Cat Kaomoji Guide — How to Use ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ and Friends

Cat kaomoji are the most beloved genre of text emoticons. A single ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ can soften any conversation. Here's a rundown of the classic patterns, what the characters actually are, and when to use each one.

Anatomy of a cat face

• ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ — the ฅ on each side is a Thai letter, used here as raised jelly-bean paws. The ﻌ is an Arabic letter playing the role of whiskers and a mouth.
• (=^･ω･^=) — ω (omega) is the definitive cat mouth. The ^ marks work as ears.
• (ΦωΦ) — Φ eyes are pupils glowing in the dark. Feels mischievous.
• ~(=^‥^)ノ — the tilde and ノ become a tail and a waving hand. The greeting version.

Assembling faces out of characters from many different scripts is the whole fun of kaomoji. You can tap to copy plenty more at the cat emoticons collection.

Picks by situation

• Saying hi: ~(=^‥^)ノ hello! — the tail-wagging vibe makes it great for a first greeting.
• Asking a favor: ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ can I ask you something? — paws extended, peak cuteness.
• Feeling smug: (ΦωΦ) all according to plan — the glinting eyes look delightfully sly.
• Saying goodnight: (=˘ω˘=) zzZ — droopy eyes for a sleepy face.

In places overflowing with emoji — WhatsApp, Discord — a text cat actually feels fresh, so it tends to get great reactions.

Build your own cat

If the existing combos don't quite hit, you can pick eyes, mouths, cheeks, and arms yourself in the Emoticon Maker. Choose Φ for the eyes and ω for the mouth and you've got your own cat. Save the combos you like to Favorites, and swapping a new one into your profile status each season is a small, reliable joy.

If it looks broken

Characters like ฅ and ﻌ can show up as boxes on very old devices missing Thai or Arabic fonts. Most smartphones handle them fine, but for places exposed to a wide range of environments — game nicknames, for example — a basic-character combo like (=^･ω･^=) is the safe bet. You can meet other animal friends at the dog and bear emoticons.