German cat meme: "Das war ein Befehl!" from your own cat

By ReelMe team · Updated 2026-11-01

The German cat meme is a tiny kitten meowing so sharply it sounds like a barked command, paired with the line "Das war ein Befehl!", German for "That was an order!". To make your own cat the one giving orders, upload a photo to the German Cat template on ReelMe and pay $3.99. About a minute later you get the clip with the original sound and your cat in the kitten's place.

How to do it in 4 steps

Pick a template, for example German Cat.
Upload one clear photo (one per person or pet in multi-person templates).
Pay $3.99 once. No app, no sign-up, no subscription.
Download your video in about a minute and post it anywhere.

$3.99 per video · ready in about 1 minute · automatic refund if it fails

Try German Cat · $3.99

Pick a template

German CatPets

Yelling CatPets

Huh? CatPets

Mmaaah CatPets

Most people searching "what does the german cat meme say" have heard the clip and want the line. The joke is the mismatch: a fluffy kitten no bigger than a hand, letting out a clipped, shouty meow that the meme turns into a stern German sentence. "Das war ein Befehl" is the punchline, so the cat isn't asking for food, it's issuing an order and is annoyed you didn't follow it the first time.

A different meme sometimes gets mixed up with this one. "Stardenburdenhardenbart" is a made-up, German-sounding word from a video about calling cats in different languages, where the cat only reacts to the "German" one. It's a separate joke; the yelling kitten doesn't say it.

People use the German cat as a reaction when someone ignores a request, or for pets who demand breakfast at 6 a.m. Making it with your own cat works especially well for cats with a loud, insistent meow, because everyone who knows them will recognise the attitude.

Kittens and adult cats both work. Use a close, front-facing photo where the eyes and mouth are clear; a photo taken mid-meow is a bonus but not required. Avoid heavy filters, which can change the coat colour in the result.

ReelMe at a glance

What it is: ReelMe is a web app with ready-made viral video templates. You upload a photo and the AI puts you, your partner or your pet in place of the person or animal in the clip.
Price: $3.99 per video, one-time payment. No subscription, no credits, no free tier.
Account: None. No sign-up, no app to install; works in any modern phone or desktop browser.
Input: One clear photo per person or pet (JPG, PNG or WebP). Some templates have 2 or 3 spots.
Output: An MP4 of the template clip with the original audio and no watermark, on a private link kept for 30 days.
Speed: Usually about one minute after payment.
Templates: 56 trends: dances, music video scenes, movie and TV moments, memes, couple and pet trends.
Refunds: Automatic full refund if generation fails; refund on request within 14 days.
Limits: You cannot upload your own motion video or write a prompt; only the listed templates are available. Results depend on the photo, and one video is generated per payment.

FAQ

What does the German cat meme say in English?

"Das war ein Befehl!" means "That was an order!" The kitten's sharp meow is treated as a command, and the line turns it into a scolding.

Is the cat actually speaking German?

Not really. It's a kitten's clipped, bossy meow; the German line is what the meme puts in its mouth, which is why it reads as a scolding.

Is "stardenburdenhardenbart" the German cat meme?

No, that's a separate meme about a made-up German word for calling a cat. The German cat meme is the yelling kitten with "Das war ein Befehl!"

Can I make my adult cat the German cat?

Yes. The template works with cats of any age or colour. Upload a clear photo of the face and your cat delivers the order.

How do I get the video?

Upload a photo, pay $3.99 once, and download the MP4 about a minute later. No account or app needed, and a failed generation is refunded automatically.