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Viktorija Ošikaitė

50 Hilariously Unexpected “My House, Not My Cat” Moments (Best-Of-All-Time Edition)

Toby Marley

Being a homeowner (or just a home-dweller in general) means that you probably have a list of must-haves that you just can’t live without.

However, what do you do when there is a house that you currently inhabit, but there is also a thing that you don’t own, but it popped up anyway? Like, it’s your house, but not, say, your cat?

This particular phenomenon has become a meme of sorts, and the photos just keep on coming and coming. Scroll down, you’ll see what I mean.

#1 I Opened My Front Door Today, And A Flea-Covered, Cuddly, Sweetheart Came Running In

I was in such shock that I first thought one of my own was getting out! She's currently trapped in the bathroom being an adorable kitten, and tomorrow we go to the vet. My dog is already hoping we keep her UPDATE!!! SHE HAD A CHIP!!! Her family lost her almost 2 Years Ago!!!! Mom was in TEARS. I'm so very selfishly sad, but I just made a whole family incredibly happy

Image credits: Heather Nicole Creech

#2 This Is My Garden. These Were Not My Cats. But They Are Now

Mamala, the tortie, hung around for years bringing various kittens into the yard to show them off and have a quick meal, then scurry away. We could admire them from afar, but could never touch her. Finally she brought these 4 beauties to us and decided to stay in the yard. One cold snowy winter day, she and the kids walked through our slider into our bedroom and two years later she's still with us with two of the babies. All are now spayed and neutered. Two found homes elsewhere. After living rough and being almost continuously pregnant for years she's decided she never wants to go outside again. Never once has she asked to.

Image credits: Barbara Markus

#3 This Is Ac The Tunnel Cat

The not my cat, turned my cat after being found in my air conditioning vent. He quickly became obsessed with my pregnant belly, and is now obsessed with the small human that I clearly created just for him

Image credits: Ciara Ann

Since nearly anything these days can be called a meme, as long as it’s viral and reproduces easily as a concept, it’s safe to say that “my house, not my cat” has become somewhat of a meme in the past few years.

If you don’t believe me, example number one, example number two, example number three… need I say more?

#4 Gave This Guy A Piece Of Bacon On My Way Home From The Bar Last Night. Followed Me Ten Blocks Home. This Is How I Woke Up

Image credits: Sheridan Branting

#5 My House. Not My Cat. It Only Took 10 Years, But One Of Our Long Term Ferals We Have Cared For Just Crawled Into My Lap. I've Never Felt More Honored

Image credits: Brigitte Baker

#6 Stanley Update! To Recap, Stanley Was A Stray Who Would Visit The House To Be Fed. He Sometimes Would Appear On The Windowsill Or The Balcony

Last week we found him in front of the house, something terrible had happened to him so we brought him to the vet. The vet had to remove his eye. He's been recuperating in our spare room since. Yesterday I brought him back to the vet to have his stitches removed, get him neutered and updated on vaccines, deworming etc. The vet said he's healing up really well and that he's put on weight! He's wearing a shirt because he kept licking the anti tick and flea meds on his nape (he doesn't seem to mind at all, he's walking around like he wears shirts everyday). We have decided to keep him, he'll never be allowed outside again. He's such a sweet cat, he loooves belly rubs and doesn't bite. Next step is to introduce him to our sassy tortie girl. Please tell him how hambsome he looks

Image credits: Rosie Coyne

“My house, not my cat” has a simple premise: it’s a piece of visual content that captures a cat, usually domesticated, but not necessarily, inside someone’s home, but that particular someone doesn’t own a cat. Or if they do, this specific one is not theirs. And then you’re left with the confusion of finding out whose cat is it anyway, let alone how it got there.

#7 Woke Up To This Today

Not my cat, still have no idea how she gets in… but she has claimed my pillow as hers… and she purrs like a tractor

Image credits: Annelie Birtner

#8 My Kitchen, Not My Cat. My Older Cat Escorted Him In Through The Kitty Door And Walked Him Over To The Food Bowl!

Image credits: Pat Bathe

#9 This Is Swirl Who Was My Cat, The Kitten Is Not

He loved kittens and would steal people's kittens and bring them home. He's no longer with us so I miss those days of coming home to a random kitten in the house

Image credits: Lisa Kitchens

But, let’s start at the beginning. There’s a behavior that cats have called roaming. Just like humans with a healthy mindset, cats too love to just walk around all the time. But not down a particular path, but rather to wander. Also, just like humans sometimes do, I guess. This is completely normal behavior in cats—they, again, like humans, love their independence and know what’s around.

