CAT LIVES DOUBLE LIFE AND HELPS OWNER AND NEIGHBOURS BECOME PEN PALS
As we all cat owner’s have experienced, cats don’t live by the rules and like to disappear and reappear sometimes with some weird objects to bring home.
Cat owner Zack King always wondered where his furry friend Billy disappeared to. King assumed Billy was doing normal cat things, such as chasing mice and exploring new things in the nature, however he soon discovered that was not it and that Billy was living a double life just around the corner.
Billy has the freedom to come and go as he pleases through a cat flap. One day in October, when Billy was inside, King’s girlfriend Olga noticed a folded piece of paper covered in plastic wrap attached to his collar.
Carefully unwrapping the note, the two were surprised to find that the note was written by one of their neighbours. “Your cat likes to come visit us when he is outside. He will sit at the door and meow to be let in. It’s actually hilarious and we love him! We have no idea where he’s coming from. What’s his name? We call him Billy. From your friendly neighbours!”
The couple decided to reply to the friendly note and attached it to Billy’s collar with the hopes that it would make it to the original sender. “We’re so glad he’s making friends with the neighbours. And his name is Billy! So you guessed right. Give him lots of chin scratches!”
But soon after replying, Billy returned with another note. The neighbours soon became great friend and now months later, the neighbours are still pen pals sending each other tips, tricks and just a friendly how you doing through Billy. “We've shared TV and Netflix recommendations, podcast suggestions, and home cooking ideas,” King reveals. “We have no idea who or where the neighbour is. We could ask for details but [there’s] no need—it's nice to have some mystery sometimes.”
In the beginning of the new year, the anonymous neighbour got Billy a “proper mailbag” which is a plastic heart container that attaches to his collar with elastic bands.
Billy is still busy with postcat duties. However the sweet interactions have become less frequent due to the fact that the weather is colder and Billy is spending more time indoors.
But for Billy’s parents, the unexpected friendship came at a time when they both needed it the most. “We were in a bit of a slump as the nights got colder and darker and restrictions and lockdowns kept us at home, so it was a real joy. To be honest, Billy's a joy anyway. But this was something unexpected, intriguing, and very welcome indeed!”