The "Scared" emote depicts a small white cat or kitten with antlers, looking directly at the camera with wide eyes and an open mouth, conveying a sense of surprise, fear, or shock. It's commonly used in Twitch chat to express feelings of being frightened, startled, or anxious about something happening in the stream or conversation.
This emote features what appears to be a cat with reindeer antlers, likely created as a festive or holiday-themed variation of a scared cat image. The exact origin and upload date vary depending on the platform (7TV, FFZ, or BTTV), but scared or startled cat emotes have been popular in streaming culture since the early-to-mid 2010s. The specific "Scared" emote with antlers appears to be a custom emote that gained popularity through various streamers' channels, particularly during holiday seasons. While the exact streamer origin is unclear without more specific information, these types of cute animal reaction emotes became widespread across Twitch around 2015-2018.
The emote is typically used when:
- A streamer is playing a horror game and something scary happens
- Viewers are anticipating something potentially dangerous or risky in gameplay
- Someone shares concerning or alarming news in chat
- During tense moments in competitive games
- When reacting to jump scares or unexpected events
- Expressing anxiety about upcoming stream events or announcements
