Bongo Cat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bongo Cat is an Internet meme that originated when a Twitter user created and tweeted a GIF of a white cat-like blob smacking a table with its two paws.[1][2] The tweet was then replied to by another Twitter user[3] with an edited version of the GIF including bongos hit to the tune of a Super Mario World track.[4] The reply went viral and caused the GIF to be edited to many other songs.[5][4]
The original Bongo Cat GIF originated on May 7, 2018, when an animated cat GIF made by Twitter user @StrayRogue[2] was edited by @DitzyFlama, with the edit including bongos which were hit by the cat to the tune of "Athletic" from the Super Mario World soundtrack.[6] The original artist clarified that Bongo Cat was a cat-like blob rather than an actual cat, showing a drawing of the character's full body in another tweet.[2]
It has later been edited to many other songs and many different instruments in fan-made videos, appearing on social media such as YouTube and Twitter.[5][7] The meme has covered many songs from video game soundtracks, such as music from Persona 5 and Super Mario, as well as mainstream songs such as Toto's "Africa" and Darude's "Sandstorm".[5] After an increase in popularity, Stray Rogue began making and selling Bongo Cat merchandise.[1] Bongo Cat also has been made into an interactive website.[3]
The meme was also developed into key-mapping software in 2018. The program originated from open-source code written by Hamish Duncanson on GitHub,[8] and was later modified by contributors such as MMmmmoko, ayangweb, and kuroni.[9][10][11]
In 2023, Bongo Cat's cover of "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish was shared online. The cover went viral on TikTok and fans sang this version during Eilish's concerts in 2024.[12] By 2025, Filipino congressman Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga, representative of Dasmariñas City, made the Bongo Cat cover a part of his public persona, branding himself "Congressmeow" and singing the lyrics "meow meow meow meow" on social media.[13][14][15]
By 2025, Irox Games rewrote the bongo cat key mapping tool using Unity and published it on Steam. After removing the key-mapping function, they simplified it to only record clicks and added an online room feature.[16] Because the game contains in-app purchases, this commercialization caused some disputes.[17] However, since the original software was released under the MIT License, this commercial use does not technically infringe copyright.
