Outdoor cats tend to live double lives, leaving their owners in the dark about what happens while they're out of the house. But thanks to a voicemail from a neighbor, one pet parent learned more about her cat's day-to-day when not at home.
TikTok user @boydzoe shared in a November 11 video an audio clip of a voicemail from her mother's neighbor who was visited by the cat, Shirley. The neighbor's tone made it seem like she was slightly concerned about what Shirley was doing, but she didn't stop the cat. She leaned into her demands, making Shirley think she could get away with a second life.
The day started with Shirley waltzing over to the neighbor's home and walking in like she "owns the place." Shirley immediately started crying for food as if she had been deprived of it for years. She knew how to work the room because the neighbor put out dry food for the cat.
The neighbor continued to give Shirley's owner a play-by-play of what the cat was doing in the house. She made herself comfortable by finding a resting spot in the closet. She also drinks water from the toilet despite the neighbor leaving water bowls out for her. It's her world and the neighbor is simply obliging.
The video's caption reads: "Voicemails from my mom's neighbor part 2: Shirley? An absolute diva."
If Shirley's owner didn't know what the cat was up to before, now she does. Shirley is schmoozing her way through the neighborhood.
A more recent clip revealed the neighbor called again. She wanted to confirm Shirley made it home after she broke up a cat fight. The neighbor was unsure if one of the fighting cats was Shirley. At least the owner can rest easy knowing someone else is looking after Shirley.
The clip garnered over 166,300 views and 28,400 likes on TikTok. People were impressed with Shirley's ability to infiltrate the neighbor's home without repercussions.
"Shirley does what Shirley wants to do and she's fabulous," commented a viewer.
Shirley's not the only cat to weasel her way into another family as someone wrote: "I love how cats will leave a perfectly great home head to the neighbors and pretend like they are neglected."
Others loved how concerned the neighbor seemed: "Shirley has this lady STRESSED."
Another added: "I love how she sounds inconvenienced, but also does things like leave out water for your cat."
Newsweek reached out to @boydzoe via TikTok for additional comment.
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