Some cats are mysterious, but this one was practically living a double life. Ais, who lives in Ireland, where outdoor cats are everywhere, thought she had a handle on her tabby’s habits—until he strolled in one evening with a completely different collar. That’s when things got interesting—and she realized her cat had been moonlighting with a second family.
Ais, @aiscat, spotted something strange right away. Her orange cat strolled back home wearing a bright blue-and-orange collar with a bell. The problem was, she never put it on him. In fact, she’d tried collars before, and he always got rid of them. This one stayed on.
It didn’t take long for the truth to settle in. Her cat had adopted another home, and someone there liked him enough to collar him.
The video has already amassed 220k views and 6,000+ comments!
Ais mentioned something that made the new collar even weirder. Her cat absolutely hates collars. She had tried in the past, and he always managed to remove them within hours. But this one, bright and jingling, stayed on for days.
The new household either didn’t know he had another owner or didn’t care. Either way, the collar was a sign of comfort and familiarity. He had clearly made himself at home somewhere else.
Once the video went up, the comments rolled in. People weren’t just amused; they were familiar with the pattern. Cats choosing multiple households isn’t new, especially in areas where outdoor pets are standard.
However, some worried the collar meant someone thought the cat was abandoned. But that seemed unlikely. A healthy, well-fed, friendly orange cat doesn’t usually scream “stray.” More likely, he just walked in and acted like he owned the place. That is pretty standard behavior for a confident outdoor cat.
Freepik / In Ireland, it is normal for a cat to have outdoor freedom. Most cats spend their days wandering between yards, fields, and sometimes, other people’s houses.
The second household probably assumed he was an outdoor neighbor and decided to spoil him. That sort of thing happens often in cat-heavy areas. If the cat is happy, people don’t ask too many questions.
Unlike the U.S., Free-Roaming Cats Are Common in Ireland & UK
That might surprise pet owners in the U.S., where indoor-only cats are more common. In places like Ireland or the UK, it’s pretty normal to let your cat wander outside. Keeping them indoors all day just isn’t how most people do things.
But across the Atlantic, it’s a different story. In the U.S., groups like the ASPCA strongly recommend keeping cats inside full-time, citing everything from traffic to predators to disease. It’s all about safety—even if it means curbing a cat’s natural instincts.