The original video
On September 25, 2026, Instagram user merkurianin (credited as Aleksandr Kim) posted a short comedy clip: he feeds his black cat, and the cat answers with a human smile and a round of applause from human hands. It passed 2.5 million likes in just over a week, according to Know Your Meme.
Know Your Meme describes the cat as AI-generated. Some sites that sell clapping cat generators say the cat itself is real and only the hands and grin were added; we could not confirm which is true, so we only repeat what Know Your Meme states.
How it spread
| Date (2026) | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September 25 | Original clip posted on Instagram | Know Your Meme |
| September 28 | TikToker @asian5767 posts a green-screen version, over 3.8 million views in a week | Know Your Meme |
| September 30 | @mis2027seniors uses it with “I answered correctly and bro started clapping”, over 1.7 million views in five days | Know Your Meme |
| October 1 | @yeltiktok posts a version with over 1.5 million views in four days | Know Your Meme |
| October 5 | Know Your Meme adds its “Black Cat Clapping” entry | Know Your Meme |
| October 17 | A TikTok shows a homemade “AI clapping cat” Halloween costume | TikTok, @camrynw44 |
What the slow clap means
The cat stands for someone applauding bad behavior. Editors put the green-screen cat over a screenshot, a classroom moment or a reply, and the clap reads as fake approval. It sits in the same family as other AI video memes on Know Your Meme.
Why it is easy to copy with your pet
Everything that makes the clip funny is in the pose, not the place: sitting up, a grin that is too human, a clap that is too slow. That means any cat or dog can play the part. Black cats look closest to the original, but the joke works with a ginger cat or a golden retriever too.
Your own version
This site does not edit or reuse the original video. It builds a new 10-second scene from your pet’s photo. It is an independent project with no ties to the creator of the original clip, Instagram or TikTok. See how to make your cat clap and pricing.