Side Eye Cat, aka Mr. Fresh, is an orange cat that appears on a livestream on the Chinese app, Hello Street Cat. The cat’s expressive face has made it a fan favorite on the app, resulting in many viral videos.
What is Hello Street Cat?
Hello Street Cat is a Chinese app that launched in April 2023. The app allows users to watch stray cats in different areas of China enjoy their habitats. In Shanghai alone, the app says there are over 400,000 stray cats. Through cameras on feeders and in other locations, users can track the adventures of different trap-neuter-return (TNR) strays.
Who is Mr. Fresh?
Mr. Fresh the Side Eye Cat is one of the cats featured on the Hello Street Cat app. The orange cat has quickly become a fan favorite because he seems to enjoy looking into the camera, unlike many of the other cats who appear. His facial expressions have spawned many memes.
The Side Eye Cat found himself going viral on TikTok for the first time in October 2023. It was then that a video of the cat looking suspiciously at its food quickly went viral.
A subsequent video explains that the orange cat was given the moniker “Mr. Fresh” because he’ll only approach freshly–replenished food to eat.
Several of Mr. Fresh’s faces, including the side eye, have gone viral as they’re applied to other subjects. His popularity on the internet has inspired donations to the TNR program.
Mr. Fresh controversy
Unfortunately, Mr. Fresh’s fame includes a dark note. In early 2024, screenshots threatening Mr. Fresh appeared online. A social media outroar broke out when screenshots of a bounty placed on Mr. Fresh emerged. A gang of trolls known among Chinese social media users offered USD in exchange for the cat being killed on one of the live stream cameras.
As it happened, rescuers noticed Mr. Fresh had an eye infection around the time the post started going viral. The cat was in the hospital for days, requiring treatment and care. In February 2024, the decision was made to find a suitable home for Mr. Fresh.
Rescuers made the decision after the threats made against the cat made a life out in the wild too dangerous for him. In other words, the side eye cat is a stray no more. While many are happy this means Mr. Fresh is safe, they worry about not getting to see the cat any more.
Meme examples
More cat memes:
- ‘ALF eating a cat sandwich’ memes surge following Trump’s ‘eating pets’ claim
- Huh Cat is here for all of life’s most dumbfounding moments
- What is the ‘Cat Distribution System’ and how do you get chosen?
- Thumbs up to the thumbs up crying cat meme
- Maxwell the Cat is a legend among gamers
- The Polite Cat meme is funny—but is the cat’s expression real?
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