and down, though the cat's owner later confirmed the movement was achieved by someone gently pushing the cat's head. That detail didn't stop the internet from falling in love with the clip. As a Twitch emote, CatJam is typically dropped in chat whenever music plays, a beat hits, or something just feels right. The emote also spread beyond Twitch as a standalone GIF and reaction image, used in memes where the cat "vibes" alongside various songs or satisfying scenarios.

On April 15, 2020, TikTok user micklagi posted a video of a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head, set to the EDM track "I Wanna Dance" by Jonas Blue. The video picked up around 239,700 views and 17,000 likes over the following months. The cat, a female named Minette, belonged to a friend of Mick Lagi. The head-bobbing effect was created by someone off-camera pushing the cat's head, as the owner confirmed in an interview with Know Your Meme.

The video sat relatively quiet for a few months before getting a major boost on July 12, 2020, when Twitter user @TheTehseen reposted it. That tweet pulled in over 753,500 views, 26,700 retweets, and 59,200 likes within a month, sparking a wave of reposts on Instagram and other platforms.

On July 24, 2020, BetterTTV user MadLittleCat submitted a transparent GIF version of the cat as a custom Twitch emote. This was the moment CatJam went from viral video to chat staple.

Origin & Background

Platform
TikTok (source video), BetterTTV / Twitch (emote format)
Key People
Mick Lagi, MadLittleCat
Date
2020

On April 15, 2020, TikTok user micklagi posted a video of a white cat rhythmically bobbing its head, set to the EDM track "I Wanna Dance" by Jonas Blue. The video picked up around 239,700 views and 17,000 likes over the following months. The cat, a female named Minette, belonged to a friend of Mick Lagi. The head-bobbing effect was created by someone off-camera pushing the cat's head, as the owner confirmed in an interview with Know Your Meme.

The video sat relatively quiet for a few months before getting a major boost on July 12, 2020, when Twitter user @TheTehseen reposted it. That tweet pulled in over 753,500 views, 26,700 retweets, and 59,200 likes within a month, sparking a wave of reposts on Instagram and other platforms.

On July 24, 2020, BetterTTV user MadLittleCat submitted a transparent GIF version of the cat as a custom Twitch emote. This was the moment CatJam went from viral video to chat staple.

How It Spread

The emote's Twitch takeover happened fast. On July 28, 2020, fans in the r/xqcow subreddit lobbied streamer xQc to add CatJam to his channel. He did, and other major streamers like Tyler1 followed. By August 12, 2020, over 12,600 Twitch channels had enabled the emote.

Off Twitch, CatJam memes started flooding TikTok and Reddit in late July 2020. On July 30, TikTok user benbanana3 posted the cat vibing to "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley with the caption "When you order 10 chicken nuggets but get 11," racking up over 2.6 million views. TikToker milojk317 posted two CatJam edits on August 1 that pulled 4.4 million and 2.9 million views respectively.

Reddit picked it up around the same time. On August 8, 2020, user Awsisazeen posted a "STFU I'm Listening to" meme using the CatJam GIF to r/okbuddyretard, earning over 27,000 upvotes. That same day, user docohoi posted a GIF caption version to r/memes that hit 78,100 upvotes. The format became especially popular as GIF caption material, where the vibing cat appears alongside text describing minor wins or good vibes.

eBaum's World covered the emote's viral spread on August 12, 2020, noting its jump from Twitch chat to mainstream meme subreddits. The meme also gained traction on iFunny, where a repost earned over 95,800 smiles.

In a bittersweet footnote, the cat Minette was given away sometime during Autumn 2020 after her owner's son developed an allergy.

Platforms

RedditTwitterTikTokDiscordInstagram

Timeline

2020-06

Meme format emerges

2021-01

Gains traction in internet circles

2022-01

Reaches peak popularity

2023-01-01

Brands and companies started using Catjam in marketing

2024-01

Current status in meme culture

2025-01-01

Catjam is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

CatJam works in two main contexts:

As a Twitch emote: Type "CatJam" in any chat where the BetterTTV emote is enabled. It's typically used when a streamer plays music, when a beat drops, or during any moment that just feels good. Think of it as the chat equivalent of nodding along approvingly.

As a meme format: Pair the vibing cat GIF with a scenario that describes a small, satisfying moment. Common setups include things like getting an extra nugget in your order, hearing your favorite song come on, or any "life is good right now" situation. The cat GIF usually appears as the punchline or reaction. GIF caption memes place text above the bobbing cat, while video edits sync the cat's head movement to different songs.

The emote also picked up slang usage, with "catJAM" used as an adjective meaning "cool" or "hip" in some Discord and Twitch communities.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

CatJam rode the broader wave of cat content that has dominated internet culture since the early days of the web. Cats are one of the most searched keywords online, and as of 2015 there were over 2 million cat videos on YouTube alone, averaging 12,000 views each, higher than any other content category. CatJam fit neatly into this tradition while adding a Twitch-native twist.

Research has suggested that viewing cat content online is linked to positive emotions and can even work as a form of digital stress relief. CatJam's appeal tracks with this: it's pure, uncomplicated vibing. No controversy, no edge, just a cat nodding to music.

The emote's rapid adoption by major streamers like xQc and Tyler1 showed how BetterTTV emotes can bypass Twitch's official emote system to become de facto standard chat vocabulary. With over 12,600 channels enabling it within weeks of its creation, CatJam became one of the fastest-adopted third-party emotes of 2020.

Fun Facts

The cat's real name is Minette, and she's female. Many viewers assumed the cat was male.

The head-bobbing wasn't natural. Someone off-camera was gently pushing the cat's head to create the rhythmic motion.

Mick Lagi, who filmed the original video, was a friend of the cat's owner, not the owner himself.

Minette was given away in Autumn 2020 after her owner's son developed a cat allergy, just months after she became internet famous.

The emote was enabled on over 12,600 Twitch channels in less than three weeks after its BetterTTV submission.

Derivatives & Variations

Community variations and adaptations

A variation of Catjam

(2020)

Platform-specific versions

A variation of Catjam

(2020)

Subculture-specific remixes

A variation of Catjam

(2020)

Frequently Asked Questions