The Sad Banana Cat meme features a small, tearful kitten in a yellow banana suit, often accompanied by high-pitched sound effects or the 'Happy Happy Happy' song for ironic contrast. This character became a viral sensation on platforms like TikTok and YouTube in 2023 as part of a series of animated cat videos involving characters like 'Maxwell the Cat' and 'Happy Cat.' The meme typically portrays scenarios of rejection, loneliness, or minor daily tragedies that feel world-ending. Its massive appeal lies in the exaggerated, adorable sadness of the cat, making it the perfect vessel for self-deprecating humor and expressing 'he is just like me' energy when things go slightly wrong in life.