If anything this just shows that people don't hate ads because they're obnoxious, they hate ads because they're ads.

Ads are generally not nostalgic references (and when they are, you still know that it's someone ultimately trying to push your emotional buttons to get you to give them money).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neko_(software)

Because at the end of the day, the problem with ads isn't that they're annoying, or get in the way, or are garish, or whatever else. The problem with ads is that they are ads. They're an overt attempt to hijack your attention implant ideas in your head, ideas that are antithetical to your own wellbeing.

A little cat chasing my cursor is just plain fun. No malice involved.