Persian cat meows the word “mom” in adorable video

A Persian cat has been filmed repeatedly meowing what appears to be the word “mom” in footage that has been melting the hearts of feline fans online.

Atchoum lives in Quebec, Canada, with his owner Nathalie. A Persian cat by breed, the furry feline’s distinctive features are the result of a medical condition called hypertrichosis, or werewolf syndrome, which results in excessive hair growth.

“I’ve had a lot of animals such as dogs, cats, birds and even fostered an injured squirrel. I love animals but Atchoum is the most special cat I’ve ever had,” Nathalie told Newsweek. “I now run his social media accounts full time and try to make a few people smile everyday when they see Atchoum’s daily posts.”

The latest of these posts appears to show Atchoum meowing the word “mom.” It’s proven popular, with the clip amassing over 3.4 million views on TikTok already.

Although the jury is still out on our feline friends’ ability to communicate directly with us, there is evidence to indicate cats know when their human companion is speaking to them. A study published in the journal Animal Cognition in 2022, highlighted how cats are capable of discriminating speech specifically directed at them from speech aimed at adult humans,

A team of researchers from Paris Nanterre University played a series of recordings to 16 cats to see if they could distinguish between the voices of their owners and strangers. The experiment saw researchers examine whether cats were capable of distinguishing between cat-directed and human-directed speech, which differs in pitch, and in the use of repetitive phrases, much like baby speak.

Using software to measure the magnitude of the cats’ reactions, the researchers identified that the cats had the strongest reaction when hearing their owner speaking in cat-directed speech rather than if they spoke in adult tones or encountered a stranger using cat-directed speech.

Atchoum certainly appears to hang on Nathalie’s every word, if the footage shared to social media is to be believed. That’s not necessarily a surprise, given the history they share.

“Atchoum came into my life while I worked at a veterinary hospital as a groomer,” Nathalie said. “One day, a litter of kittens came in to be vaccinated and the lady decided to offer Atchoum to my colleague. I asked that colleague if I could foster Atchoum for a long week-end and I immediately fell in love. I then asked her to adopt him and she said yes.”

Named Atchoum, in reference to “the sound you make when you sneeze,” Nathalie describes her feline friend as “a fun and gentle cat” who is most comfortable frolicking around the house he shares with his human companions and their other pets.

“Atchoum is very shy and fearful with strangers but very loving and clingy with his family. He’s playful and loves attention. If he doesn’t get enough, he’ll let us know,” she said. “He loves to be groomed and cuddled a lot. His favorite thing to do is cuddle with mom and dad and spend time playing with his sister, Sassoo. In the summertime, he loves playing with apples that fall from the tree. During winter, he plays with ice cubes that accidentally fall from the fridge and runs in the house chasing them.”

Nathalie said Atchoum calling out for “mom” like he does in the video is a “normal occurrence” particularly in the morning.

“I thought it was very funny when she started meowing something that sounded like ‘mom,'” she said.”He is extremely attached to me, that’s why he usually lets me know.”

While the fact Atchoum appears to be saying the word “mom” is likely a big draw, Nathalie also put her cat’s social media popularity down to the fact he looks like the character Sir Didymus from the Davie Bowie cult classic Labyrinth.

“Every time a video of Atchoum gets viral, it is one of the main comments people say. People also say that he looks like a Muppet, a Dr. Seuss character, a Tim Burton character or even the Grinch!” she said. “I’ve also had a few people compare him to Chewbacca from Star Wars.”

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