You’ve seen the memes. They usually pop up on a random Tuesday when the internet decides to get weird again. It's a photo of a Sphynx cat wearing a tiny beanie, or maybe a fluffy Persian with a side-swept fringe that looks suspiciously like a 2010 Brit Awards red carpet look. People have been obsessed with the idea of justin bieber as a cat for over a decade, and honestly, it’s one of the few internet subcultures that actually makes a weird kind of sense when you look at the pop star’s real-life history with pets.
The internet doesn't just do this for fun. Well, it does, but there’s a psychological layer here. We love anthropomorphizing celebrities. We take their "vibe"—the swagger, the hair, the occasionally moody Instagram captions—and we project them onto animals. With Justin, the comparison is effortless because his career stages are basically feline archetypes. There’s the "Baby" era (the wide-eyed kitten), the "Bilingue" era (the sleek, mysterious street cat), and the current "Justice" era (the cozy, indoor lap cat who just wants to be left alone with his wife).
Why the Internet is Obsessed with Justin Bieber as a Cat
It started on Tumblr. If you weren't there in 2012, it’s hard to explain the sheer volume of "celebrities as things" blogs. One specific corner of the web realized that Bieber’s facial expressions—the squinty-eyed smize or the pouty lip—were 1:1 matches for certain breeds.
Take the Sphynx cat.
When Justin started getting heavily tattooed and rocking the shirtless, baggy-pants look, the comparison to a hairless, inked-up cat became inescapable. It wasn’t mean-spirited; it was just accurate. There is a specific kind of "expensive but chaotic" energy that both a high-end designer cat and a global pop star share. You see a cat sitting on a marble countertop looking like it owns the place? That’s Bieber energy.
Then there’s the hair. For years, the "Bieber Flip" was the gold standard for teenage boys everywhere. But you know who wore it better? The Maine Coon. Those long, flowing manes that naturally part in the middle are a dead ringer for Justin’s Purpose tour era. Fans would side-by-side these images, and the results were uncanny. It’s not just about the looks, though. It’s the temperament.
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Cats are notoriously fickle. They love you, then they want space. They’re incredibly talented at what they do, but they do it on their own schedule. Justin’s relationship with the paparazzi and the public has mirrored this for years. One day he’s playing soccer with fans in a park, the next he’s asking for privacy. It’s very "don’t touch the belly," and the internet caught on to that vibe early.
The Real Pets Behind the Meme
While we joke about justin bieber as a cat, the singer’s actual history with felines is a bit more complicated and, at times, controversial. He hasn't just been "memed" into a cat; he’s been a high-profile cat owner who faced real-world heat for his choices.
In 2019, Justin and Hailey Bieber welcomed two Savannah cats named Sushi and Tuna.
These weren't your average shelter tabbies. Savannah cats are a crossbreed between a domestic cat and a Serval—a wild African cat. They are stunning, leggy, and incredibly expensive. Reportedly, the couple spent around $35,000 on the pair. This immediately sparked a massive backlash from PETA.
Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, released a statement at the time claiming that Bieber was "inspiring his fans to fuel the dangerous demand for hybrid cats" instead of promoting adoption. Justin, in true "feline" fashion, didn't take the critique lying down. He took to Instagram to tell the organization to "focus on real problems" and defended his choice to buy the cats he wanted.
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What You Need to Know About Savannah Cats (Sushi and Tuna)
- Generation Matters: They are often classified as F1, F2, or F3. The "F" stands for filial, indicating how many generations they are removed from the wild Serval. Sushi and Tuna appear to be lower-generation hybrids, which are more manageable but still high-energy.
- Legal Issues: You can't just own these everywhere. In places like New York City or Hawaii, owning a Savannah cat is either restricted or straight-up illegal because of their wild ancestry.
- Behavior: These aren't lap cats. They jump. They hunt. They require massive amounts of stimulation.
