The sound comes from Super Troopers, the 2001 comedy about Vermont highway patrol troopers, and its popular meow game scene during a traffic stop. In the game the troopers try to say meow instead of now as many times as possible without the driver noticing. Clips from the scene have circulated for years as reaction audio and cat related memes, with this short question becoming a standalone punchline. Its lasting appeal comes from the familiar word swap and the trooper's serious tone.