For fans of the perfectly imperfect Jimothy the Raccoon, there’s now another furry friend over which we can all obsess.
Readers, meet Meemers: The adorable rescue cat who has short-spine syndrome, the same condition that Jimothy is also believed to have. The two-and-a-half-year-old feline, who’s based in Bloomington, Illinois, recently went viral for her barely-there neck and resemblance to Seattle’s beloved raccoon. One video of Meemers, posted Aug. 18, has drawn more than 41 million views as of Aug. 22.
Owner Katie Dahlen, who previously worked at the shelter where Meemers was found, has always loved making clips for social media. But, Dahlen tells TODAY.com, that she never expected the video of Meemers to go viral seemingly overnight.
“I missed making videos, and I was like, ‘Well, I have this awesome cat, and I want to share her with people,’” Dahlen says. “I just didn’t realize how big she would blow up in a 24-hour span. It was crazy.”
In the video, Meemers, in her black, fluffy glory, simply sits down. There’s a few shots of Meemers giving her best Blue Steel as well. And it’s truly easy to see why she’s so beloved.
“Sensational whiskers / body tea / no notes 🖤” one fan replied.
Another demanded a collab between Meemers, Jimothy and Tilly, the famous pup who also has short spine syndrome.
Meemers is certainly unique. From her shoulders to the base of her tail, she’s only about seven-and-a-half inches long. She also has a slight tail deformity. For Dahlen, who’s had Meemers for over a year now, it was love at first sight.
“She was actually left at the shelter in a box outside,” Dahlen says of the shelter at which she was working at the time. “Literally, from the day she came in, I was like, ‘She needs to come home with me.’”
Meemers was, at first, not in the greatest shape, Dahlen says. The fur around her butt was matted and there was an abscess in the area as well, Dahlen explains.
“The owner had tried to shave her, so you could tell they cared, but maybe they didn’t have the resources, and they were embarrassed about walking her in through the doors,” Dahlen says. “So they left her out front.”
After Meemers was given a course of antibiotics and some TLC, she was ready to head home with Dahlen. And since July 2025, Dahlen said she and her husband have been enjoying their adorable cat.
Given her deformities, Meemers has had to make a couple of adjustments in order to thrive, Dahlen says. She doesn’t climb much and she’s unable to jump. Because her organs are squished in her very small body, she needs to be held a certain way, Dahlen says. The feline also overheats quite easily.
“I always equate her to being kind of like a pug, where she overheats easily if it’s too warm outside,” she says. Dahlen adds that if Meemers over-exerts herself, she’ll start panting. “So a lot of her supervised outside time in her backyard is in the evening when it’s cooler.”
Dahlen points out that Meemers has “virtually no neck,” so she’s unable to successfully groom her own back. That’s where Dahlen comes in.
