Author: Zoe Zaneteas

Lights, camera, meow? Friday, March 13, was a big day for Cornell feline enthusiasts: the Internet Cat Video Film Festival came to Cornell Cinema…and it was awesome.

For kitty lovers like myself, it was a no-brainer to decide to spend Friday night with my fellow cat people and laugh hysterically at some of the Internet’s funniest furballs.

The evening at Willard Straight Hall began with kitty trivia from the “Mistress of Purremonies” and Cornell alum Leah Shafer ’94/’99/’08, and Bruce Cornwright, the associate director of the Cornell Feline Health Center which is the oldest institute in America solely dedicated to the well-being of cats. Shafer and Cornwright filled the audience in on plenty of important feline facts, awarding those who guessed correctly with Grumpy Cat tattoos.

 

Here are just a few facts that I was surprised to learn:

• Kitties have, on average, 25 whiskers.
• A group of cats is called a powder.
• Cats can make over 100 different sounds.
• Your kitty can run up to 30 mph.
• The fur around a cat’s face is called the “ruff.”

 

We then moved on to the cinematic part of the evening, which Shafer opened by dissecting just why we love to film and watch videos of our furry friends. Shafer believes that in a world now so dependent on superficial electronic communication, a short clip of a kitty appeals to our desire for personal and meaningful interaction. In short, as she put it, “cats are furry, and the Internet is not.” She also went on to compare the kitty to Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo because “the camera loves the cat.” After going to the Internet Cat Video Film Festival, I can wholeheartedly agree.

A whole array of videos were shown that night, from kitties playing in cardboard boxes, to kitties doing yoga, to kitties in outer space. Yet one thing was clear in each and every one: Cats are curious creatures, and they are fascinated by life just as we are entranced by their constant shenanigans–that is, when they aren’t napping 18 hours a day.

A self-proclaimed “crazy cat lady,” I was as excited to meet Cornellians as excited I was to spend two hours watching kitty videos. I miss my feline friends at home every day, and it was such a special treat to see so many cute cats on the screen. The only thing missing was actual cuddles with actual kitties – but hey, “[you] can’t hug every cat!”