Moving ASCII art
Running Cat
A four-frame ASCII cat that trots across the line, built from slashes, underscores and parentheses.
/\_/\ ( o.o ) > ^ < / \
About the animation
What it is
A four-frame ASCII cat that trots across the line, built from slashes, underscores and parentheses.
Great as a loading indicator in a terminal script or as a playful separator in a README. Paste the frames into a loop and redraw them every 150ms.
Motion guide
How the running cat animation works
The body stays in place while the eyes, front legs and rear legs alternate. That small change is enough for the viewer to read a trotting cycle without moving the entire drawing across the screen.
Implementation tip
Redraw one frame roughly every 140 milliseconds for the intended seven frames per second. Clear or overwrite the previous four lines before printing the next frame so the cat does not leave a trail.
Best uses
- 01
Terminal build indicators
- 02
Playful bot status messages
- 03
README demonstrations recorded as text
Use the frames
How to run the running cat animation
- 01
Copy the frame set
Copy all 4 frames at once, or take individual frames from the reference list below.
- 02
Display them in order
Use a timer in your script or bot to advance through the frames at about 7 frames per second.
- 03
Replace the previous frame
Redraw one frame roughly every 140 milliseconds for the intended seven frames per second. Clear or overwrite the previous four lines before printing the next frame so the cat does not leave a trail.
Frame by frame
Every frame
/\_/\ ( o.o ) > ^ < / \
/\_/\ ( -.o ) > ^ < // \\
/\_/\ ( o.- ) > ^ < \ /
/\_/\ ( o.o ) > ^ < \\ //
Common questions
About this ASCII animation
What is the running cat ASCII animation?
A four-frame ASCII cat that trots across the line, built from slashes, underscores and parentheses. The body stays in place while the eyes, front legs and rear legs alternate. That small change is enough for the viewer to read a trotting cycle without moving the entire drawing across the screen.
Does copying the frames make them animate?
No. The copied text contains each of the 4 drawings, while your terminal, app or bot supplies the timer and replaces one frame with the next. Redraw one frame roughly every 140 milliseconds for the intended seven frames per second. Clear or overwrite the previous four lines before printing the next frame so the cat does not leave a trail.
Can I change the playback speed?
Yes. The preview uses 7 fps as a readable starting point. A shorter delay feels faster, while a longer delay makes each frame easier to inspect.
Where does the running cat animation fit?
Great as a loading indicator in a terminal script or as a playful separator in a README. Paste the frames into a loop and redraw them every 150ms. It suits terminal build indicators, playful bot status messages, readme demonstrations recorded as text.
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