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
#2
This Little Fluff Wandered In And Decided My Wife’s Crochet Basket Was A Comfortable Bed
#3
Went To My Friend’s House The Other Evening. She Went Through To The Kitchen To Make A Drink
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
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)
#5
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
#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!
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
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
#8
This Frail Old Boy, Who Is Not My Cat, Is Always Trying To Get Into My House
#9
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 ther
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
Not My Cat Caught Breaking Into My Bathroom. He’s Very Cute, Very Rowdy And Didn’t Apologize For Barging In
#11
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
#12
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
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 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!
#14
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
#15
My House. My Rad Skeleton Dude, Gerald. Not My Cat. He Now Belongs To Gerald
#16
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
#17
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
#18
Don’t Even Know Who’s This Guy Is But He Makes Himself Home Everyday
#19
I Called My Cat In From The Dark. He Came Running In. Turned In The Lights… This Is Not My Cat
He was very confused to be in a strange house but friendly. My cat was waiting by the door and not impressed to see that I was holding another cat
#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
#21
Two Weeks Ago, I Came Home Late And Heard The Neighbour’s Cat Meowing Repeatedly And Roaming In Front Of The House
I opened the door to let her to her house through our garden and went to bed. When I woke up, she was still there, and came for cuddles. « babe, it’s not the neighbours’ cat » said my husband. « we can’t keep her », I said, « Obéron will not let her stay ». She never left. We found out she’s not chipped and that no one has come forward in these two weeks (despite numerous posters and social media research, as one does), and Obéron didn’t in fact kick her out. She’s the sweetest cat ever, she snores and has no counter etiquette. Meet Catherine de Valois. My house, my cat?
#22
My Wheels, Not My Cat. She Really Wants To Get In My Hallway (Forbidden!) And Her New Tactic Is Waiting By My Door And Hopping Onto My Lap In The Hope Of A Free Ride In
#23
I Only Have One Grey Cat (The One In The Middle) And There Are At Least Two Identical Ones In My Neighborhood Who Keep Coming Into My House
Today I caught all three of them in the same place
#24
In This Photo Are A Nmc And A Mc Hanging Out In My House Together. Orange Tabby Is A Stray Nmc. It Is Over 110 Degrees Here In Phoenix I Couldn’t Leave Him Out In The Heat, Could I?
#25
Uh, Not Sure Whose Cat This Is Or Why It Is In My Bathroom, But I Should’ve Knocked First I Guess
#26
This Little Man Ran Into My Apartment When I Went To Go Outside. He Arrived On The 21st Of October. His Name Is Octavius But I Call Him 21 Savage
He’s honestly the best and so loving. My house and now my cat
#27
Went Upstairs To Make My Bed. This Fella Says No. My House, My Bedroom, My Duvet… … You Guessed It. Not My Flippin Cat
#28
This Handsome Fella Keeps Using My Cats’ Cat Door To Let Himself Into My House
His favorite time to do so is 3am. He always announces his arrival, then eats my cats’ food (right in front of them), and then leaves. If he had a little hat on his furry head, I’m sure he’d tip it on the way out
#29
My House, Not My Cat. He Comes And Goes
Neighbors don’t know him but I believe he is living elsewhere too. Today on my kitchen island. We call him Agent Misifu
#30
Found This Cat In Labor On My Porch Today
If I leave her side she freaks all the way out and she won’t let anyone else near her so I’m currently being held hostage in my hallway by a cat that’s not mine. I call this one “Nurse, I smell pizza.”
#31
My Balcony, Not My Cat
#32
Everyone, Meet Louie. He’s My Landlord’s Cat, And Even Though He Lives In A Different House He Comes And Hangs Out With Me Every Day
#33
Definitely “My House Not My Cat”
My House, I Guess It’s Now My Cat
I noticed a cat had been sleeping on my chair on my back porch, so I started leaving food out. The food was demolished every time, so I tried to get a glimpse of who was eating it. I realised it was a stray tuxedo cat I’d seen at night about a year ago. I recognised him because he’d lost his tail. Poor thing was so skinny and scrawny, and absolutely terrified of humans. I thought we’d never get close. After about a month of leaving food out, my partner sat and waited. The cat finally ran up and ate, hissing between mouthfuls as my partner gently patted his head. Next feed time I tried to pet him, and he switched from feral to love bug, head-butting me and meowing for food. Since then he’s officially moved in. He’s such a good cat, no trouble at all. Sleeps on our bed all night without disturbing us, sleeps on the couch while we watch TV, asks to go out when he needs to. My guess is he was someone’s pet and got abandoned for some reason. He’s gone from scrawny and starving to semi-chonk. I’m trying to regulate his feeding, just hard to say no when I know he starved for a long time. Still deciding on a name
#35
I Finally Got One! Neighbour’s Ex-Barn Cat
#36
Mama Cat Still Bringing Kittens Because She Knows They Will Get A Good Meal
#37
My Washing Machine. Not My Cat
#38
I Got Home From Work And Found This Interloper On My Dining Room Table
#39
Not My Cat. Or Should I Say… Wasn’t My Cat
I already have a bunch of cats, including a couple of oranges. But when a feisty orange boi meows at your door, you let him in. He got chipped, clipped, and vaxxed yesterday. I have attempted to find his family, to no avail. It appears he may have been abandoned. He is desperate to get back outside. But it’s in the 30s, with high winds, so I’m trying to convince him to settle for a life of love and comfort. Anyway. His name is Toulouse. Lou, for short
#40
Was Staying In A Gorgeous Farmhouse In West Cork When This Sweet Little Girl Bounded In & Made Herself Comfy On The Sofa
Twenty-four hours later and she has made us proud proxy grandparents to a miniature cowcat & a tiny tuxed… Best farm stay ever!!! P.S. We had to relocate the little family, and mama was perfectly ok with us gently handling her bebes
#41
My Carport, Not My Cat
This kitten has taken over my carport and will yell at anyone until pets have been given. She also will nibble your fingers until you give her a chin scratch. We think she came from a litter of kittens down the block but for some reason, they’ve kicked her out. My husband ended up feeding her so she may be our cat now, not quite sure
#42
This Guy Is All Banged Up From Fighting With Other Strays. He Decided To Take A Rest In My Bed
He’s dirty and bloody and pretty yucky. I’ll let him rest. He lets me pet his head a little. That’s it
#43
My Bathroom, My Bath Mat. Definitely Not My Cat…. Can Confirm Definitely A Cat Since He Kept Me Company While I Went To The Loo
#44
Came Home From School Drop Off, Opened My Door, And Here You Go! I Don’t Own Any Cat
