How to make LOLCats, Meme cats, Cat macros, or cat pictures with funny captions

 by jeffreyf
inyourbox.jpg
I've been reading the internet for a while, trying to finish it. I haven't done so yet, but I *have* determined, through rigorous, scientific, statistical sampling that the internet is 35.4% cat, within a 2% margin of error.

One of the more popular forms of cat on the internet, along with cat blogs, stuff on my cat, cats in sinks, cat vlogs, cat podcasts, and cat twitter, is LOLCats, also known as LOL cats, meme cats, cat macros, and I can has cheezburger cats.

For me, it all started with lime cat, but I'm sure the roots go deeper, to some sort of paleolithic cat wall carving.

Step 3: Edit your cat

editcat.jpg
Copy your cat into your favorite graphic editor. Here I'm using GIMP, because it's free.

Step 4: Caption your cat

lolcat.jpg
Next you'll need to add a caption to your cat. But what should your cat say?

Well, there's a great analysis of LOLCat speak, here, but this is why the picture has to inspire you.

LOLCat vocabulary does have certain highly frequent memes and words, including: "I'M", "IN", "UR" (your), "INVISIBLE", "HAS" (have), "MAH" (my), "HAI", (hi) and "BUCKET". These are then combined into forms like "IM IN UR FRIDGE, EATING UR FOODS", or "INVISIBLE BICYCLE."

In this case, I saw jumping. I saw bright colors. I saw an attack. I saw.... INVISIBLE PINATA!

Generally LOLCats type in white and in all caps, but there's no fixed rule.

Step 5: Feed the need....the need for LOLCats

hasurbucket.jpg
Meme cats has quite a few cats, as does i can has cheezburger. If you want, there's even the LOLCat generator.

But feel free to diversify.

Original images by Lester of Puppets, raindog, and JnL.
Freighter says: Dec 16, 2010. 2:50 AM
There are lots of sites that will do this for you...
www.insertcaptionhere.co.uk
Tom Buckey says: Jul 23, 2009. 10:39 AM
these are my attempts
Tom Buckey in reply to Tom BuckeyJul 23, 2009. 10:47 AM
sorry here they are
cat-mouth-full.jpgtwo-tabby-cats.jpg
iLikeCoolStuf says: Jul 22, 2009. 9:59 AM
wat about lolporn?
ghiiirocker1 says: Jun 22, 2009. 2:54 PM
dont forget "u eated my cheezeburger?"
DELETED_General Tim says: Mar 30, 2009. 11:11 AM
(removed by author or community request)
naruto the ninja13 in reply to DELETED_General TimJun 15, 2009. 5:34 AM
thats a cat? this site meeses up text drawing
reusesave says: Jun 4, 2009. 4:47 PM
im not sure about cats but i did do a dog here it is
dogg - Copy.jpg
golfer12345 says: Jun 9, 2008. 11:56 PM
da i made this one
lolz cat.jpg
poop11346 in reply to golfer12345Apr 28, 2009. 10:27 PM
WHAT FONT???!!!
poop11346 says: Apr 28, 2009. 10:26 PM
lol
lolcatslol.JPG
supercoolio says: Apr 6, 2008. 12:53 PM
I must say, a very good approach. A very good way to make LOLcats is to go to icanhascheezburger.com they have a lolbuilder, with TONS of hilarious picture to choose from. They also have some dog pictures.
Curious47 says: Jun 7, 2007. 8:35 AM
I am a cat person and I really like your ideas. I look forward to trying them out.
btop in reply to Curious47Apr 5, 2008. 9:09 AM
Ahhh! The invasion of cat people has begun!
Juklop says: Sep 5, 2007. 8:35 PM
You used the wrong text.
Gamernotnerd in reply to JuklopApr 3, 2008. 9:36 AM
lol
maekingalolca128517141370312500.jpg
nagutron says: Jun 6, 2007. 12:48 AM
This Instructable will also help you create LOLCOPZ, of which this one is a particularly fine example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8726182@N08/527677586/
PSPerson in reply to nagutronNov 12, 2007. 7:19 PM
LOL=]
jakee117 says: Aug 25, 2007. 5:20 PM
funny kitty
Crash2108 says: Jun 5, 2007. 9:43 AM
So you steal images and act like a 12 year old?
funwithfire325 in reply to Crash2108Aug 7, 2007. 11:33 AM
lol your jealos
Aeshir in reply to Crash2108Jun 5, 2007. 5:58 PM
Yeah, and he does a great job of it too! :D
dianaw in reply to AeshirAug 2, 2007. 7:05 PM
thank goodness for that! has me smiling after a day from hell.
hack124x768 in reply to AeshirJun 6, 2007. 2:29 AM
Its not stealing if they give them away. I share all of mine under the CC-attribution-noncommercial license. That means you can do whatever you want with them, as long as I get credit for the original, and you don't sell it.
dianaw in reply to hack124x768Aug 2, 2007. 7:05 PM
Love this. very fun!
Aeshir in reply to hack124x768Jun 7, 2007. 4:52 PM
I was kidding. :P
tomonto says: Jul 6, 2007. 2:08 PM
Jun 5, 2007. 9:43 AMCrash2108says:
So you steal images and act like a 12 year old?

ahhhhh...the american dream.
FreakCitySF says: Jun 21, 2007. 11:09 AM
It's Caturday! (google image search it)
thewaronandrew says: Jun 16, 2007. 4:01 AM
I am a firm believer that the internet was made for pictures of cats.
Ora says: Jun 5, 2007. 11:16 PM
MURK LOAR!!!
ac1D says: Jun 5, 2007. 7:30 PM
okay man.. you stole a COPYRIGHTED IMAGES, edited it, acited like a noob, and.. publish it without even a credit ? D I E
jeffreyf (author) in reply to ac1DJun 5, 2007. 10:15 PM
While I appreciate your stalwart defense of the hapless denizens of flicker-dom, your comment was neither positive nor helpful. Please note step 1, where I specifically search for creative commons licensed images. To be fair, I did forget to check the second box on flickr advanced search, which limits the search to people allowing derivative works, not just republication, and should have posted links to the original pictures. I have thus updated the Instructable with original image credits. P.S. I believe it's n00b.
Shark500 says: Jun 5, 2007. 4:08 PM
Good instructable! MOAR!
Fenwick says: Jun 5, 2007. 2:09 PM
noes he be stealin my bucket!
carbon says: Jun 5, 2007. 12:28 PM
I've always thought that "Impact" was the official font for the lolcat community...
randofo says: Jun 5, 2007. 10:45 AM
OMG LOLOLOL :-)
pachanka says: Jun 5, 2007. 9:49 AM
May we all be twelve and enjoy it.... check out some of mine :)
Mitten says: Jun 5, 2007. 8:54 AM
Shoop da whoop?
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