Bonsai Kittens is one of the internet's earliest and most notorious hoaxes, originating from a website launched in 2000 that claimed to sell kittens raised in glass jars to mold their shape. Created by MIT students under a pseudonym, the site was intended as a satire of the commodification of nature, but it quickly triggered massive public outrage, leading to FBI investigations and campaigns from animal rights groups like PETA. Despite being debunked as a prank involving clever photography and harmless props, the legend persists in digital history as a foundational example of misinformation and viral outrage culture. Today, the meme is frequently used to reference the gullibility of early web users or the origins of 'fake news' culture.