A pet owner has captivated the internet with a story of finding a feline lounging on their porch, except it wasn’t one of their cats at all.

Reddit user u/iscariots, who lives in a rural area, shared their discovery in the subreddit “not my cat,” where the post quickly gained traction, amassing 58,000 upvotes. The black and white tuxedo cat appeared out of nowhere and made itself right at home.

“This is not my cat. I have never seen this cat in my life. This cat is in my house and acting like we’ve been blood brothers for years,” the user wrote.

Accompanying the post were photos of the “friendly” cat lying on its back, completely at ease.

The poster said in a subsequent comment that they had owned cats their entire life, and currently owned three.

They confirmed that they had checked with their closest neighbor, but the feline did not belong to them. Determined to find the cat’s rightful owner, they have continued their search.

Providing more context, they explained that their home often attracts animal visitors.

They mentioned that the porch contained a toy, which the tuxedo cat had immediately taken an interest in.

According to the poster, the toy is usually kept there because a local stray cat enjoys playing with it, and they speculated that the cat had never encountered catnip before, given how excited it was.

They further shared that in the past year alone, their home had welcomed several animal visitors, including two dogs, three cats, and a very friendly hedgehog. In most cases, they had successfully reunited these animals with their owners, with the exception of one stray cat and the hedgehog, both of whom now reside in their garden.

Believing that the tuxedo cat was too well-groomed and friendly to be a stray, the poster shared photos in a nearby village Facebook group in an effort to locate its owner.

For those who encounter an unknown cat, PetMD recommends taking the following steps:

• Observe: Check for signs of illness or distress.
• Check for ID: Look for a collar or tags with owner details.
• Scan for a Microchip: A vet or shelter can check if the cat has been chipped.
• Ask Around: Post in local community groups and speak to neighbors.
• Provide Temporary Care: Offer food and shelter if necessary, while searching for the owner.
• Contact Animal Services: If no owner is found, reach out to shelters or rescue organizations for guidance.

Reddit users were quick to react to the heartwarming post, many joking that the cat appeared to have picked their new home and there was little the human could do about it.

“Enjoy your new friend,” one user wrote in a top comment, while another replied, “ahahah she’s been chosen to become a mom/dad lol.”

“You have been chosen for the Cat Distribution System,” wrote another.

Others shared their own experiences with unexpected feline guests.

One added, “Well, it is a very cute cat and does act like it owns the house already . . . . Are your other cats being hospitable? The problem with living in rural areas is that people often dump defenseless pets out there. The cat does seem quite happy to be there!”

Another Redditor shared their own experience, saying: “I live in a rural-ish area and people drop cats off all the time. Looks like this one chose you. It’s a tuxie do be prepared for a lifetime of crazies and unbreakable bond of love.”

A different user speculated: “Either one of your neighbors has a really cute cat or someone dumped theirs if you really live rurally. The cat’s very cute though!”

Newsweek reached out to u/iscariots for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.

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