Snapchat Adds Cat Lenses So You Can Put Filters on Your Cat

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If there is one thing that the Snapchat platform has become famous for is filters and framing. If you are not familiar with Snapchat, it is a platform that allows you to take pictures and post them to your profile. After a certain period of time, the picture disappears. This part of the platform is predominantly used by young adults and teens. However, even more, mature adults use the filters on Snapchat to create unique photos that they can save and use elsewhere.

Recently, Mark Zuckerberg attempted to purchase Snapchat, but after the founders refuse to sell, he began upgrading Instagram, a holding of Facebook, to mimic the functionality of Snapchat. The move causes a drop in value for Snapchat. In response, Snapchat has been working feverishly to remain competitive in its specific niche. One recent addition to the functionality of the platform is Cat Filters.

Snapchat filters have offered the ability for users to make their selfies pop and stand out, which is what made the site popular. Now you can even include your cat in your selfies or they can have their own solo shots. The fun is no longer just for humans.

Until now, filters on Snapchat were reserved only for humans, but all of that has changed now. With the new filters, you can shoot your cat alone or you can join them in the photo. The new filters were announced via a tweet that said, “Lenses for cool cats and their cool cats. Try them meow.”

What is more exciting than the announcement of the new filters, is the object recognition software that makes it possible. The new software that was added to the app just last year promises a host of new functions and features in the coming months and years. There is no doubt that Snapchat is gearing up to stand its ground against Zuckerberg and Instagram, which is a very tall order.

If you think filters for cats is something, Snapchat has announced that it will be adding original programming to its arsenal in the near future. What this means is that Snapchat users will be able to access scripted shows and docuseries via the app.

Lenses. For cool cats 😎 and their cool cats 😻 Try them meow. pic.twitter.com/UFJtgt8ZWO

— Snapchat (@Snapchat) October 12, 2018

Many experts believed that Snapchat was committing suicide when it walked away from a billion-dollar deal offered by Zuckerberg and Facebook. And, while the company is still up for a major fight, it seems to be prepared to take the fight the entire distance. The company has done a great job in establishing its brand and to get the attention of the younger, more tech-savvy, youth.

For those of you who use both, Instagram and Snapchat, you have probably recognized the integration of Snapchat features on Instagram. Facebook users have also noticed the integration of temporary stories as a part of the sites engagement mechanisms. These integrations represent an all-out assault on Snapchat. It is simple from a business standpoint, Zuckerberg is attempting to make Snapchat obsolete — eliminating the direct competition between it and Instagram.

In the meantime, Snapchat has sent a message that it will not go quietly into the night and abandon a niche market it created. What this means for users is that they can expect a constant barrage of changes and new technological integrations in the coming months on both platforms.

In the meantime, you can enjoy the new cat filters with your favorite feline. Okay, I know some dog owners are wondering what it the world happened to the dog filters. Well, don’t dismay, it is all but certain that the object recognition software will be programmed with algorithms that will detect the face of dogs. The reason that cats came first is due to the similarities in facial structure — making it easier to recognize. Because dogs vary so much in appearance based on breed, it will take a bit more work to optimize the object recognition software so that it does not exclude any breed.

While waiting on the dog filters, keep your eyes open for other features that are coming soon. The company is constantly upgrading the performance and delivery of its app. Will Snapchat survive the onslaught by Mark Zuckerberg? That is yet to be seen. But, it should be a fun ride for users in the interim.