You know the one. It starts with that bouncy, slightly frantic electronic beat and a voice that sounds like pure, unadulterated caffeine. "I love cats! I love every kind of cat!" It's the i love cats song, and if you’ve spent more than five minutes on the internet in the last decade, it has probably lived rent-free in your brain. Honestly, it’s a masterpiece of weirdness.
But here is the thing people forget: it wasn't just a random song. It was the soundtrack to one of the most iconic viral moments in YouTube history. We are talking about the "eHarmony Video Bio" parody. It featured Cara Cunningham (then known as Chris Crocker) or, more famously, the "Debbie" character from the "Can't Hug Every Cat" video. People still get the origins mixed up because the internet is a messy place. The actual song that most people recognize as the "I Love Cats" anthem is "Can't Hug Every Cat" by The Gregory Brothers.
The Day We All Realized We Can’t Hug Every Cat
The year was 2011. A user named Debbie posted a "video bio" for eHarmony. In the video, she starts off seemingly normal, talking about her interests. Then, she mentions cats. Her voice cracks. She starts weeping. "I'm sorry, I'm thinking about cats again," she sobs. She wants to hug them all, but she can't. It's too much. It was gold.
Then came The Gregory Brothers. These are the geniuses behind "Auto-Tune the News" and "Bed Intruder Song." They took Debbie’s raw, emotional breakdown and turned it into a polished, high-energy pop track. That is the i love cats song most of us hum today. They didn't just add a beat; they shifted the pitch of her crying to create a melody that is surprisingly catchy. It’s a technique called "songification," and they basically pioneered it.
Why did it work? Because it was relatable. Everyone has that one thing they are a little too obsessed with. For Debbie, it was feline friends. For the rest of the world, it was watching a woman have a meltdown over the impossibility of hugging every kitten on Earth. It hit that sweet spot of "is she joking?" and "wait, I actually feel this."
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How Songification Changed the Internet
Before the i love cats song became a staple of meme culture, viral videos were usually just raw clips. You watched them once, laughed, and moved on. The Gregory Brothers changed the lifecycle of a meme. By turning a moment of human vulnerability into a song, they gave it "re-playability." You can listen to a song a hundred times. You can't really watch a 30-second clip of a woman crying a hundred times without it getting a bit dark.
Technically, the song uses a lot of heavy pitch correction. If you listen closely, the "I love cats" line is sampled directly from the moment Debbie loses her composure. The drums are standard 4/4 pop timing, which is why your brain latches onto it so easily. It follows the same structural rules as a Katy Perry or Taylor Swift hit, just with more mentions of whiskers and bow-ties.
Some people think the video was fake. Debbie—real name Cara—later leaned into the fame, but that initial video felt so earnest that it sparked debates about the "authenticity" of viral stars. This was before the era of "clout chasing" being a recognized profession. Back then, we just thought she really, really liked cats. And honestly? She probably does.
The Psychological Hook: Why We Love Feline Content
There is actually some science behind why songs about cats, and cat videos in general, dominate our feeds. A study by Jessica Gall Myrick at Indiana University found that watching cat videos actually boosts viewers' energy and positive emotions while decreasing negative feelings.
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When you pair that "cute aggression" or emotional response with a repetitive, high-tempo melody like the i love cats song, you create a dopamine loop. You see the cat, you hear the song, your brain fires off happy chemicals. It’s digital catnip.
Misconceptions and the "Lost" Versions
A lot of people confuse the "Can't Hug Every Cat" song with other cat-related jingles.
- No, it’s not the "Nyan Cat" song (that’s "Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya!").
- It’s not the "Smelly Cat" song from Friends.
- It’s definitely not that "Huh?" cat meme sound from TikTok.
There are also dozens of remixes. You have the heavy metal version, the slowed-down "reverb" versions for the lo-fi kids, and about a thousand TikTok sounds that use only the "I love every kind of cat" snippet. The song has mutated. It’s no longer just a YouTube video; it’s a cultural shorthand for being a "cat person."
Why It Still Matters in 2026
You might think a 15-year-old meme would be dead. You’d be wrong. The i love cats song is a foundational text of the modern internet. It taught creators how to monetize viral moments. It showed that "weird" was a viable brand.
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Today, we see "Girl Dinner" or "Corn Kid" following the exact same blueprint. A person says something quirky, someone adds a beat, and suddenly it’s a global phenomenon. Debbie was the blueprint. The Gregory Brothers were the architects.
If you are looking to find the song today, the official version is still on the Schmoyoho YouTube channel. It has millions of views, and the comments are a graveyard of 2011 nostalgia. People go back there just to feel something. To remember a time when the biggest problem on the internet was that one woman couldn't physically embrace every feline in existence.
How to Use the Song (and the Vibe) Today
If you are a creator or just someone who wants to tap into that energy, here is how you handle the legacy of the "I love cats" phenomenon:
- Don't over-edit. The charm of the original song was the raw emotion. If you're making your own "songified" content, keep the weird pauses and the voice cracks. That’s where the soul is.
- Context is everything. The song works best when paired with overwhelming, slightly chaotic joy. Use it for your pet's birthday, or when you finally get that promotion, or when you actually do get to hug a cat.
- Respect the source. If you're sharing the clip, give a nod to Cara/Debbie. She gave the internet a gift.
To really get the most out of this piece of internet history, go watch the original "Can't Hug Every Cat" video first, then listen to the Gregory Brothers remix immediately after. You can see the transformation from a breakdown to a bop. It’s a masterclass in digital editing.
Check your Spotify or YouTube Music playlists—there is a high chance a "cat" related parody is sitting in your "Liked Songs" from years ago. Give it a listen. It still slaps.