How to Play Poor Pussy

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Poor Pussy is a forfeit-style parlour game built entirely around one rule: keep a straight face. One player takes on the role of the Pussy, approaches seated players one at a time, and does whatever it takes, within reason, to make them laugh. The approached player must pat the Pussy on the head and say 'Poor pussy' three times without cracking a smile.

It travels brilliantly because it needs no equipment whatsoever, takes under a minute to explain, and reliably reduces a room to chaos. It suits family gatherings, children's parties, and adult get-togethers in equal measure, and it scales from five players to as many as you can seat in a circle.

A little history

The origins of Poor Pussy are unclear, though the game appears in Victorian and Edwardian parlour game collections and was a staple of drawing-room entertainment in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It belongs to a broad family of 'keep a straight face' games that have existed across many cultures; beyond that general lineage, no precise date or inventor is documented.

Setting up

1. Arrange all players in a circle, either on chairs or on the floor.
2. Choose one player to be the first Pussy, either by agreement, by lot, or by whoever most recently laughed at something.
3. The Pussy takes a position in the centre of the circle on hands and knees.
4. Agree before play begins whether there is a forfeit for losing composure, and what it is.

How to play

1. The Pussy crawls to any player in the circle and kneels or crouches in front of them.
2. The Pussy may meow, pull faces, act pitifully, gaze imploringly, or use any expressive cat-like behaviour to provoke a smile. The Pussy may not touch the seated player beyond what is described in step 3, and may not use words other than meowing or cat sounds.
3. The approached player must place one hand on the Pussy's head, stroke it gently, and say clearly 'Poor pussy' three times, maintaining a completely straight face and neutral voice throughout.
4. If the player completes all three repetitions without smiling, giggling, or laughing, the Pussy moves on to try someone else.
5. If the player smiles, grins, laughs, or audibly breaks composure at any point during the stroking or the three repetitions, that player immediately becomes the new Pussy.
6. The outgoing Pussy joins the circle and takes the new Pussy's seat.
7. The new Pussy moves to the centre and play continues from step 1.
8. Players in the circle are not permitted to deliberately try to make the approached player laugh. The Pussy alone is the source of provocation.
9. Play continues for an agreed number of rounds, a set time limit, or until the group decides to stop.

Winning and scoring

Poor Pussy is usually played as a social game without a single winner, but if scoring is desired, award one point against any player each time they become the Pussy. The player with the fewest points at the end of the agreed session wins. Ties are broken by a sudden-death final round in which tied players must face the Pussy one at a time in quick succession.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether a brief twitch of the lips counts as a smile. The standard ruling is simple: if at least two other players independently call it, the offender is out. Designating one neutral judge at the start of the game avoids arguments entirely. A suppressed snort, a shaking shoulder, or a turned-away face all count as losing composure under standard rules.

A second common question is whether the Pussy may physically move very close to a player's face. The answer is yes, provided there is no actual contact beyond the stroking of the head by the seated player. The Pussy may not grab, tickle, or touch the seated player. If the Pussy breaks any of these conduct rules, the approached player is absolved even if they smiled, and the Pussy must try again with the same player.

How to win more often

• Sustain eye contact. A long, mournful, unblinking stare is far harder to resist than general mugging.
• Vary your pace. A sudden mournful slowdown after rapid frantic meowing catches people off guard.
• Target the player who has most recently been laughing; their composure is already cracked.
• As a seated player, fix your gaze on a neutral point such as the player's forehead rather than their eyes, which makes it easier to maintain a straight face.
• Say 'Poor pussy' in a deliberate, even tone. Rushing through the phrase or going unusually slowly both introduce rhythm changes that can tip you into laughter.

Variations

Forfeit Pussy

Any player who loses composure must complete a forfeit, agreed by the group before play begins, before becoming the Pussy. Forfeits should be light and social, such as singing a line of a song or telling a joke, and keep the energy high between turns.

Silent Pussy

The Pussy may not make any sound at all. All provocation must be purely through facial expression, movement, and mime. This variant is considerably harder for the Pussy and suits older players or groups who find the standard game too easy to resist.

Gauntlet Pussy

Instead of selecting one player at a time, the Pussy works around the entire circle in order without a break. Each player must complete their three 'Poor pussy' repetitions before the Pussy moves on. The Pussy's goal is to make every single player laugh; the group's goal is to get around the whole circle clean.

Double Pussy

Two players are the Pussy simultaneously, each working separately around the circle. When a seated player is approached by both Pussies at once, only one Pussy may perform at a time; the other must wait. This variant works well with ten or more players and keeps the game moving at larger gatherings.

Poor Pussy: frequently asked questions