#10 My Husband. Not My Cat. She Wandered In And Became Miss Steal Yo Man. This Was Last Night. She's Still Here Today.... I Don't Think She Has Plans To Leave

Image credits: Brenda Evangelista

#11 I Have Been Feeding A Cat For Some Time Now. Of Course I Set Out A Little Shelter And Blanket Also. I've Grown To Call Them My Phantom Kitty. I Could Never Catch It During The Day So I Figured I Would Sneak Out To Take A Peek Tonight. Look At This "Cat"

Image credits: Michelle Slater

#12 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!

Image credits: Greg Hook

The reason cats roam is because they are curious. Simple as that.

That’s how they keep themselves entertained all the while being up to date with what’s happening in their immediate (and not entirely immediate) surroundings. By seeing new things, they can anticipate whether their territory is safe.

#13 It Only Took A Few Months For Amelia Pond To Go From “My House, Not My Cat” To “How’d You Get So Fat?!?”

For more than 20 years we’d been a dogs-only family. One day about 4 1/2 years ago, Amelia decided it was time to change that. She randomly showed up at our house, super skinny but otherwise very healthy...and then never left We really think she was dumped, because she was SO super friendly and *completely* unafraid of people...she SPRINTED inside the house the moment we opened the door, and jumped in our laps! Now she’s living as a cat should be, rotund and lazy and happy

Image credits: Emily Warren

#14 My House, Not My Cat. Came Home Yesterday To Find That Santa Left This Black Kitty On My Balcony... Who Then Proceeded To Give Birth To 7 Little Beans. 7 Black Cats Born On Christmas, That's Gotta Be Lucky

Image credits: Amanda Short

#15 I Was Told To Come Here And Tell Y’all About What Happened Over The Last 12 Hours At My House, With This Cat That Is Not My Cat, And Now These Kittens That Are Not My Kittens Or Her Kittens

So about 1:00 this morning, I went outside and this cat, that is not my cat, meows, so I call it, and it comes right to me. Now first, we have dogs, lots of dogs, and 2 are neighbors’ dogs that live outside, and yet somehow, this tiny cat just strolls right up and none of the dogs even move. Second, we live in the country and we know all our neighbors and their cats, and this is not their cat. Third, when I pick her up, it’s apparent that she has had kittens recently. So now I’m standing outside at 1:00 AM, holding this very friendly cat that has apparently been dumped at my house, and is somehow magical and able to sneak past sleeping dogs. But now I have to carry her past the 2 outside dogs and the 6 inside dogs to get her somewhere safe.... She is absolutely fine with the whole thing. Stays snuggled in my arms. Purrs. I’m not convinced that this is real, that I’m not dreaming. So I feed the magic cat and start looking for kittens. Y’all, I searched for nearly 7 straight hours. I even enlisted my Terrier mix in the hunt. (She could find baby mice in a snowstorm with earmuffs on.) I even walked the property playing kittens meowing sounds on my phone. So this is the bad news, we live in the country and the likelihood of the babies being ok with all the predators here is slim, and she may have been dumped without them. So I am not giving up looking, but now I’ve got a potential surrogate mom cat. And y’all, I’ve bottlefed kittens and if there’s a chance for a surrogate, trust me, worth it. I reached out to my rescue friends and managed to get her lined up to be a surrogate mom to 3 orphaned kittens before noon. Unfortunately, the vet check showed that she has a lot of parasites and she’s going to have to wait 3 days before she can meet her new babies. But the vet said she should still be able to feed the babies then. So now this cat that is not my cat is not at my house anymore, she’s getting well so she can meet the kittens that are not her kittens. Told you she was magic. And I need a nap.

Image credits: Karyl Alderman

From a biological perspective, hormones also give an idea why. Especially if the cat hasn’t been spayed or neutered. Males will roam about looking for a mate, while others might just have a strong hunting instinct. This can be both a good or a bad thing as cats are to some extent considered an invasive species as they do hunt down small animals like birds, mice and lizards, but they can help get rid of pests at home, so there’s that.

