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While the world held its breath for the roar of the Artemis II engines, one orange cat was busy tracking the mission from a much more localized command center: the living room carpet.
The rocket hadn’t even cleared the screen before the cat leaned closer, eyes locked as if it understood exactly what was happening.
Most people watching the Artemis II mission were space fans and science lovers. Yet, Miles, an orange cat, was part of another fan-following: curious pets.
His owner, Mariah Garrett (@alltooriah), shared a picture of Miles on X, captioning it, “Teaching my cat about Artemis II, space, and our beloved moon.”
In the photo, we see the cat sitting in front of a TV showing the NASA Artemis II mission. He’s completely absorbed and focused on the mission, with no distracted grooming. Just a still, focused cat, and the kind of attention most of us struggle to give anything for more than a few seconds.
Small Step for Man, a Giant Leap for Cats
Miles’ owner joked that the cat wanted to go to space just like Jonesy and Ellen Ripley from the movie Alien.
The best part about this story is how NASA replied to the post on X. NASA’s official account replied to the post, saying, “Tell your cat the Artemis crew said pspsps.”
As you can imagine, that caused a huge reaction from Miles and his owner, who wrote back, “He’s screaming with joy at this response and wants to know if he can join the next mission.”
Related: This Sleepy Kitty Takes the Biggest Yawns You’ve Ever Seen, and It’s Adorable
Why Miles Is Obsessed With the Moon
Most cat parents assume their pets are just reacting to the movement on the screen, but there is a specific biological reason for this “interstellar” focus.
Cats possess a high flicker-fusion frequency, meaning they see more frames per second than humans do.
Modern televisions provide a smooth, lifelike motion that perfectly triggers their predatory instincts. For us, the Artemis II rocket was news-worthy information, and for cats it was the most high-stakes laser pointer in history.
So, What Does It Say About Your Cat?
Cats don’t give their focus freely. When they do, it’s earned.
That’s why we love Miles and his engagement with the Artemis II mission. It’s not just about a pet watching TV. It’s about catching a cat in a moment of pure engagement, the kind we usually miss because it happens when we’re not looking.
That is what we should take away from this story. Your cat isn’t ignoring the world. It’s just waiting for something worth watching.
Related: Sweet Rescue Dog Wins Over Feral Cat in Heartwarming Snuggle Session
This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Apr 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.