'Friendly' Cat Approaches Girl at Park, Hysterics Over Warning on Collar
A cute scene at a local park quickly turned into a moment of internet gold when a girl encountered a sociable cat.
In a Reddit post, her parent shared that she asked to take the friendly cat home, leading to a hilarious discovery on its collar. The post, which has received 64,000 upvotes, has prompted laughter online while igniting a broader debate about outdoor cats in general.
"A very friendly cat approached my daughter at the park and she asked if she could take him home," the poster, u/xxMVRCKxx, wrote. "We checked the collar and found this gem. I guess this same scenario plays out multiple times a day." The "gem" in question? A collar tag with the message: "I'm nice, I like the park, please don't steal me."
Stock image: An orange cat roams outside.
Stock image: An orange cat roams outside.
Dontsov/Getty Images
This funny warning resonated with many cat owners who understood the allure of a friendly outdoor cat.
"I had a cat sneak into my garage one day. No collar. I gave him some water, some lunch meat, and sent him on his way," one person shared. "He showed up a few days later looking for more turkey. This time, he had a collar. The tag said, 'Unless I am in danger, leave me alone.' So, he got no turkey. Dude was big mad."
Many users also pointed out the basic etiquette of coming across collared cats. "A cat having a collar at all is a pretty universal sign that the cat already has a human and is either lost or an outdoor cat," one person commented. Another user shared a smart strategy for their own outdoor cat: "We put our kitty's name, address and our phone number on one side of the tag with a flip side that said, 'special diet— please no food,' so she always came home. It worked for 15 years!"
Beyond the amusement, the post unexpectedly sparked a debate in the comments section about the ethics of allowing cats outdoors. This discussion revealed certain cultural differences in pet care practices between the U.S. and U.K.
"I didn't realize this was such a big deal to Americans," one Redditor commented. "In the U.K., it's the opposite—generally it's considered cruel to keep cats from roaming. Certainly, nobody would assume they can take home any cats they find...I think I'd rather we went down the U.S. route to be honest, I hate how many birds get killed."
The intensity of the debate led another user to a sarcastic conclusion: "Congratulations everyone. Due to all the comments on this lighthearted post, the entire world has unanimously agreed to keep all their cats inside. I want to wish everybody who commented about how psychotic it is to let your cat outside a very good job well done."
Whether you're a proponent of indoor-only cats or believe in supervised outdoor access, this cat's collar message is an adorable example of a pet with a clear message for curious strangers.
Newsweek reached out to u/xxMVRCKxx for comment via Reddit.
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