- The "Insta-Pet" Phenomenon: Sushi and Tuna got their own Instagram account (@kittysushiandtuna), which racked up hundreds of thousands of followers almost instantly.
The drama surrounding Sushi and Tuna actually solidified the justin bieber as a cat narrative. It showed a pop star who gravitated toward the exotic, the misunderstood, and the high-maintenance. It was a peak celebrity-pet moment that highlighted the divide between luxury lifestyle and animal advocacy.
The "Bieber Cat" Aesthetic in Pop Culture
The comparison has moved past just photos. It’s influenced how fans create fan art. If you browse platforms like DeviantArt or even Pinterest, you'll find "cat-ified" versions of his album covers. Changes but with a ginger tabby. Journals but with a sleek black panther.
Why does this keep happening?
Because Justin Bieber is a "chameleon" star. He changes his skin—or his fur—every few years. When he went through his "bad boy" phase, the internet compared him to a stray cat that gets into fights but still looks cute. When he settled down and leaned into his faith and marriage, he became the "house cat" archetype.
There’s also the "mewing" trend. While the modern internet term "mewing" refers to jawline exercises, the overlap with cat culture and "pretty boy" aesthetics means Justin is often the face of these memes. He has those sharp features that translate perfectly to feline geometry.
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Lessons from the Sushi and Tuna Controversy
If you're looking at the justin bieber as a cat trend and thinking about getting a cat like his, there are some serious things to consider. Most people see the photos and want the "look," but they don't realize what goes into keeping a hybrid animal.
Sushi actually went missing for about three weeks in 2020. Justin posted a frantic message on Instagram, and eventually, lifestyle mogul Sandra Lee found the cat in her backyard. He was thin and scared, but he made it home. This was a sobering moment for fans. It proved that even with all the money in the world, these cats are a handful. They are escape artists. They are wild at heart.
- Hybrids aren't for beginners. If you want a cat that acts like a dog, get a Ragdoll, not a Savannah.
- Check local laws. Don't be the person who gets their pet confiscated because they didn't check zoning ordinances.
- Consider adoption. While Justin chose the breeder route, the "Bieber cat" look can often be found in shelters. Lean, athletic cats with high energy are everywhere.
How to Lean Into the Trend (The Right Way)
If you're a fan of the aesthetic, you don't need a $20,000 hybrid cat. The justin bieber as a cat phenomenon is more about the vibe. It's about that mix of "streetwear cool" and "distantly affectionate."
You can find this energy in plenty of domestic breeds. A Siamese cat has that vocal, demanding, but incredibly loyal personality. An Abyssinian has the athletic, "on-the-go" energy of a performer.
Basically, the whole trend is a reminder of how we use celebrities to understand the world around us. We see a cat that looks like it’s about to drop a platinum record, and we feel a connection. It’s weird. It’s niche. But in the world of 2026 internet culture, it’s exactly the kind of harmless fun that keeps the fandom alive.
Practical Steps for Fans and Pet Owners
- Research the Breed: If you are genuinely interested in Savannah cats because of Justin, read the TICA guidelines first. They are not "easy" pets.
- Follow Responsible Accounts: Look at @kittysushiandtuna for the cute photos, but follow feline behaviorists to understand the reality of high-energy breeds.
- Support Local Shelters: If you want to honor the "Bieber feline" energy, donate to a local rescue in his name. It’s a great way to balance out the "breeder" controversy from a few years ago.
- Engagement: Next time you see a "Bieber as a cat" meme, look at the date. Usually, these cycle back every time he changes his hair. It’s a fun way to track his style evolution through a totally different lens.
The intersection of celebrity and pet culture isn't going anywhere. Whether he's defending his exotic cats from PETA or just looking like a grumpy Persian in a paparazzi shot, the "Bieber cat" legacy is firmly cemented in the halls of internet history. Just remember: if you get a cat, make sure you can handle the "wild" side, even if it doesn't come with a Grammy.