Cat behavior is a great reminder that just because you think of some piece of property as yours, this is just a human legal formality and hardly applies anywhere else. Cat owners already know that their pets will range as far and wide as they can manage, but what is truly confusing is when one encounters a cat that isn’t even theirs.
The “My house, not my cat” Facebook page is dedicated to those hilarious, if unnerving moments when people come home to find a strange feline just hanging out. So get as comfortable as the cats here, upvote your favorites, and be sure to comment your thoughts below.
More info: Facebook
#1 I Now Apparently Have My Own Orange. This Dude Showed Up At My House, Ran Inside And Refused To Leave. No Microchip And No Claimants. He Now Responds To The Name Carrot Cake
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359points
#2 This Little Fluff Wandered In And Decided My Wife’s Crochet Basket Was A Comfortable Bed
It is my house, but she wasn’t our cat. Note the past tense. She is now our cat. This is how you get a cat
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320points
#3 This Is Bob. Bob Sits On The Porch And Meows Very Early Every Morning Until I Go Out And Fill Food Bowls
Some days Bob taps on the door with his paw so I will move faster. Bob is NOT my cat. I don't have a cat. Bob is feral and doesn't let me touch him....yet. I am only allowed to feed him
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318points
Like many solitary predators, cats are territorial. This might sound a bit strange, given that they tend to pay precisely zero rent, and, indeed, often actually cost their owners more in security deposits. But, in general, cats do understand the concept of territory and space, marking their own and fighting interlopers when they feel threatened.
What might make this entire thing somewhat difficult for humans, is the fact that cats, particularly outdoor cats, might decide that someone's house is now theirs and never mind that this person isn’t even their owner. However, as this list shows, many cats are at least quite chill around humans, which is fortunate, since they will literally fight, tooth and nail, for their own territory.
#4 Went To My Friend's House The Other Evening. She Went Through To The Kitchen To Make A Drink
Whilst she was in there, I shouted to her: “I think your cat likes me” she shouted back: “I don’t have a cat”, this is what she came back to
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304points
#5 My House Not My Cat
Sometime between the evening of 4/4 and the afternoon of 4/5: a feral momma gave birth to five beautiful munchkins in a box of clothes I had put on my patio to throw away. I feel chosen. I asked the angels for a “signer sign than usual” (lmao) the other day and I’ve been researching kittens and cats for years. I’m so ready to help these precious souls :’) (I’ll help by providing supportive care for the next three months, hopefully socializing the kittens and setting up shelter intake, then tackling tnr for the whole colony)
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292points
#6 My Work, Not My Cat This Is In A Truck Manufacturing Workshop With 30+ Guys And This Cat Is Adored By All And Gets So Much Attention It’s Hilarious
The cat used to be feral but has adopted us all!
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287points
If you are particularly unlucky, the cat that isn’t yours but is in your house will do its best to make it their own home with the cat legal code, i.e. marking their territory with urine. In best-case scenarios, the cat is marking just by walking around, as their paws have scent glands that other cats can detect. The fact that you can’t detect them doesn’t appear to make any sense. However, some male cats will also pee on your property, just to let you know who is in charge.
#7 These Two Showed Up On My Porch A Few Days Ago Looking For Food And Love
They wanted all the love and whenever my husband and I would go back inside, they would yowl at us until we came back out. I always saw them at the neighbors so we assumed they belonged to the neighbors, but after further inspection, they were kind of skinny, covered in fleas, and not fixed. Husband said no more cats! So I figured I could at least treat them for their fleas, feed them, and possibly TNR so they don't reproduce when they get older. I set up a little shelter for them as it was kinda cold out. When I woke up, I was sad to see that they were both gone. A few hours later though, my husband wakes up and I tell him how sad I am that they aren't on our deck anymore. My husband (Zack) then proceeds to smile and say "Well what if drunk Zack went outside, thought to himself 'Wow it's chilly outside. Let me call the kikis inside' and went 'here kikiki' and then both kitties came running and I grabbed them and threw them into the house?" at this point I don't believe him and walked downstairs because I'm the one that catnaps strays, not him lol. Well low and behold, these two orange babies are in our spare room. So no longer, my house, not my cat, but my house, my pumpkin and spice
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284points
#8 This Gorgeous Boy Had Been Coming To My House For Breakfast For Years
Jack was abandoned when his humans moved 7 or 8 years ago. I've been working with him for at least 5 years. As soon as he started coming inside my house, not my cat, I knew it was time. He was way too skinny and covered in fur mats. He has definitely become my cat. In the 7 or 8 weeks since he became mine, he's now fixed, has his vaccines, got a flea treatment, and had dental surgery. Now, we're working on putting some weight on him and integrating him into the household with the cats who were always mine
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261points
#9 This Frail Old Boy, Who Is Not My Cat, Is Always Trying To Get Into My House
I’ve just got out of the shower, and come downstairs to find him fast asleep on the sofa under my daughter’s blanket. Looks like he’s here for the day!
