Attention: I have some very important information for your continued existence. There are now cat cake pops at Starbucks. Repeat: There are now CAT CAKE POP AT STARBUCKS. Cake pops are delicious; cats are adorable; you deserve a treat; ergo, it is of the utmost importance that you treat yourself to an adorable and delicious cat-shaped cake pop as soon as possible.
(OK, obviously a cat-shaped cake pop is not actually earth-shattering news; it is, however, delightful, and given that moments of delight are becoming increasingly rare in this world, I still think it’s worth celebrating.
The cake pops are part of Starbucks’ new fall menu for 2018, which also includes such seasonally appropriate additions as apple cider doughnuts, maple pecan muffins, and pumpkin scones. But while all of these treats present pretty well, none of them are quite as showy as the cat cake pop, because it is a thing of beauty. According to the pop’s page on the Starbucks online menu, it’s made of “soft, creamy vanilla cake and white chocolaty icing” and decorated with pink icing; it is, as Starbucks puts it, “pretty much the cat’s meow.” Obviously I am now in a position where I need to go out and get one for myself immediately.
Almost too cute to eat. Almost.
The cat cake pops dropped so quietly that it’s not even totally clear exactly when they first appeared — although according to the treat’s presence on social media, it seems to have happened roughly a week ago. After combing Instagram for as many photos I could find specifically of the Starbucks cat cake pop (because you’d better believe there are posts featuring cat-shaped cake pops on there from literally everywhere), my best guess is Aug. 28; that’s the date stamped on all the earliest images.
There are even a few posts from some actual Starbucks baristas about the pop. One photo shows three of the cat-shaped treats in a plastic bag, which suggests that the hand holding the bag belongs to a barista who was getting ready to put the pastries out on display; dated Aug. 28, it’s captioned with a long string of “meows” and a suggestion to “go to your local Starbucks and check out the Kitty Cake Pops!” Also on Aug. 28, what looks like an unofficial Insta run by the baristas of a Starbucks in Denver posted a photo of a sign boasting the coffee spot’s new fall menu addition — including the cat cake pop — with the caption, “Did someone say Fall drinks and food?! We did! And they all launched today!”
Some have observed that the makeup of the cat cake pop sounds similar to the Birthday Cake Pop already offered by the café giant:
Which, y'know, is a valid complaint if you were hoping for something more exciting; to be fair, though, half the fun of cake is the endless array of ways you can decorate it, so personally, I’m A-OK with the treat having a familiar base. The little pink icing cat face is both new and adorable; as such, I am Here For It in a big, big way. They seem to be pretty tasty, too — one Instagrammer who nabbed one recently tagged their photo “#DidntLastLong” and “#IWantAnotherOne.”
The treat does, however, seem to have at least one drawback — especially right now, when, despite the fact that it is now the fifth day of September, the thermometer where I live still reads 90 freaking degrees: They can melt if you’re not careful. And when they do, they are…
…A little bit frightening.
I’m so sorry, cat pop. There was nothing we could do to save you. We must simply hope that one day, the temperature will drop, allowing you to exist without fear of a Frosty the Snowman-like fate.
Anyway, the cat cake pops can be found at most Starbucks locations in the United States right now. You might be able to get an adorable owl cookie to go along with it, because hey, guess what? That’s on the menu right now, too. I see what you did there, Starbucks. Whether it was intentional or not… well played. Well played, indeed.
