(happy music)

[Narrator] Dogs who ride skateboards,

cats playing keyboards

dogs that are too cute to handle.

As long as the internet has been around,

so too has the viral pet video.

The first cat video of the modern internet

is attributed to pajamas and Nick Drake, released in 2005.

The very first cat film ever made, however

was the disturbing 1894 short released by Thomas Edison.

Yes, that Thomas Edison.

In the fight between cats and dogs,

canines as a group, outrank cats in terms of most searches,

Facebook likes and total views.

But individual cats are significantly more viral than

individual dogs.

There's an ethnographic element

to what viral animals we prefer.

In Uganda, chickens and goats are more prevalsent

in online memes than dogs and cats.

These videos might not actually be a waste of time.

According to one 2015 study, people measured feeling

happier and less anxious after watching videos of cats.

And people who reported watching the most cat videos

tended to be more cooperative, friendly, and trusting.

But who are the most viral pets on the internet?

We looked at Facebook likes,

Instagram Followers,

YouTube video views, and Twitter followers

to compile a short list.

Maru the box-sliding cat is a sensation on YouTube.

Lil' Bub, the tongue drooping feline

is a multi-platform hit.

With an internet talk-show, a documentary,

and a merch line.

Mishka, the talking dog, reached breakaway internet fame

for being able to say :

[Mishka, The Talking Dog] I love you

(woof)

Boo, the stuffed animal come-to-life pomeranian

boasts; three books, a product line, and an endorsement deal

with Virgin-American Airlines.

And last but not least,

Grumpy Cat.

Grumpy Cat has an endorsement deal with Friskies,

a Lifetime movie where she's voiced by Aubrey Plaza

and earns an average yearly salary in the low

6 figures.

Yep, it's good being insta-famous.

But to our viral stars,

Yawn.