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Ian the Meow — The Kind 50

A yellow plush cat with squiggly eyes and a pink nose, against a blue sky.

here kitty kitty

For years, a small, squiggly-
eyed yellow cat has been
turning up all over San
Francisco—taped to poles,
chalked onto sidewalks,
and tucked into windows.

Every single one carries the
same message: be nice,
to others, and to yourself.

A person in a knitted yellow cat mask, a black sweatshirt and red trousers sits on a bench beside a dog on a San Francisco sidewalk.

Named after a family cat

The artist prefers to let Ian do the talking, an
anonymous voice making a public case for
mental health. “I genuinely believe cats can
help heal the world. So I keep making them.”

A painted mural of a yellow cat with open arms and a white heart: “Life is Weird, be nice, cat love 4U”, signed @ian.the.meow.

art is a quiet kind of medicine

Your work brought me a lot of happiness when I lived in Nob Hill a few years ago. Still does! 😻
Reactions: 10.1k
A street pole with a taped flyer of Ian’s cat, “Life is weird?”, with tear-off tabs, and the yellow plush cat hugging the pole.
i see these everyday and smile, thank you for bringing joy to polk st!
Reactions: 3.4k
I think I just stumbled onto the perfect artist for this chapter of my life. Thank you.
Reactions: 1.7k

Thousands of people have
found Ian the Meow
unexpectedly around the city.
Strangers have messaged the
artist saying a sticker or flyer
found them on the exact day
they needed it most.

A painted utility box: a yellow cat stretching its long arms, “Life is Weird, you’re enough, just breathe”.
A mint-green utility box painted with a white cat and hearts: “dear human, the world is a better place with you in it. love, a cat on a box”.
A shop window painted with a cat in a bathtub, “Hot Water, take a deep breath”, autumn leaves and a cat in a woolly hat.

Ian’s already gone beyond poles and
sidewalks, into pop-up shows at a
laundromat and a barbershop.

A San Francisco sidewalk with a chalkboard sign outside a shop and people walking.
A huge yellow plush cat with long arms sits on a bench by the bay.Help Me Share Hope Across America$2,097 raised

Now there’s a plan to take it on the road,
bringing quiet, unexpected kindness
across the country.

Be nice, to others,
and to yourself

Start a GoFundMe