Lala The Cat Is The Real Life Voice Actor For Stray

Although the objective is serious, with threats lurking around every corner, players and their pets have fallen for the little fur ball - and now they have a face to put to the voice.

As well as being able to nuzzle with companions, leap magnificently into cardboard boxes, and step across computer keyboards, playing as the cat means that gamers get to make use of a dedicated 'meow' button. Yes, really.

Needless to say, people have absolutely been using the 'meow' button to their heart's content - though, primarily to get a reaction out of their own pets at home.

After absolutely milking the adorable sound effect button for all its worth, players were almost star struck when they learned about the exceptionally talented voice actor behind it all.

Musician and coder Jankenpopp had the people of Twitter swooning when they revealed that we can thank Lala the cat for lending her voice to the character.

Sharing the news on Twitter, as well as a very precious but very professional photo of Lala, they wrote: "This is Lala, she's voice actor in the game #Stray which was released two days ago on ps5."

Lala quickly became a star, and fans of the game are already calling for the four-legged celebrity to win all of the awards for her performance.

"The cutest voice actor around! Thank you Lala!", tweeted one fan.

"Academy award for this girl. She really put the most into her performance", wrote another.

"So we all know who's receiving the best voice actor award" suggested a third.

“A huge portion of the team are cat owners - or owned by cats, depending on how you see it. We all have this loving relationship with our animals, but we also know very clearly how cats can have a bit of a… temper," he said.

“We also have cats in our office that work with us every day. Sometimes they turn off the computer when you're about to save your work, or start ‘singing’ during an important call. So it's a very nice reminder that even though they're absolutely cute and adorable, they also have their own personalities. Having that in the game was really important from the start.” 

A synopsis of the game reads: "Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten city.

"Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed, neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Roam surroundings high and low, defend against unforeseen threats and solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by curious droids and dangerous creatures.

"See the world through the eyes of a cat and interact with the environment in playful ways. Be stealthy, nimble, silly, and sometimes as annoying as possible with the strange inhabitants of this mysterious world.

"Along the way, the cat befriends a small flying drone, known only as B-12. With the help of this newfound companion, the duo must find a way out."

Stray is available to play on PlayStation 4 and 5, and on PC.