Megusta
Has your cat ever gone missing, then turned out they were chilling at their neighbors’ houses? Or have you been home to an unfamiliar cat lounging as if this was their house? A surprisingly huge number of cat and non-cat owners have reported the same situation online, causing a discussion about this weird, yet very cat-typical kind of phenomenon.
Scroll down for 30+ tweets of cats slinking in strangers’ homes and doing what they want!
(h/t: boredpanda)
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#1 Starting from Michael Hubank’s tweet that gained 308.7k likes, the post created a hilarious thread of people sharing their own peculiar stories with these furry friends.
Why do we call it ‘cat-typical’? Because according to cat logic, anything is possible, as long as cats feel like doing it, so there are no boundaries for how bizarre it may get.
A surprising fact is that felines who have more than one place to roam is not a rare occasion, as many of these fellows have many homes to visit, usually three to four houses in the neighborhood.
#2
Looking at the tweets, you might ignite some questions that all people sharing these stories have: Why do they do this? Don’t they feel suspicious of unfamiliar places and people that obviously are not their home? Aren’t they usually cautious and uneasy with things they don’t know?
#3
To discover and decode their behaviors, Molly DeVoss - a certified feline training and behavior specialist who runs the Cat Behavior Solutions agency, is here to give us the explanation we’ve been waiting for.
#4
Molly explained that “Cats are natural explorers and might wander into a different home looking for better food, a soft place to sleep, or hoping for some attention. This behavior indicates the cat is very trusting of humans, and is likely owned, rather than feral.”
#5
In fact, the certified feline behaviorist is just the same as people sharing the stories, as she was also the owner of a roaming cat: “I used to have an indoor/outdoor cat (named Quincy) who spent most of his time in a neighbor’s home. They would send me pictures of feeding him sushi and cuddling in bed with their daughter.”
#6
“Eventually when I moved, they agreed to keep him and care for him,” Molly recounted and added that “that was over 25 years ago, and today I do not allow my cats to free roam because there are so many outside dangers to them: diseases from other cats, cars, predators, people who don’t like cats, etc.”
#7
If a cat visits you frequently, should you befriend the feline and accommodate with food and shelter as a temporary owner? Molly said it is possible, but should be considered in some cases: “You can befriend any cat you see outside by providing tasty food, but it’s not recommended if you have cats living inside with you.”
#8
“When an indoor cat sees a cat outside, it is perceived as a potential territory invader and can cause redirected aggression to you or its roommate cats.” Molly suggested: “It is best to discourage them from crossing your yard with humane deterrents.”
#9
In conclusion, they visit you often because they feel safe around you and your house, or because you have furry friends they can come and play with, or … for no particular reason, they just feel like doing so! Whatever reason it may be, please be kind and gentle with the cats, so they can feel safe and continue to stop by.
