Title:
Woman Yelling at a Cat
Meme Creator:
@MISSINGEGIRL (Twitter)
Media Creator:
Bravo/Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (left panel), Miranda Stillabower/deadbefordeath (right panel)
Meme Creation Year:
2019
Media Year:
2011 (TV screenshot), 2018 (cat photo)
Height of Popularity:
2019
Era:
Mobile & Social Media Era
Platform:
Image Macro
Type:
Tags:
image macro, reaction meme, split panel, taylor armstrong, smudge cat, real housewives, woman vs cat, argumentative setup
History:
"Woman Yelling at a Cat" became one of the most ubiquitous and versatile memes of 2019, achieving the rare distinction of combining two completely unrelated images into a format that perfectly captured the dynamics of everyday arguments and disagreements. The meme's power lies in its visual storytelling: intense human emotion confronted by calm, indifferent animal logic, creating an endlessly adaptable template for commentary on everything from domestic disputes to political debates.
The left panel originates from one of reality television's most emotionally charged moments. The image captures Taylor Armstrong from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" during the episode "Malibu Beach Party From Hell," which originally aired on December 5, 2011. In this scene, Armstrong is crying and pointing angrily while being restrained by fellow cast member Kyle Richards during a confrontation with Camille Grammer (Wikipedia, 2025). The emotional intensity of this moment was rooted in deeply personal trauma: Armstrong was dealing with an abusive marriage that would end tragically with her husband Russell's suicide following domestic violence allegations (The Mighty, 2024).
The right panel features Smudge, a white cat from Ottawa, Ontario, owned by Miranda Stillabower since 2015. The now-iconic photograph was taken in June 2018 during a family dinner when someone vacated their chair, leaving a plate of salad behind. Smudge, who was accustomed to having his own seat at the dinner table, immediately claimed the spot and made what Stillabower described as a "super unimpressed" expression at the vegetables (CBC News, 2019). Stillabower, who regularly photographed her pets, captured the moment and posted it to Tumblr under the username "deadbefordeath" with the caption "he no like vegetals" (Know Your Meme, 2019).
The transformation from two separate images into viral meme occurred on May 1, 2019, when Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL posted the combined image with the caption "These photos together is making me lose it." The juxtaposition was immediately recognizable as comedic gold—it appeared that Armstrong was having an intense argument with a smugly indifferent cat who remained focused on his meal (Wikipedia, 2025). The tweet gained over 78,000 retweets and 275,000 likes within three months, establishing the format's viral trajectory.
The meme's popularity exploded when it reached Reddit, particularly after a June 2, 2019 post by u/PerpetualWinter that used the format to satirize New York Knicks fans. From there, the template spread across all major social media platforms, with users adapting it for countless scenarios following the pattern of labeling each side to represent opposing viewpoints, overreactions versus calm responses, or generational differences (Know Your Meme, 2019).
The meme's versatility became its greatest strength. Users employed it to comment on relationship dynamics, political disagreements, parenting situations, workplace conflicts, and cultural debates. The format worked because it captured a universal human experience: the frustration of trying to make a point to someone who seems completely unbothered by your concerns. Publications declared it one of the best memes of 2019 and the entire 2010s decade, while "Woman Yells at a Cat" won Meme of the Year at the 12th Shorty Awards in May 2020 (Wikipedia, 2025).
Notes about the Creator/s:
Creator (Media):
The left panel was created by Bravo television network as part of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" series. The specific moment featuring Taylor Armstrong was captured during the filming of the Season 2 episode "Malibu Beach Party From Hell" in 2011. Armstrong's emotional state in the scene was the result of ongoing domestic abuse that she was experiencing at the time, making this image a documentation of genuine trauma rather than performed drama.
The right panel was created by Miranda Stillabower, a 24-year-old Ottawa resident who owned Smudge since adopting him as a rescue cat in 2015. Stillabower regularly shared photos of her pets on social media and captured the famous image during a spontaneous moment at a family dinner in June 2018. She posted the photo to Tumblr under the username "deadbefordeath," initially titling it "he no like vegetals" (CBC News, 2019). Stillabower has noted that Smudge was particularly antisocial and had anxiety issues, which may have contributed to his perpetually unimpressed expression.
Creator (Meme):
The meme format was created by Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL (real name Chey), who combined the two unrelated images on May 1, 2019. The pairing was intuitive yet inspired—the visual composition naturally suggested an argument between the woman and cat, with their contrasting emotional states creating perfect comedic tension. @MISSINGEGIRL's original caption expressed genuine delight at the unexpected humor of the combination, and this authentic reaction helped propel the meme's initial viral spread.
Notes about the years:
Media Creation Year (2011/2018):
The Taylor Armstrong screenshot was captured during the filming of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2011, representing one of the most emotionally intense moments in reality television history. The scene aired on December 5, 2011, and the image began circulating independently as a reaction meme before its incorporation into the "Woman Yelling at a Cat" format.
The Smudge photograph was taken in June 2018 during a family dinner at the Stillabower home in Ottawa. The image was posted to Tumblr shortly after with the caption "he no like vegetals" and gained over 50,300 likes and reblogs throughout 2018-2019, establishing Smudge as an internet personality before the combined meme's creation (Know Your Meme, 2019).
Meme Creation Year (2019):
The transformation into the composite meme occurred on May 1, 2019, with @MISSINGEGIRL's Twitter post. The timing coincided with a period of particularly active meme creation and sharing on social media platforms, when Twitter had become a primary venue for viral content origination and rapid dissemination across multiple platforms.
Height of Popularity (2019):
The meme reached peak cultural saturation throughout mid-to-late 2019, becoming one of the year's most recognizable and frequently used formats. Its popularity was sustained through constant variation and adaptation, with users creating versions for virtually every conceivable argument or disagreement scenario. The meme's success was recognized with the Shorty Award for Meme of the Year in May 2020, and Smudge was named to Time magazine's list of best online cats of 2020 (Wikipedia, 2025).
Sources and additional information:
CBC News. (2019, November 15). Ottawa's latest Instagram star is a middle-aged white cat that doesn't care for salad. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/smudge-cat-instagram-ottawa-1.5359199
Know Your Meme. (2019, June 20). Woman Yelling at a Cat. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/woman-yelling-at-a-cat
Know Your Meme. (2019, August 9). Smudge the Cat. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/smudge-the-cat
The Mighty. (2024, February 16). The Story Behind Popular 'Woman Yelling at a Cat' Meme Was Actually the Result of Abuse. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://themighty.com/2019/11/woman-yelling-at-a-cat-meme-taylor-armstrong-abuse
Time. (2020, January 18). Smudge the Cat Is the Real Star of the Woman Yelling at a Cat Meme and He's Still Living for Drama. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://time.com/5762380/woman-yelling-at-cat-meme/
Wikipedia Contributors. (2025, May 27). Woman yelling at a cat. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_yelling_at_a_cat