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250points
Actual cat owners will note that, unlike most of us, cats really do like to use the entire three dimensions of space in the room. While we mostly sit on some objects mere feet from the ground, cats will “guard” their territory from the highest point they can find. If some of your items need to be pushed aside, then so be it.
#10 My Husband… Not Our Cat
This is Symba a local street cat, he has a home a bit of a trek away but he has taken to spending time with our cats. We’ve had some pretty rainy weather and he’s decided this lap is warmer and drier than being outside or making his way home! We are in regular contact with the owner who is grateful that he gets some extra love when he’s not there
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238points
#11 Not My Cat Caught Breaking Into My Bathroom. He's Very Cute, Very Rowdy And Didn't Apologize For Barging In
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238points
#12 Shortly After We Moved To A New Neighborhood, A Pretty Little Cat Showed Up At Our Door And Came Inside The House For A Tour
Over time, she visited us daily and she figured out if she went to my son’s basement window and looked in, he would let her in. Piper (as she is named by her owner who lives 2 doors down from us) now has a litter box, fountain water dish, a cat brush, her favourite cat food and cat nip at our house. My son recently moved out so I decided to get a motion sensor camera. Now when she’s at the basement window, I get a notification on my phone and let her in. Best $40 I ever spent. She’s got the best of both worlds between her owner and us, her second family
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221points
Interestingly, one factor that might push cats into “your” territory is competition with other cats. After all, hunting grounds, shelter, and water sources aren’t something cats like to share with their feline compatriots. So, in a sense, the “feline distribution system” might almost be a real, ecological phenomenon, where certain cats end up “pushed” into the hands of a human.
#13 My House, My Sleeping Teen, My Grey And White Cat (Lentils), But Not My Tabby
I got home from work to find my son asleep with one of our cats and this beefcake. It’s freezing cold and apparently this guy was crying at the door so my son just let him in. Update: the beefy boy is unaltered but way to friendly to not have people or have once had people. He ate a lot of food, watched a couple of movies with us, and eventually around midnight went to the door wanting back out. Temps were higher and the freezing rain had stopped so I let him back out. He was an absolute perfect gentleman. Lentils is chill af and even Kismet, our resident tabby about half the size of this guy, tolerated him with only a few swat
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221points
#14 My Mother-In-Law Heard Meowing And Opened The Door And This Baby Waltzed Right In
Hasn’t left my daughter's side. The cat distribution system chose her and they are keeping her. (at her dad's house) no idea where she came from. No one claimed her on Facebook when a post was made. So yeah. Here is Socks. The multi-toed baby. We gave them 2 cat trees we had extra and some toys. Ps- all her feet have at least 6 toes and one has 8!
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214points
#15 My House. My Rad Skeleton Dude, Gerald. Not My Cat. He Now Belongs To Gerald
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212points
#16 Left The Living Room, To Go Make Coffee In The Kitchen. Apparently I Left The Front Door Open Too. I Have 2 Cats. This Is Not One Of Them
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212points
#17 So This Guy Showed Up The Other Day. He Had A Chip, So With The Vets Help, We Were Able To Contact The Owner
It turns out that he stressed out their autistic son who put him out doors three months ago. Poor displaced guy.. I think we’ll try to give him a soft landing. Update: we’ve been in touch with the former owners family who were so grateful for his happy ending, they offered to pay his first vet bill
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203points
#18 I Told This Boy He Wasn’t My Cat For 2 Years. A Year And A Half Ago I Finally Caved And He Is Now My Cat. He Purrs Every Time I Tell Him He’s My Cat And He Has A Home
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201points
#19 Don't Even Know Who's This Guy Is But He Makes Himself Home Everyday
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197points
#20 Bought A Microchip Cat Flap To Stop Other Cats Coming In And Stealing Food
Felt sorry for this not my cat staring through the patio doors looking sad. Programmed it to the cat flap and now it comes and goes as it pleases, I'm too soft
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192points