The sound is credited to Pluto's Sweater, a Disney Pluto cartoon released on April 29, 1949, featuring Figaro the cat alongside Pluto and Minnie Mouse. Figaro, first introduced in Pinocchio, became a recurring comic foil whose exaggerated reactions suited short theatrical cartoons. This particular yowl was later preserved in studio sound effects collections, catalogued among cat purring and yowling recordings, which helped it circulate beyond the original short. Editors still reuse it because its instantly recognizable cartoon styling signals a feline complaint without needing dialogue, context, or a longer animal performance to set up the joke.