Unlike a clip taken from a film or television show, this is a generic animal sound effect rather than a quotation from a single character or scene. Cat meows have long been a staple of home videos, cartoons and online edits because the sound needs no translation and is understood instantly across languages. Spanish-language searches for a short meowing cat show how often creators look for exactly this kind of brief, usable clip for pets, jokes and reaction videos. Its simplicity is the reason it keeps circulating.