Viral browser app forces you to stop scrolling with a giant cat you can’t remove

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A popular new browser extension playfully discourages excessive social media use by displaying a large image of a cat whenever a user spends too much time scrolling.

Cat Gatekeeper is a Chrome extension by ZOKUZOKU that helps you take breaks from social media. Instead of just blocking a site or sending an alert, it playfully covers your browser window with a large orange cat image, forcing you to pause until the break timer is up.

I stumbled across this really cute app on X – the developer posted a demo of a little cat walking across your phone screen and then just… sitting there, blocking your social media feed! The caption said they made it as a ‘forced break’ app for their cat, and if you’re on your phone too much, the cat takes over the screen. It’s such a clever and adorable way to get you to put your phone down!

猫ちゃんの強制休憩アプリを作りました！
SNSをやりすぎると猫ちゃんがあらわれて画面を占領します🫪🐈

— ぞくぞく@個人開発 (@konekone2026) April 26, 2026

Cat Gatekeeper forces social media breaks with giant cat overlay

The Chrome Web Store describes Cat Gatekeeper as a charming app designed to help people who mindlessly open social media and lose track of time. It’s for those who find it hard to stop scrolling, even when they try to use willpower.

You can customize how long you use the app, setting a time limit (it’s 60 minutes by default) and a break period (usually 5 minutes). When you reach your time limit, a cat will pop up on the screen, and you’ll have to wait for a timer to finish before you can start a new session.

Okay, so this extension is pretty smart about tracking time. It only counts how long I’m actually using a supported social media site. As soon as I switch to a different tab – like to check email or browse something else – the timer automatically pauses. It doesn’t keep running in the background while I’m doing other things, which is great because it gives me a really accurate picture of how much time I’m actually spending on those sites.

猫が滞在中は操作不可で草
前のページに戻っても、猫は居座り続けるwww
ちゃんと退いてもらうこともできる優れものやwww

— A1/葉桜 (@aHzkr1) April 26, 2026

The Chrome Web Store currently supports X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The developer has also indicated that support for Facebook, Reddit, Threads, and Bluesky is coming soon, based on shared screenshots.

The developer explains that the extension only asks for page access to show a timer for the ‘cat overlay’ and doesn’t collect or share any of your data. It’s also completely free and doesn’t contain any ads.

The joke about the cat has become popular on X, with many users playfully suggesting it’s too good at its job. One person even posted a picture of the cat seemingly blocking the app’s settings, claiming the menu becomes unusable when the cat is visible.

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2026-04-26 22:19