Owner Calls Cat—Nobody Prepared for How He Replies

Newsweek

29-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
In a video that has taken Instagram by storm, a cat named Serafino has melted hearts among social media users, thanks to his unexpected vocal talent.
Posted on Friday under the username @misterserafino, the now viral clip shows the kitty's owner, 33-year-old Sonia from Italy, singing her cat's name aloud, as the tabby immediately show up at the door.
But Serafino doesn't just answer with a typical meow, he lets out a soulful melody that sounds like something straight out of a musical.
The heartwarming clip had received over 513,000 views and 56,085 likes at the time of writing, and users across the platform can't cope with the kitty's unique talent.
Screenshots of the viral video show Serafino singing as he approaches his owner, Sonia.
Screenshots of the viral video show Serafino singing as he approaches his owner, Sonia.
@misterserafino,
Sonia told Newsweek that the dramatic reaction shared in her now viral clip is something that her kitty often does when she speaks to him in a playful tone.
"It actually wasn't something I taught him, it's just his natural behavior. He's always been expressive and playful, and over time we started to reinforce it because it was so cute and funny," she said.
"I'm so happy to know that Serafino brings joy to others, not just to us at home.
He really is a little star in our lives, and it means a lot to see others enjoy his personality too."
One user, Playemily, said: "He's a singer" while Carmelocooper87 added: "You have a little voice that always brings out so much joy! "
The 5-year-old kitty was adopted by the poster in October of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after she spotted a Facebook post saying he'd been found inside the hood of a car.
"Contrary to what people often say on the internet," Sonia said, "I truly believe Serafino is one of the few who actually knows his name and doesn't ignore his owner when called. He always comes when I call him.
"Another adorable thing about him is that when he wants to play, he brings his toy to me, just like a little dog would," she added.
Indeed, cats are highly intelligent creatures, capable of learning incredible things with the right training.
Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, senior veterinarian and director of pet health information at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, previously told Newsweek that while dogs had to learn how to understand human language out of necessity, cats still appear to understand us despite not needing to.
Most dogs were originally bred to work alongside humans, training for tasks such as hunting, herding, and search and rescue, and learning our language made them better at performing these tasks.
On the other hand, cats domesticated themselves in order to prey on rodents attracted to our scraps. Yet they still decided to learn how to communicate with us, and according to Hohenhaus, they know between 10 and 20 words on average.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [e-mail] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.