Two of Them Cats: The Real Story Behind the Viral Success of The Kiffness and Billy the Cat

Two of Them Cats: The Real Story Behind the Viral Success of The Kiffness and Billy the Cat

You’ve probably seen the video. It usually starts with a black and white cat standing on its hind legs, paws batting at the air in a rhythmic, almost frantic motion, while a strange, melodic meowing sound loops in the background. Then, the beat drops. This is Two of Them Cats, a cultural moment that somehow turned a confused feline and a South African musician into a global phenomenon. It’s weird. It’s catchy. Honestly, it’s exactly why the internet exists.

The whole thing blew up because of David Scott, known professionally as The Kiffness. He didn’t just make a meme; he created a legitimate song out of a cat's "talking." But there's a lot of confusion about where the audio came from and why this specific video resonated so deeply during a time when everyone was stuck at home looking for a reason to smile.

The Origin of the "Two of Them" Audio

People often think the cat in the video is the one making the noise. It’s not.

The audio actually belongs to a cat named Billy. Back in 2021, Billy’s owner recorded him having a very vocal, very rhythmic "conversation" near a window. It wasn't a standard meow. It was a series of rhythmic chirps and trills that sounded suspiciously like a person trying to speak through a synthesizer.

When David Scott found the clip, he saw the musical potential immediately. He’s an expert at this. He’s done it with the "Ievan Polkka" cat and the "Alugalug Cat." But Two of Them Cats felt different because of the sheer cadence of the vocalization.

He took the audio, pitched it, layered it with a heavy synth-pop bassline, and added his own vocals. The lyrics? Pure nonsense, yet strangely profound. "Please give me two of them. Two of them. I would like two of them."

Why it Went Viral on TikTok and Reels

Algorithms love repetition. The Kiffness understands that. By the time the remix hit TikTok, it wasn't just a song; it was a "sound."

Creators began using the audio to show off their own pets, specifically when they had two of something. Two kittens. Two snacks. Two bad habits. It became a shorthand for "I can't choose, so I'll take both." But the visual that stuck—the one everyone associates with the phrase—is the "dancing" cat.

That cat is actually named Cala (or sometimes confused with other "standing" cats). The visual of a cat standing up, looking like it's conducting an orchestra while the "Two of Them" song plays, created a perfect audio-visual sync. It’s a dopamine hit. Short. Punchy. Absurd.

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The Technical Brilliance of The Kiffness

If you look at the track from a music theory perspective, it’s surprisingly solid. David Scott didn't just slap a beat under a cat noise. He identified the natural key of the cat's meow—which sits roughly around a B-flat—and built a minor-key electronic track around it.

He uses a technique called "sampling and looping," which is the foundation of hip-hop and house music, but he applies it to the natural world.

  • The Lead Vocal: The cat’s rhythmic "talking" acts as the hook.
  • The Bassline: A driving, 4/4 beat that grounds the high-pitched animal sounds.
  • The Harmonization: Scott adds his own voice to create a call-and-response dynamic.

It works because it treats the animal as a legitimate collaborator. He even lists the cats as "featured artists" on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. This isn't just a joke to him; it’s a production style that has earned him millions of views and a massive following of "Kiffness" fans.

Misconceptions About the Cats Involved

Social media is a giant game of telephone.

Most people think Two of Them Cats features a single cat that both talks and dances. In reality, it’s a Frankenstein’s monster of internet clips.

  1. The Audio Cat: Billy. A vocal cat whose owner captured a once-in-a-lifetime rhythmic meow.
  2. The Visual Cat: Often Cala, a cat known for her expressive face and "standing" posture.
  3. The Creator: The Kiffness, who acted as the glue.

Tragically, in the world of viral pets, time moves fast. Cala, the cat often associated with the "I Go Meow" and various Kiffness remixes, passed away in 2024. This sent a ripple through the community, reminding everyone that these "eternal" memes are based on real animals with real lives. It added a layer of nostalgia to the Two of Them Cats legacy.

The Business of Viral Animal Music

Is it just for fun? No. It’s a business.

The Kiffness often uses the proceeds from these songs to help animal shelters. For Two of Them Cats, a portion of the royalties was funneled back into animal welfare causes. This creates a cycle of "Good Internet." A cat makes a noise, a human makes a song, people buy the song, and other cats get fed.

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It’s a stark contrast to the often toxic environment of social media. It's wholesome. It's why Google Discover keeps pushing these stories—they have high engagement and positive sentiment.

Why "Two of Them" Hits the Brain Differently

There’s a psychological reason we like this stuff. It’s called "musicality of speech."

Humans are wired to find patterns. When an animal makes a sound that mimics the rhythm of human language, our brains light up. We want to assign meaning to it. By adding the lyrics "I would like two of them," Scott gives our brains the meaning we were already looking for. He bridges the gap between animal instinct and human humor.

The Lasting Impact on Internet Culture

Two of Them Cats isn't just a flash in the pan. It represents a shift in how we consume music. We are moving away from polished, corporate-backed pop and toward "organic" sounds.

We want authenticity, even if that authenticity is a cat asking for two snacks in a synthesized voice.

The song has been played in clubs. It’s been used in professional DJ sets. It has transcended the "meme" category to become a staple of modern electronic novelty music. It’s weird to think about, but David Scott has essentially created a new genre: Interspecies Synth-Pop.

How to Find the Original Versions

If you want to experience the full "Two of Them" journey, you have to look past the 15-second TikTok clips.

  • Check out The Kiffness’s YouTube channel for the full "Live Looping" session. You can see him building the track in real-time.
  • Search for "Billy the Cat original talking" to hear the raw audio without the music. It’s much more haunting and strange than the remix.
  • Look for the various fan-made animations. The community has created 3D models of the cats dancing to the beat, further cementing the visual identity of the track.

Practical Takeaways for Creators

What can we learn from the Two of Them Cats explosion?

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First, stop trying to be perfect. The original video of Billy was grainy and poorly lit. It didn't matter. The content was unique.

Second, collaboration is king. Whether you're collaborating with another person or a vocal feline, mixing two different "vibes" creates something entirely new.

Finally, lean into the weirdness. The internet is a crowded place. If you try to fit in, you’ll be ignored. If you write a song about a cat wanting "two of them," you might just end up at the top of the charts.

The best way to appreciate this phenomenon is to understand the work that goes into it. It’s easy to dismiss it as "just a cat video," but the engineering, the timing, and the community management behind the brand are top-tier.

Go watch the video again. This time, listen to the syncopation. Notice how the bass hits exactly when the cat’s "vocal" drops in frequency. It’s a masterclass in modern digital production disguised as a silly meme.

If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of animal remixes, start with the official Kiffness discography. He’s consistent, he’s ethical with his profits, and he’s one of the few creators who actually credits the original sources of his inspiration.

The era of Two of Them Cats proved that we don't need big studios to make hits; we just need a cat with a weird voice and a producer with a sense of humor. That’s the real magic of the modern web. There is no gatekeeper. Just a global audience waiting for the next rhythmic meow.

The next time you’re scrolling and you hear that familiar "Please give me two of them," you’ll know the layers of history, technology, and heartbreak that make that 15-second clip possible. It’s a small, digital monument to the bond between humans and their pets, processed through a heavy dose of reverb and a 4/4 kick drum.

To make the most of this trend, don't just consume—participate. Use the sound for your own pets, but give credit to the original creators. Support the animal charities often linked in these videos. Keep the ecosystem healthy so we can get more "Two of Them" moments in the future.