The phrase 'YouTube phenomenon' is bandied about a touch too much these days, but when we say that English animator Simon Tofield's Simon's Cat series is just that - a YouTube phenomenon - we really mean it.

This, his latest video (above), is called 'Shelf LIfe', and sees the internet's favourite hungry cartoon kitty blundering his way along his owner's living room mantlepiece, knocking everything over.

With a book, a newspaper comic strip and dozens of 30-million-views YouTube videos, cat-loving Tofield has made a massive success from his online popularity, and you can't not admire him for that - though it does beg the question... why is the Simon's Cat series so popular?

Is it the quality of the animation? The ideas he comes up with? Or the fact that the internet loves cats/we love cats/Tofield understands cats so well? Or maybe it's the sound work carried out by his colleague, known only as 'Shrooty', which brings all these feline scenes to life?

It's hard to say. To help you work out what the magic is that makes Simon's Cat so goshdarn wonderful, we've compiled our favourite Simon's Cat episodes in this video gallery for you below. Good luck watching through them all, intrepid internet traveller - they're mighty addictive.

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• Simon's Cat 'TV Dinner'

• Simon's Cat 'Cat Man Do'

• Simon's Cat 'Hot Spot'

• Simon's Cat in 'The Box'

• Simon's Cat 'Let Me In!'

• Simon's Cat 'Fly Guy'

• Simon's Cat in 'Cat Chat'

• Simon's Cat in 'Sticky Tape'

• Simon's Cat in 'Double Trouble'

• Simon's Cat 'Snow Business'

• Simon's Cat in 'Catnap'

• Simon's Cat in 'Hop It'

• Simon's Cat in 'Fowl Play'

• Simon's Cat in 'Cat & Mouse'

• Simon's Cat in 'Santa Claws'

• Simon's Cat in 'Hidden Treasure'

• Simon's Cat in 'Lunch Break'

• Simon's Cat: Beyond the Fence - Advert