The "Scared" emote depicts a white cat with wide eyes, a pink nose, and reindeer antlers, expressing a startled or frightened reaction. It's used in Twitch chat to convey feelings of fear, surprise, shock, or anxiety in response to something unexpected or concerning happening on stream. The emote's wide-eyed expression and overall appearance makes it perfect for reacting to scary moments, jump scares, or situations that make viewers feel nervous or apprehensive.
Origin
This emote appears to be a custom emote featuring a cat with reindeer antlers, likely created for use on platforms like 7TV, FFZ, or BetterTTV. The specific cat shown is recognizable as "Thurston Waffles," a popular internet cat known for his screaming videos. The reindeer antlers suggest this may be a holiday-themed variant. While the exact upload date and original creator aren't immediately identifiable from the image alone, emotes featuring Thurston became popular across various Twitch channels in the late 2010s to early 2020s as the cat gained viral fame on social media platforms.
When to use
This emote is commonly used during horror game streams when something frightening appears, during intense competitive gaming moments where the outcome is uncertain, when streamers are about to make risky decisions, or when chat anticipates something bad is about to happen. It's also frequently spammed during jump scares, when streamers encounter difficult bosses or challenges, or in reaction to streamers sharing concerning news or information. The holiday antlers variant might see increased usage during winter holiday streams or festive content.
