With so many cats roaming around people’s houses like it's no big deal, you can’t help but wonder what’s going on in that feline mind. Don’t they ever feel a teeny tiny suspicious of strangers and foreign places that clearly are not their home? Where’s that apprehensive attitude cats are so well known for when you leave home for work?
To find out the possible reasons behind “not my cat” and “my cat, not my house” sightings that have grown very frequent recently, Bored Panda talked to Molly DeVoss, a certified feline training and behavior specialist who runs Cat Behavior Solutions agency.
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.”
In fact, the certified feline behaviorist said that she also was the owner of one such 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.”
“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.”
If you wonder whether it's a good idea to befriend that cute furball who keeps hanging around your home day after day, Molly said it’s indeed possible, but in some cases, not recommended. “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.”
“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 suggests that “it is best to discourage them from crossing your yard with humane deterrents.”
