India, May 1 -- There was a time when cats were, frankly, bad PR. Dogs were man's best friend. Cats were bad luck. Then the internet happened. In 2007, blogger Eric Nakagawa posted a photo of a gloriously chonky British Shorthair, its mouth wide open, its look confused but hopeful, with the caption: "I can has cheezburger?" Cats don't eat burgers. And yet, we all got it. We've all been that cat. A meme was born. The Big Bang.

From there, it escalated fast. We kept finding new cats to voice our inner monologues. Grumpy Cat became the face of deadpan cynicism. Keyboard Cat was the perfect sendoff for anyone who'd embarrassed themselves online. Nyan Cat, with its Pop-Tart body and rainbow tail, symbolised the internet's absurd soul. History...