This one was smarter than your average feline - and don't kid yourself - cats are a lot smater than you think. This clever little furball managed to live the kind of double life most pets could only dream of, quietly convincing two different families that he belonged to them.
To one household, he was Simba - a beloved cat who wandered off now and then but always seemed to come back. To the other, he was Crazy Horse - a friendly visitor who showed up, made himself comfortable, accepted food, curled up like he owned the place, and slowly became part of the family.
Neither side realized they were loving and caring for the same cat until he came home needing stitches, and a trip to the vet revealed that someone else had already been taking care of him too.
Instead of turning the discovery into a fight, the two families chose the most wholesome ending possible: they agreed to share him, let him keep both names, and allowed him to continue living between both homes - proving that sometimes the cat doesn’t choose one family, he chooses all of them.
Outdoor cats end up splitting homes more often than a lot of people realize.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago we were in apartments and I let the cat in for the night. The phone rang and a woman said "Let my cat out of your apartment". I said "nobody here except our cat" and she replied "Im calling the police!". Thats right...accused of cat napping. The cop showed up and the lady right above us came charging out. After some carrying on it was apparent that puss was leading a double life. I told her the cat was hers...didnt like that particular cat anyway. The cop never said a word...probably reconsidering his choice of profession.
ReplyDeleteWe had a cat that did the same thing. When we moved he wouldn't come with us. Guess he liked the other family better!
ReplyDeleteSeveral neighbors' cats have become friends of my social cat family. They hang out, and when I bring out my cats' meals the cats summon their friends and say "That's *your* dish" and don't eat, or solicit food, until their friends do. When one neighbor was in the hospital and her husband stayed with her all the time, their cat just moved in. I always try to notify the human and encourage the visitor to eat at home...
ReplyDeleteSometimes they adopt cats who are meant to stay at the Cat Sanctuary at least until they find permanent homes, too...males, kittens, and *very* timid females are usually welcome, but a female cat who seems at all confident or assertive gets the evil eye!
It's worth checking on cats who just drop in and decide they like your home, though. One tomcat who used to visit my cats occasionally, but never stayed for dinner, suddenly came to stay. I inquired, and sure enough, he'd outlived his human.