A seemingly ordinary grey cat has become an internet sensation thanks to a meow so unique it has spawned its very own dance remix.
When Afra Al-Dhaheri decided to share a clip of her feline friend making his distinctive utterances, she could never have known what would follow next.
An Emirati animal lover, Al Dhaheri is also the owner and founder of the Cloud 9 Pet Hotel, a facility based in the United Arab Emirates that offers a range of services to pet owners including boarding, grooming treatments and veterinary care.
Al-Dhaheri regularly posts videos and pictures of the hotel's residents on social media, much to the delight of pet lovers across the world.
While these videos often get traction with the hotel's fans, one video of a cat has proven to be the facility's biggest video yet—and with good reason. When it comes to cats on the internet, the rule tends to be the more eccentric the behavior the better.
To animal lovers, there's nothing better than a kooky cat, whether it's one that has developed an adorable method for descending a flight of stairs or one retching at the simple sound of a comb being touched.
However, this particular feline may trump the lot, thanks to a meow that bears more than a passing resemblance to Fred Flintstone's signature catchphrase: "Yabadabadooooo!"
First broadcast back in 1960, The Flintstones was a cartoon that chronicled the antics of a prehistoric family and ran for three decades.
It is widely considered to be the second most successful television cartoon of all time, behind The Simpsons, and is best remembered for the patriarch Fred's classic slogan, which was usually bellowed at full volume.
The similarities are not lost on Al-Dhaheri, who posted the video alongside a caption quoting the iconic cartoon's catchphrase. The clip can be viewed here.
@cloud9pethotel Yabadabadooooo!! #catsoftiktok #cats #kittens #angrycat funnycat. #pets #petsoftiktok
♬ Lets Meow Together - Afra Al-Dhaheri
Posted to TikTok via the cloud9pethotel account, Flintstones similarities or not, the video has proven a hit with fans, racking up over 33.5 million views since it was posted just over a month ago.
Fans have flocked to the clip to offer up their opinions on the cat's dulcet tones with cat lovers claiming he sounds like everything from the girl band En Vogue to the Nickelodeon children's television favorite Yo Gabba Gabba.
"It's Fergie singing the national anthem," Katierod2110 wrote in reference to the Black Eye Peas singer's infamous NBA All-Star game performance. "All I hear is dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit," _._9117 commented.
Fluxmcfly121, meanwhile, asked: "Why's he sound like Lucille Ball crying?"
Some were critical of Al-Dhaheri for posting the video though."There is something wrong with your fur baby," lorre2095lorrie said. "Not funny at all."
Al-Dhaheri sought to calm any of those concerns though, explaining that the cat had previously had Feline Infectious Peritonitis, a type of cat coronavirus, but has made a full recovery.
"He's just surprised and jealous he's never been with other cats before," she explained.
Since then, the cat's newfound internet fame has reached even stranger new heights after a fellow TikToker decided to remix his meows as part of an undeniably catchy tune, which can be heard here.
@thekiffness #duet with @cloud9pethotel. Alugalug Cat has a sibling 😺 #catsoftiktok #angrycat #funnycat #alugalugcat #fyp
♬ Lets Meow Together - Afra Al-Dhaheri
The Kiffness has a burgeoning reputation for remixing animal videos in the name of viral entertainment and jumped at the chance to put his skills to use, with the resulting video already accumulating one million views.
Proof if proof were ever needed that the internet is a strange and wonderful place.
Newsweek has reached out to Al-Dhaheri and The Kiffness for comment.
