Cala, the singing cat behind the viral TikTok sound “I Go Meow,” has died.
On Thursday, May 30, Cala’s owner, Elizabeth Toth, posted the “devastating” update on TikTok, confirming that Cala had “passed away in my arms due to old age.”
“I adopted Cala thinking she was young with a full life ahead of her,” Toth shared in the video. “However, Cala had gotten sick and was not recovering.”
The owner added that Cala was admitted to the ER, where “tests revealed she was much older than initially thought by the shelter and her vet.”
Toth started posting videos of Cala in February, when a TikTok of the orange tabby cat’s distinct meows first went viral. The video, which amassed 2.9 million views online, showed her communicating with her owner after successfully “catching a mouse.”
@have.fun.art Singing Cat 🎶🐈 Music by The Kiffness #cat #animals #cute #pets #music #fyp #catsoftiktok
♬ original sound – Have Fun Art – Have Fun Art
Several users on TikTok commented that they were concerned that Cala was anxious and not playing, but Toth posted another TikTok addressing all the “crazy noises” she made. She explained that “Cala has just been playing” when she captured videos of the cat.
“She has a couple of favorite toys right now, [including] a stress ball that has a little bit of weight to it. So I think she literally thinks she’s caught a mouse when she plays with that one,” Toth shared.
In April, The Kiffness, another Tiktok user who famously takes viral cat videos and makes them into songs, posted a video turning one of Cala’s clips into a song titled “I Go Meow.” The video racked up 2.2 million views and the sound was turned into memes by thousands of others online.
Following Cala’s death, The Kiffness posted another TikTok in memory of the beloved cat. “A bright light has gone out, but Cala’s sweet little voice will go meow for eternity.” Other TikTok users also shared videos using the “I Go Meow” sound in remembrance of Cala and her sweet meows.
Toth confirmed that Cala was “surrounded by humans who love her” and thanked everyone for “loving Cala as much as I do.” She added, “You all will allow her to live on forever, to never be forgotten for how special she is.”