The 'Tom the cat shooting himself' meme originates from a classic episode of the MGM animated series Tom and Jerry. The scene depicts Tom attempting to blast Jerry by sticking a double-barreled shotgun into a mousehole, only for the barrels to loop around and point directly back at his own head. Online, this image has become a universal symbol for self-sabotage, irony, and unintended consequences. It is most commonly used to illustrate situations where a person's elaborate plan to cause trouble for others ends up causing their own downfall.