The crying cat is the feline-flavored version of heartbreak: a wide-eyed kitty with a single glossy tear and a mouth turned into the most dramatic little frown. It’s the go-to when you need to say I’m devastated but also kind of cute about it—perfect for minor tragedies like dropping your nugget, binge-watching a season finale without tissues, or realizing the group chat hung out without you (again). Online, it rides the same wavelength as the classic “crying cat” reaction images: tragic, tender, and just self-aware enough to be funny. People use it sincerely for soft apologies, but also ironically to overplay tiny inconveniences, in that uwu I’m baby, handle with care way.
On Apple/iOS, the cat’s a warm golden-yellow head with perked triangle ears (pink insides), a tiny dark triangle nose, subtle whiskers, and big, pleading eyes. The eyebrows angle sadly, the mouth forms a rounded pout, and a single blue teardrop slides down the left cheek—very front-facing, emoji-theater lighting, maximal pathos. It reads as cute melodrama, useful for flirting-by-anguish, delivering mock tragedy, or seasoning a tweet with gentle emo energy. Think: tiny violin, huge feelings, paws too small to fix the situation.
Culturally, it’s tethered to the internet’s eternal love of cats plus the meme-era habit of turning emotions into reaction images. Drop it in replies when you’re sorry-but-adorable, when your snack gets stolen, or when a K-pop comeback blindsides your schedule—instant sympathy farm. It’s the softest way to say oof.
Definition
A crying cat. This is one sad cat. Cats have feelings too, although they are pretty good at hiding them.
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Emoji History The emoji code/ image log of changes.
This emoji first appeared in OSX / iOS after the iOS 5 update.
Emoji General Information
Twitter Emoji Popularity (Rank)
569 of 2393
Apple/iOS Picture
Google Android Picture
Google Hangouts Picture
Twitter.com Picture
LG Emoji Picture
Samsung Emoji Picture
Phantom Open Emoji Picture
ASCII Conversion
"Short Code" Name
:crying_cat_face:
Keywords
Cry, Cat, Sob, Tears, Sad, Melancholy, Morn, Somber, Hurt
Previous Names:
Crying Cat Face
Unicode Category Information
Unicode Category
Emoticons
Unicode Range
1F600–1F64F
Unicode Subcategory
Cat Faces
Proposed Unicode Information & Notes
Unicode Category
Faces and Smiley's
Unicode Subcategory
Cat Faces
Names & Annotations
CRYING CAT FACE Temporary Notes: Forms a pair with e-339. Crying (one or two tears)
