The Internet Is for Cats: How Animal Images Shape Our Digital Lives

The Internet is for Cats explores how animal images are used to create a lighter, more playful mood, unite users, and respond to common experiences of life under neoliberalism. It combines observations, textual analysis, and interviews with people who create, post, and share animal media to understand the roles that animals play within online economies of cuteness and attention.

Format: Hardback
Length: 254 pages
Publication date: 14 October 2022
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

The Internet is a vast repository of adorable animal images, ranging from cute cats and dogs to otters, pandas, and even more exotic creatures. However, what motivates people to create and share these images, and how do they relate to other online social practices?
In her book, "The Internet is for Cats," communication scholar Jessica Maddox delves into these questions. She explores how animal images are used to create a lighter, more playful atmosphere, uniting users in online spaces that can otherwise be fractious and toxic. Maddox places today's pet videos, photos, and memes within a longer history of mediated animal images, considering the factors that make them unique.
Through a rich digital ethnography, Maddox combines observations, textual analysis, and extensive interviews with the people who create, post, and share animal media. She includes TikTok influencers who are trying to make their pets famous, activists tweeting about wildlife conservation, and Redditors who upvote every cute cat photo.
What emerges from "The Internet is for Cats" is a new appreciation for the human social practices behind the animal images we encounter online. Maddox shows how these images are used to build communities, foster connections, and create a sense of belonging. She also highlights the ways in which animal memes and videos respond to common experiences of life under neoliberalism, offering a commentary on the ways in which technology and social media shape our interactions with animals.
In conclusion, "The Internet is for Cats" is a thought-provoking and entertaining book that offers a fresh perspective on the role of animals in online social practices. It will leave readers with a newfound appreciation for the human creativity and ingenuity that goes into creating and sharing these adorable images, as well as a deeper understanding of the ways in which technology and social media shape our relationships with animals.

Weight: 64g
Dimension: 216 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978827929