Cat Brings Its Parents A Note From The Neighbors He Visits, They Become Pen Pals With The Cat As Their Postman
The image of neighbors engaging in social contact has been fading like an old photograph from the middle of the 20th century. In 2000, Harvard public policy professor Robert Putnam published Bowling Alone, a study of the decline of trust in (American) communities. Putnam documented how, since World War II, people have slowly become more and more disconnected from the traditional civic institutions of American life—things like local government meetings, church services, voter participation, and union membership; technology has been “individualizing” leisure time, testing the bonds that hold society together. But you know who can save them from cracking? Cats.
Just take a look at Billy, for example.
His owner Olga Shipunova, 29, and her partner Zack King, 37, became pen pals with one of their neighbors, and it was all thanks to their furry little buddy. One evening, Billy returned to their home in Hackney, London, with a note tucked under his collar, and it just escalated wholesomely.
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Image credits: zack_a_king
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Billy is quite the character! “He is feisty, curious, and independent,” Zack told Bored Panda. “He’s friendly but affectionate on his own terms.”
As you can probably tell, the cat loves exploring the outdoors. “He has a cat flap so he comes and goes as he chooses. He has no timetable—sometimes he will be gone for a whole day or a whole night (he likes to mix things up). The only real trouble he makes is with the local mouse community. However, as he usually brings them back alive, we have humane traps so we are able to set them free again.”
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Image credits: zacharyking
Zack said the conversation is still going, but the pen pals have no plans to meet up. “To be honest, with modern communication all being online, it’s nice to have some mystery and intrigue,” he explained.
“With so many cats likely visiting other homes, maybe others should reach out via cat delivery,” he added.
Cats tend to be curious natural explorers. While some cats may be timid and downright wary of venturing into an unknown environment full of unfamiliar sensory experiences, many want to go outside especially once they have tasted the outdoor freedom. New sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and smells can really intrigue them. If your cat seems interested in venturing out (for example, waits longingly at the door), it is worth considering some of the potential advantages and disadvantages of outdoor life. After all, every cat and every situation is different.
Image credits: zack_a_king
Here are a few comments from people who went through the amusing thread
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A big upvote, love this, we are having a visitor, a Norwegian, she has another house, where she not gets the care and cuddles she needs , so she decided to live with us, have her cuddles here, her bed on a warm spot and enough food.. we love her..
"Billy lost his heart-shaped mailbag so we had to sit him down and discuss his purrformance."🤣🤣👌 13p-5ff41b...ddabdf.jpg 
Fish monger! I thought that was an old timely word! Reminds me of Corpse Bride! I love that people actually use that word.
Don't you, for a minute, think that Billy isn't an ambassador for love. He had this planned the moment he was born. Thanks for sharing this unique friendship.
Interestingly Billy is the word for cat in Hindi (one of the widely spoken languages in India)
I really like this. Sometimes I'm suspicious if a post is "real" - but this somehow this feels genuine.
I've met the whole family of the cat who decided to be my friend and comes over whenever she likes, and she's spoiled rotten at home, so not looking for love. So, yes, this must be true. They can be quite gregarious.
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We did exactly the same thing last month when a big, fluffy Norwegian Forest cat showed up at our door night after night. After two week, my daughters decided it was time to reach out. No collar, so we outfitted him with a small red & green "jester" collar that we had bought for our lab one Christmas when he was a puppy (did I mention he is a LARGE cat?) along with a note in tiny ziploc bag attached with twistie introducing ourselves. Phone call 3 hours later from his parents, everyone was laughing. Turns out his name is Mad Max, not "Chongas" as we'd taken to calling him. If we open the door, he pushes right in. Home Sweet Home Away From Home... :-)
My cat, Penny likes to visit houses in our local area. During the first lockdown a lady on our street set up a WhatsApp group and now several neighbours send me pics of Penny visiting them and we have regular cat chats.
A big upvote, love this, we are having a visitor, a Norwegian, she has another house, where she not gets the care and cuddles she needs , so she decided to live with us, have her cuddles here, her bed on a warm spot and enough food.. we love her..
"Billy lost his heart-shaped mailbag so we had to sit him down and discuss his purrformance."🤣🤣👌 13p-5ff41b...ddabdf.jpg
Fish monger! I thought that was an old timely word! Reminds me of Corpse Bride! I love that people actually use that word.
Don't you, for a minute, think that Billy isn't an ambassador for love. He had this planned the moment he was born. Thanks for sharing this unique friendship.
Interestingly Billy is the word for cat in Hindi (one of the widely spoken languages in India)
I really like this. Sometimes I'm suspicious if a post is "real" - but this somehow this feels genuine.
I've met the whole family of the cat who decided to be my friend and comes over whenever she likes, and she's spoiled rotten at home, so not looking for love. So, yes, this must be true. They can be quite gregarious.
Load More Replies... We did exactly the same thing last month when a big, fluffy Norwegian Forest cat showed up at our door night after night. After two week, my daughters decided it was time to reach out. No collar, so we outfitted him with a small red & green "jester" collar that we had bought for our lab one Christmas when he was a puppy (did I mention he is a LARGE cat?) along with a note in tiny ziploc bag attached with twistie introducing ourselves. Phone call 3 hours later from his parents, everyone was laughing. Turns out his name is Mad Max, not "Chongas" as we'd taken to calling him. If we open the door, he pushes right in. Home Sweet Home Away From Home... :-)
My cat, Penny likes to visit houses in our local area. During the first lockdown a lady on our street set up a WhatsApp group and now several neighbours send me pics of Penny visiting them and we have regular cat chats.
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