Martin Motnik, a 52-year-old professional bass player living in Nashville, had no idea that his love for music and his girlfriend’s rescue cat Boo would lead to something magical.
As a talented freelance studio bassist who plays in the band Accept, Martin always had a soft spot for the guitar – the first instrument he ever picked up.
One day, while staying with his girlfriend and Boo, Martin spotted something special. Boo wasn’t just any cat; he had a voice that was impossible to ignore.
Every time he meowed, it was like he was trying to make some sort of statement. His meows weren’t just random noises, they had this quirky, almost musical quality to Martin.
It was like listening to guitar strings being bent, making Martin’s mind start to buzz with ideas. That’s when it hit him: why not try to match Boo’s vocal tones with his guitar?
The idea seemed wild at first, but the more Martin thought about it, the more it felt like it could actually work. It was a perfect chance to blend Boo’s crazy meows with Martin’s guitar skills, and who knows what would come of it?!
And so, the two became an unlikely duo. As Boo meowed away, Martin followed along on the guitar, mimicking each sound.
Jessica, who was loving the interaction, caught it all on camera, as Martin shared in an interview:
“I got the idea when I heard his meow, which always reminded me of bending a string on an electric guitar. One day I picked up the guitar and mimicked him, and one evening my girlfriend captured the interaction on her iPhone.”
What happened next was beyond their expectations.
In the video, Boo sits on the floor and meows, followed by Martin, who imitates the sounds with perfect precision. Then, Boo throws in some unexpected, almost bark-like meows – again, Martin nails it with his guitar.
The two seemed to communicate effortlessly, creating a fun and surprisingly charming duet. Martin captioned the video:
“Cat vs. electric guitar. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I hope he takes this as a compliment.”
The couple then shared the video with friends and family, who immediately urged them to post it online. And so they did. The result? Over 28 million views on TikTok in just a few days, with more than 7 million likes!
The internet went wild. Comments poured in, some joking about Boo’s “bark” meow, while others were in awe of the incredible ear Martin had. One user said it best:
“Dude got purrfect pitch.”
The video’s wild success was a surprise, but for Martin, it wasn’t totally unexpected. After all, with a cat that steals the show and a musician who can match every note, how could they not make a viral sensation?
Nine years ago, Boo was adopted from the Atlantic Humane Society, and Martin is a big advocate for “adopt, don’t shop.” He also took the chance to share some of Boo’s quirky habits with his fans:
“His favorite dish is tuna with a glass of ice water; he loves to dip his paw in it. He also likes road trips and we take him along to the grocery store in his cat backpack.”
Martin plans to keep creating more duets with Boo to keep the fun rolling for their growing fanbase and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
Leave a comment