The Cat’s Meow: 8 CSS and JavaScript Code Snippets Celebrating Our Feline Friends
The internet without cats would be like an ocean without fish (which cats happen to love). The psychology behind this feline obsession must be fascinating. Perhaps it’s that silly, self-assured behavior that makes humans record every move our pets make.
Whether it’s memes, videos or amusing anecdotes, cats seem to be a subject that brings people together. It’s something that the world needs right now – perhaps more than ever.
Therefore, it’s only natural that cat-related shenanigans spill over into the world of design and code. If you want to create something cool with CSS or JavaScript, why not include your favorite pet? It goes together like kittens and balls of yarn.
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you have at least some level of interest in this important subject. With that, we’ve done the very difficult work of finding code snippets worthy of these crazy creatures. Enjoy!
Hang in There
The sheer determination of a cat hanging onto yarn is inspiring. It was even the subject of a famous poster or two. Here we have a pure CSS animation of a frisky feline joyfully swinging back and forth. If you’re not motivated by this, please do check your pulse.
See the Pen CSS: Cat Swinging on String by David Khourshid
Cat at Work
Raise your hand if your cat has ever taken a liking to your keyboard. But how many have actually sat at your desk and typed? This neon kitty is just banging away at the keys while jamming to some music. Cuteness and efficiency are the future.
See the Pen Bongo Cat Codes #2 – Jamming by Caroline Artz
Animated Loading Kitty
Loading animations are everywhere. They add context and let users know that something good is coming their way. But if the goal is to add a little entertainment to the mix, this elongated feline will do the job with lots of LOLs to spare.
See the Pen [CSS] Cat loader by Rplus
Cat Hands
Ever wonder what it would be like to have the quickness of a cat? This interactive set of cat “hands” may be as close as you can get. The orange paws move along with your mouse. Click-and-hold them to bat the letters around. Just don’t try to do this in real life or you might get some strange looks in the pet store.
See the Pen Cat Hands by Jonny McLaughlin
Grumpy-Like Cat
No, this isn’t the official Grumpy Cat. It’s not even the Grumpy Designer. Still, the frown on this pure (purr?) CSS animation is undeniably sour. The glacial pace of movement is also indicative of a plump friend who conquers the world on their own time.
See the Pen CSS Fat Cat by Cassidy Williams
CSS Grid: Feline Style
Integrating your favorite things into learning can make for a fun experience. It adds that little extra motivation and reason to smile. Perhaps that’s why so many developers have added cats to their code – like this CSS Grid demo.
See the Pen catogrid by Andy
Not Your Average Kitty
The level of detail within this animated art is spectacular. The liquidlike movement around the eyes, the gentle steam of the exhale, the bold colors. CSS and JavaScript are used to perfection to bring this cat-inspired work to life.
See the Pen The Cat God by ChenXin_nth
Building the Perfect Cat
Sure, this drag-and-drop cat builder fun to play around with. But it also utilizes a shockingly small amount of code. In fact, there are less than 20 lines of CSS and JavaScript combined. The bulk of the snippet comes from the included SVG images. Now, what will you build?
See the Pen Mr. Kitty – SVG Animation by Jasmine G
Celebrating Cats Through Code
Because cats are so universally loved and recognized across cultures, they make a great subject for code demonstrations. No matter where you are in the world, the sight of a feline likely brings a smile.
Most of all, they simply make learning and experimenting fun. They serve as a catalyst for diving into a snippet and seeing what makes it all work.
Want to see even more cat-inspired code? Race on over to our CodePen collection and scratch around.