There are plenty of different hacks, tools, and apps designed to break social media addiction or otherwise reduce your screen time. This is just the cutest one.
Cat Gatekeeper is a new Chrome browser extension designed by the developer Zokuzoku, and it reminds you to stop scrolling by sitting a cat on your browser as a clock counts down until your break time is over.
The browser extension is meant for anyone who keeps opening social media without thinking, and it’s inspired by the all too real experience of cats who want attention at the exact moment that it’s time to get to work.
“We’ve recreated that classic cat-owner experience in your browser,” the developer wrote.
After downloading the extension, users can set up their own personal time limits, but the default usage limit before triggering the cat is an hour, and the default break time is five minutes.
Cat Gatekeeper only counts time when tabs are active on supported social networks, which now includes Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X.
When you hit your time limit, the cat walks on screen and a countdown clock appears. The cat then sits itself down in the middle of your browser and waits, breathing, blinking, and moving its ears and tail until the time is finally up. The cat then vanishes and you can go back to your regularly scheduled doomscrolling.
Those looking to spend less time on social media are recommended to delete apps or use their phone’s native screen time controls to set limits. Some people swear by turning their smartphones to grayscale. Apps like Steppin, which locks you out from social media apps until you hit step goals, or Brick, a physical block that users have to tap to log into certain apps, serve an urgent need.
There are plenty of tricks and tips to break your screen time habits, and touching more grass is within reach. At least on desktop, Cat Gatekeeper will remind you of the importance of taking time to log off in the most adorable way possible.