#16 My Neighbours Cat Arrives With A Meow At 7am And Stays The Whole Day Until Said Neighbour Texts Me At 5pm Asking For Her Cat Back

Image credits: Keiran Currah

#17 I Left The Door Open A Moment Too Long When I Got Home One Day And This Little Goob Sprinted Inside, Circled The Living Room, And Plopped On The Floor

The first pic is what I sent to my family asking what to do about a random cat in the apartment. I lured him back outside with a packet of salmon, and all he wanted was cuddles and to go back inside. So yeah, that’s the story of how I got adopted. He still takes very good care of me to this day

Image credits: Lauren Simmons Lewis

#18 My House, Not My Cat

I recently moved to a new house. About a week or so of living here I was coming home from the grocery store so I propped the door open so I could carry in my groceries. As I was heading back outside I noticed a kitty run into my house so I got my last bags and took them to the kitchen quick and went to see where the cat went. I found him like this (the first pic) in my living room. So I gave him some pets and then ended up like this (2nd pic) for the next hour. He’s so sweet. He kept coming over every day to watch tv on my lap and then going to the door to leave when he was ready. He was wearing a collar but it had no tags so I decided to write a little note and attach it to the collar. I asked if he had a home and what his name was. The very next day he returned with a note back saying his name was Finn and his address which was 4 houses down & also a phone number saying to text if I wanted to so I did. We were texting about the cat on and off all day and then we came to realize that we actually knew each other from high school. Which I thought was hilarious. Anyways, I now share custody of Finn and he is just the sweetest boy and I look forward to seeing him every day!

Image credits: Joanne Gentzler

Now, cats are known to traditionally roam a radius of around 130 to 650 feet (or 40 to 200 meters) from their homes. At least the domestic ones who have garden space to enjoy. Farm cats, however, can roam as far as 2 miles away from home.

Since they are also territorial, they might be roaming the area that way, but urban cats have been known to share their surroundings, keep to their gardens and only roam at specific times so as to avoid conflict.

#19 First Photo: This Was Not My Cat, He Just Entered My House And Slept In My Bed Second Photo: Now He Climbs Me Third Photo: He's Definitively My C A T T O Now

Image credits: Pedro Augusto

#20 This Is Homer!

"My partner and I met him probably 5 years ago, we never knew who he belonged to, so we fed him and he would spend most of the night with us, he ended up being my neighbours cat and his real name was “a**hole” (we named him homer we didn’t know what his name was) last year we ended up moving to a new town 3 hours away from where we used to live, it was really hard to leave homer behind, we loved him and cared for him almost like he was our own, my partner travels to melbourne and visits him sometimes! Well a few weeks ago, our old neighbour contacted us and said he was moving and going to work in the mines and that he was looking at rehoming Homer, so of course we said yes! So In a few days our little grey man will be reuniting with us and we are so excited!"

Image credits: Sarah Lynch

#21 This Is My Glass Of Water, This Is My House, This Is Not My Cat Drinking My Water In My House , This Is My Neighbours Cat Ted!

Image credits: Anne Mullis

And because cats are liquid—not really, but the internet definitely has ideas—it’s understandable how they can get into a house. Easy mode is when you have a doggy (or kitty… or any other appropriate pet) door and they just use that. However, on other occasions, they might use anything from an open window to a basement crack to flat out using a chimney.

#22 Not My Cat Provided Me With 13 Not My Kittens This Year. She Is Now Not My Spayed Cat

Image credits: Linda Stearns

#23 This Tiny Guy Showed Up In My Loft On The Full Snow Moon In February After I Had Left The Patio Door Open Accidentally

He has a wonky eye, but it doesn't bother him. He never left, despite our efforts to find his home. Now he lives inside with us and eats fancy cat food and sleeps in my daughter's bed...meet Sage!

Image credits: Tiffany Horne

#24 My House, Not My Cat... Not My Ducks Either

Image credits: Susan Glass

Stray cats or cats in a more dire situation than domesticated ones tend to hang around homes or even flat out B&E them because they lack the basic physical needs: they need shelter, food or water. If it’s a storm outside, of course they will try to run away from all the wetness and loud flashes. In that case, there are ways to approach it and it is often OK to even feed and care for them. With caution, of course.

#25 Came Home From Kroger To Hear Some Screaming, And Found This Little Guy Running Around

Image credits: Sajoel Hauberg

#26 3 Years Ago On Bonfire Night This Void Yelled Out From The Void Of My Damn Walls/Roof. My Wall Vent, Not My Cat

Image credits: Bethany Burnett

#27 Soooo, This Is My Car, That Is Not My Cat

He belonged to the neighbor, but she never let him in the house, so I created a place for him in my garage. I left the windows down one night, this is what I came to the next morning. I haven’t seen him in close to two months, when today, I see him up for adoption on a cat rescue site listed as a tripod (he recently lost a leg). They called him Sammy , which was the name of my neighbor’s cat. I’m so excited to have found him again. So, I put in an application to adopt him. Maybe he’ll actually be my cat after all

Image credits: Amelia Markgraf

But if the cat is domesticated, they don’t really have the urge for survival like stray cats do, yet they will still come to people’s homes. That’s because it’s good for cats to do that—it stimulates their mind and gives them new experiences. It ties in with that curiosity complex that they have. And if the families they visit also end up giving them treats, hey, there’s an even greater reason for them to come back!

