Nova thought she understood her roommate, but what she did not know until now was that Rocket could also talk. In a video from Instagram user @fluffyspacecadets, the rescue dog and her house cat, Rocket, are sitting close together on a bed — Nova looks calm and totally unaware she is about to have her worldview shaken as Rocket turns toward her and lets out a meow.
Dog can’t believe she heard the cat meow
The video shows the dog’s instant reaction to the cat’s little meow. Nova’s head snaps around toward the person filming, eyes wide, as if she is asking, “Did you hear it?” Meanwhile, Rocket looks at Nova for a beat, then shifts her gaze to the camera like she is in on the joke — and a moment later, she turns back and meows again while Nova keeps looking at the camera in disbelief.
The caption puts the dog’s surprise into words, reading, “Nova learning cats can talk ??.”
It is a funny moment, but it helps to know that dogs are wired to notice new sounds, especially ones that come from a nearby animal they have been reading mostly through their body language and scent. If Nova has not spent much time around chatty cats, Rocket’s meow can feel like a sudden change she cannot fathom. That immediate look toward the owner is Nova’s “social referencing,” which is basically checking in with the trusted human to see whether this surprise is normal or concerning.
Viewers in the video’s comment section loved the awkward little standoff between the dog and the cat. One viewer said it looked like “a Renaissance painting,” while another warned, “Watch out for the smacks as well & taking over all your favorite spots” — and plenty of people focused on Nova’s expression, with one person observing, “That startled look!” And honestly, Nova’s face really asks, “Cats can do that? Since when?”
