In the age of the internet, memes are everywhere. Memes involving people’s pets, specifically, pop up all the time: most famously, we had Grumpy Cat and Doge, both of whom have passed. The “I Go Meow” cat’s fame was more recent, but she was just as loved!
Unfortunately, on Thursday, May 30th, her mom took to TikTok to break the news that her sweet cat had passed away. Here’s everything she had to say about Cala’s situation:
@elizabethtoth23Cala will live on forever thanks to all of you 🧡🐱 #RIPCala #igomeow #catsoftiktok #cattok #orangecatbehavior
I feel so sad for Elizabeth Toth and all of her friends and family who loved Cala as much as she did. While meme enthusiasts everywhere are mourning her, it’s different to really know her.
Related: Cat Retirement Village in U.K. Comes with Most Adorable ‘Mini Cottages’ for Senior Kitties
Cala first went viral in February of this year. The video was of her meowing, and when she did, it legitimately sounded like she said, “go, meow, I go, meow,” and repeat. The internet fell head over heels for her immediately. Most cats don’t talk, but since she went viral for this, cats had even been “imitating” her!
Her top three videos alone garnered over 100 million views and 16 million likes. Cala was the sweetest: she was a rescue cat, she was orange (which is a rarity, since most orange cats are male), and she could talk. What was there not to love? When she was adopted, Elizabeth was told by the shelter that she was a young cat, which would mean she had many years to continue being hilarious.
Unfortunately, Cala passed away yesterday of old age. She was older than the shelter had originally thought (which Elizabeth is adamant wasn’t their fault), and by the time someone caught onto that, it was too late. She passed with her mom at her side, and the 10.9 million people who viewed that video are undoubtedly upset by the news. I know I am!
How do shelters determine a cat’s age?
Sometimes, cats are surrendered by their previous families, and they don’t usually lie about their age. However, there are also lots of cats that get brought into the shelter who don’t have a human to tell you exactly how old they are. In that instance, staff vets typically:
- Look at the cat’s size, teeth, and coat.
- Examine their reproductive organs (are they old enough to be neutered, and if not, are they fully matured?)
- Look for signs of aging: bone, hip, or joint problems, cataracts, etc).
Even with all of these tests, it’s impossible for someone to determine exactly how old a cat is, and it’s certainly possible that Cala displayed no signs of aging until it was too late. Once a cat reaches adulthood, it becomes even harder to determine where they are in life, especially if they’ve been well-kept previously and are maintaining their youthfulness, which Cala obviously was, until she wasn’t. She will be missed!
