“I’m not a cat!”

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING has brought me as much joy in 2021 as Lawyer Cat. Between the fact that the last five weeks have felt like five years or because we’re staring down the barrel of an extended lockdown which will feel like an eternity, there’s been very few opportunities to have a good old belly laugh.

With all hope lost it took a hero we didn’t know we needed but one that we very much deserved to help break the monotony of Lockdown III: Extra Locked. Step forward Lawyer Cat, the half feline/ half attorney from Texas who accidentally brightened up the world by simply being bad at Zoom.

If you’ve been living under a rock or are one of those Aunties on Facebook that doesn’t see a meme for three years then let’s get you up to speed. Lawyer Rod Ponton (what a name!) logged on to Zoom to take part in a virtual hearing and unbeknownst to him, the 69 year old appeared to the Judge and other Zoom members as a cat. Poor Rod had used his secretary’s laptop to log in to the call and unfortunately for him, it seems his assistant was involved in a CATS themed role play shortly before the trial began.

What is it that makes Lawyer Cat so funny though? Is it the rest of the Zoom callers trying to keep a straight face, the way Lawyer Cat forlornly looks down to the ground like Baby Yoda after he gets caught trying to rob a shiny thing, the fact that legitimate court proceedings are actually happening over Zoom in the first place. It’s just one big bowl of comedic goodness at a time when the idea of turning into a cat provides more stimulus than sitting on the couch for the next 10 weeks.

A lawyer using Zoom had to let a judge know that he wasn’t a cat after inadvertently activating a face filter pic.twitter.com/vChc14mjM1

— Mikael Thalen (@MikaelThalen) February 9, 2021

Having had a few days to process the video, we’ve been able to compile our favourite reactions from Twitter. It’s time for a big dose of Paw and Order.

Judge: Approach the bench.

Cat Lawyer:

Judge: pspspsps— Luke (@LloBrow) February 10, 2021

If you can’t afford bail you’d better see if your friends will start a kitty.

The pandemic was worth it for zoom filter lawyer cat

— The Blindboy Podcast (@Rubberbandits) February 10, 2021

This animated Kitty with the Richard Gere in Primal Fear energy!

Must protect pic.twitter.com/rVWLzF8DxW

— Beatriz Rebollo Art (@BeatrizRebolloM) February 11, 2021

LC makes a compelling argument here.

Lawyer Cat: *knocks gavel off judge’s bench* I rest my case.

— alyssaland (@dancingchimera) February 11, 2021

Better Call Saul meets Lionel Hutz. No, money down!

Nugget & Poppy are taking new clients. #lawyercat pic.twitter.com/MGhwM1ReDU

— Studio Cult (@studiocultco) February 10, 2021

You know you’ve taken over the world when a reaction vid of your antics become as funny as the initial video itself.

No matter how funny you found the cat lawyer video, my Dad found it funnier. pic.twitter.com/5Ss6cSLShx

— Jon Shell (@jonrshell) February 10, 2021

Elsewhere, here’s the Dubliner turning your favourite watering holes into Lego