#28 This Is Mr. Black. He Is Our Neighbours Cat Who Visits Us Every Day. He Is Not Ours But He Thinks He Is!! Here He Is Doing The Biggest Blep. He Has A Natural Snaggletooth

Image credits: Aimi Mori

#29 I've Been Working On Finding This Girls True Home

Fb pages, took her to see if she's chipped. Etc (she did have an old collar, but no tags). She is obviously pregnant, and today she started bleeding heavily, I took her to the vet and they told me her 1 kitten has passed away. So Tomo. She will have surgery to have the baby removed and to be spayed. I cannot afford this but have such a heavy heart about this kitty. So we do what we must.

Image credits: Taylor Dison

#30 My Kitchen…. Absolutely Not My Cat…. Think She’s Expecting Food?

Image credits: Annelie Birtner

So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Do you love roaming cats and would like them to visit your house? Share your takes and stories in the comment section below!

And also be sure to visit example number one, example number two, example number three…

#31 Not My Cat! I Guess She Heard I Feed Strays And Was Quite Demanding….later I Discovered She Was Eating For 4!

Image credits: Vanessa Carroll Chai

#32 This Is My Patio And My Budgie, But Not My Cat

He showed up one spring hoping to mate with my two girl cats. But my girls are fixed and are permanently not in “the mood”. After breaking into my house, eating all the cat food and spraying, I looked into taking him to the Cats Home. They said he would most likely be put down as they felt he might not be easily adopted. So I decided to keep him. I buttered him up with food until I could pet him and booked him in with the vet to be neutered and microchiped. His name is Oskar and he’s been with us for 6 years.

Image credits: Roxe McCarthy

#33 My Mom Sent Me This, Neither Of These Cats Belong To My Parents

Image credits: Carrie Lawsterbunny

#34 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.

Image credits: Alex Petrovic

#35 She Is Not My Cat. She Is Chaos

This girl often sneaks into my house, eats my cats food, naps on my favorite chair and violently tries to style my morning bed head while try to peacefully drink coffee.

Image credits: Jessie Heidelberg

#36 My House. My Porch. My Packages. Not My Cat. I Think This Is Part Of A New Program Through Amazon Prime... "Securikitteh". Because Nobody Messes With My Packages. N O B O D Y

Image credits: Brigitte Baker

#37 Hobocat, Pork Chops, And Friends

So those that have been following me and Hobo Cat... Hobo Cat now has brought a friend along .... who i have named Pork Chop.... Pork Chop is also not my cat... not quite as feral as Hobo Cat. But they eat together... Only arrive at night Never see them during the day... Pork Chop came late yesterday and brought a possum along which was eating next to Pork Chop... Hobo Cat sometimes arrives with a deer, which I posted pics of.. Some strangeness going on Opossum, raccoons, and Mr Fox now come as well

Image credits: Jimmy Lynch

#38 Doing Dishes And Glance Out The Window These Are Not My Cats

Image credits: Morgan Wilson

#39 My House, Not My Cat

I live in Phoenix, AZ. In February 2019, we saw an orange blob on the house camera feeding from the feral cat feeding bowl. *start photos top left* I posted on the Nextdoor app “hey, is this your cat?”... no reply for about two weeks so I kept posting daily pics. Short story, I finally found his owner and she said “yep, that’s my cat.” But Sam... he just would not stop hanging around our house - day in and day out... he would get in my car, he would lay on our doormat to be sure to not miss our arrivals, and many days of watch him on the ring doorbell sitting - staring. I finally let him in. We called him Cinnamon. And he loved his new home. LOVED. I called the owner and she said “he chose you.” We brushed him, he really blossomed and played and slept with the other pets. I would post funny instagram stories of “random not my cat” things and multiple Facebook posts of “look at this crazy neighbors cat.” In November, he grew ill, so I called his owner and said “Sam is sick... I just wanted you to know.” My husband and I took him to the vet and they gave him a few days to live... so we went through his bucket list 1. Eat tuna, 2. sit in sunny window on forbidden kitchen counter, and finally 3. lay outside under the big tree where we brought him Squeeze Up treats and bowls of ice water. Cinnamon/Sam lasted a week - kidney failure. Sometimes - my house, not my cat... just isn’t what it seems. I still miss that freeloading fool. *end photos bottom right* November 2019 Love couldn’t save him