The 'Coughing Cat' meme features a heavily edited image of a cat that appears to be making a strained, unpleasant face—reminiscent of a human child coughing or gagging. The image first surfaced around late 2018 and is a photoshopped version of a kitten originally posted on a Russian social media platform. It gained viral status due to its uncanny resemblance to the awkward, loud, and often gross way toddlers cough. Users typically use this template to represent themselves in awkward social situations, physical discomfort, or to mock someone making an unattractive face while trying to speak or breathe.