Another day and another cat who one simply must stop everything to watch. Say “well, hi” to your new little friend.
A cat the color of Cheeto dust named Gambino has gone viral after effectively demonstrating he can “talk” just like a genteel human.
At first, he appears to be camera shy, and disappears behind the refrigerator. That is, until it’s showtime. Before you can say “hello, is anyone there?” he pops out from behind the refrigerator and meows a meow that almost sounds like it says “well, hi” in a Southern accent. Gambino the cat was cute at first, but the meow was when it goes up another level.
The clip of the cat “chit chatting” up a storm lapped up 1.4 million likes and 11,000 comments on TikTok as of Thursday morning. But the victory lap continued as he greeted people with the utmost Southern hospitality, garnering plenty of adoration and worship on Instagram and Twitter.
Gambino’s mom, Tawny, 33, of Southern California says Gambino, a rescue cat from Florida is a “super chill little dude.”
“Gambino is playful and super cuddly. His favorite thing to do is hang out with his humans and nap with us. He knows his name and comes when he is called. He very mellow. He’s never hissed, scratched or bit us,” she told TIME.
As for the meow heard round the internet, she says that Gambino, who enjoys long runs around the house and climbing on his indoor cat shelve, is not your average communicator.
“He really doesn’t have a normal meow. He has his now-famous meow as well as a kind of bark when he wants to be fed. He also has a really long meow that sounds like he is yelling at you.”
As for the other normal-seeming cat who doesn’t appear to speak like a human, it had nothing to say for itself so far.
Gambino gets along famously with his fellow feline in the video named Tom Petty.
“Tom Petty actually has an even bigger personality and is much more active than Gambino. He plays a lot more and likes to sneak up on Gambino as much as possible,” she said.
Rewatching this clip for two hours is likely a viewing experience on par with The AristoCats or Cats.
It looks like the established hosting icon who knocks a greeting out of the park is a wonderful part of the family. People are ready to sacrifice whatever they call a life so this internet-famous feline can continue its superior existence.
Cats may be revered for being snobbish, but that’s not always the case, as is on full display in this video.
Some have declared this video capturing the moment the cat says well hi in a Southern accent is the best thing to see right now.
One person put forth that Gambino sounded like Dolly Parton.
Only time will tell if this cat can join the ranks of Cinderblock or the petty cat who had just had enough.
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