Pusheen: Why do we love this cat so much?

Pusheen the cat started life as an internet sensation, and has quickly become the head of a soft toy empire in her own right. As one of the world’s most famous internet cats, people love Pusheen cat soft toys because of her love of junk food, her slightly chubby physique, and her passion for lazing around doing very little. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have got a sense that I’m a bit of Pusheen fan. Let’s face it, I’m not doing a great job of hiding it!

Thanks to the world of online memes, Pusheen can do anything she wants to do; bake cakes, turn into a pumpkin, even become a unicorn (see my pusheenicorn toy that my friend bought be for Christmas above!) Now, as well as sharing your favourite Pusheen memes and pictures, it is possible to create your own collection of Pusheen soft toys, and the internet couldn’t be happier about it. But why do we love Pusheen so much?

A Human Personality

One of the main aspects that draws fans to Pusheen is her human-like personality. Pusheen says and thinks things that women so often think or feel about their day-to-day lives. The Pusheen fan base began when a Tumblr was established dedicated to the cat. Then, in 2013, social media giant Facebook added Pusheen to their sticker collection, and her already large fan base exploded. Facebook now says that the Pusheen stickers are used by users on their network more than 10 million times a day.

 

Lovely Pusheen 🙂

A post shared by Cassiefairy (@cassiefairy) on Aug 2, 2017 at 12:35am PDT

It is after this success that Pusheen made her real breakthrough into the physical world. Although small numbers of Pusheen teddies had been produced independently since 2011, in 2014 heritage soft toy manufacturer Gund began selling two life-size plush Pusheen soft toys. These sold quickly, and the line proved so popular that it is now possible to buy dozens of different Pusheen soft toys from the brand.

 

I love my #Pusheenicorn! 💕 She’s finally been unpacked and is sitting pride-of-place on my bed 💤 Thanks @laceandbobble for my little kitty 🙂

A post shared by Cassiefairy (@cassiefairy) on May 12, 2017 at 12:47am PDT

Why are Pusheen Soft Toys Popular?

So why are Gund selling so many Pusheen soft toys? Why are these toys proving so popular, particularly with women who are traditionally considered to be outside the realms of the core soft toy owning market? The answer is surprisingly simple: Pusheen’s snack enthusiasm has universal appeal and, according to Gund, the most popular toys that they produce are ones that show Pusheen eating snacks, or anything that is otherwise food themed.

 

SO happy with my new monochrome bedding with star pattern (you may have spotted it on my Instagram story last week) It adds a touch of personality to my minimalist bedroom & really shows off my hand-printed cushion by @_anna_mac_ ✌️I think Pusheen likes it too 😉

A post shared by Cassiefairy (@cassiefairy) on Sep 20, 2017 at 2:34am PDT

Those woman that love Pusheen are incredibly enthusiastic about the delightful cat and love her with a cult-like passion. Many fans describe Pusheen as being their ‘spirit animal’. In a world where social and physical standards for women are so high, it is easy to see why so many women relate to the slightly chubby cat who just wants to stay at home and eat pizza; haven’t we all occasionally felt this way on a Saturday night? I have a Pusheen t-shirt that I only wear on my ‘caturdays’ (those days where you just laze around and nap lots). It says ‘hungry’ on the front, and ‘still hungry’ on the back, accompanied by a picture of Pusheen having finished all the food. This is SO me.

While I enjoy the cartoons, and my Pusheen book is one of my giggle-inducing favourites, it’s the life-size cats that have pride of place in my collection. Pusheen soft toys are cute, cuddly, and perfectly capture the personality of the online cat. Owning a Pusheen soft toy is like having your very own Pusheen sitting on your sofa or in your bedroom at all times. And there is something incredibly appealing about bringing the online world into your own reality in this way.

 

Present from my bro 😻 he knows how much I love Pusheen! And Pusheen in a banana 🍌 is even better! #lbloggers #catsofinstagram #catstagram #pusheen #pusheenthecat #banana #dailycat #instadaily #ukblog #ukbloggers #cutecat #furrbaby

A post shared by Cassiefairy (@cassiefairy) on Oct 2, 2016 at 11:53pm PDT

Does anyone else have a favourite toy or character that they really identify with or like to collect? Leave me a comment below and let me know. And keep on being you, Pusheen the Cat!

This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