Why this question exists
All desktop Bongo Cats work the same way: they register a global keyboard listener, count or watch your keystrokes, and animate the cat accordingly. That capability, in a closed-source app from an unknown publisher, would be indistinguishable from a keylogger. So the fair questions are: who published the code, is the code inspectable, and is there any reason data would leave your machine?
vladelaina/BongoCat (the main subject)
- Source is public. The full code is on GitHub under AGPL-3.0, so anyone can audit what the app does with keyboard input.
- Distribution is conventional: Microsoft Store (which applies its own review) and GitHub Releases.
- A plain-language privacy statement. The README states that the app contains no ads, analytics tools, or user-tracking code, and that update checks request public release metadata only: no input, configuration, or usage data is sent. That is a developer claim, not a third-party audit, but the AGPL-3.0 source makes it checkable line by line.
- Windows builds are code-signed, with signing provided by SignPath, so an unofficial repack that drops the signature is detectable.
If a README-level statement is not enough for you, the code is public: read it, or watch the repository for a standalone policy before installing.
ayangweb/BongoCat
The README states plainly that the app runs offline and never collects any user data. The project is open source, and the model files it loads come from its community collection. As with the vladelaina build, the license means claims are checkable against the code.
The Steam game by Irox Games
The Steam version plays under Steam's client, account and purchase systems, and its store page discloses the standard categories. Its input use is the same taskbar-slapping gimmick, and its economy data lives in your Steam account. No public reports of malicious behavior came up in our research; if that ever changes, this page gets a new fact-check date.
Bongo-Cat-Mver
A Windows overlay published since 2019-04-29 with public source code. It is the oldest of the desktop projects and no longer the most actively developed, which is worth knowing before choosing it over the newer pets.
Practical red flags
- Download only from official channels: the official download guide lists them per platform.
- Beware of installer farms. Sites repackaging "bongo cat" apps with extra installers are a persistent pattern for popular small utilities.
- No mobile app exists from these projects; app-store cats are unrelated products.
- Permissions tell a story. A desktop pet asking for more than input and display access deserves scrutiny.
For more context on which product is which, see the versions table; for install problems, see troubleshooting.