When Harry Saddler noticed owls frequently visiting the trees in his backyard, he felt inspired to help. Wanting to give them a warm, safe place to nest, he decided to install a cozy nesting box high in one of the tallest trees.
With great care, he set up the box, hoping it would soon become a welcoming home for his feathered visitors.
Satisfied with his work, he headed back inside, eagerly watching from a distance, waiting for his first guest to arrive.
It didn’t take long before a curious visitor showed up – but to Harry’s surprise, it wasn’t an owl at all… Instead, an unexpected furry guest had claimed the new home, leading to a twist he never saw coming!
This visitor had no feathers and no wings; instead, he had a furry body, a long fluffy tail, and a mischievous expression. That’s right – the unexpected intruder was a cat!
Harry, both amused and baffled, took to Twitter to share his discovery, writing:
“This is not what we were hoping to attract when we installed nest boxes.”
Still in disbelief, he grabbed his binoculars for a closer look. Sure enough, there it was – a confident feline, lounging comfortably atop the owl nesting box as if it had claimed it for itself.
The cozy home meant for owls had somehow become the perfect lookout spot for an adventurous neighborhood cat!
As a true bird enthusiast, Harry’s excitement quickly turned to concern when he spotted the unexpected feline visitor.
He immediately worried that the cat’s presence might endanger the owls and other birds in the area, potentially scaring them away or worse.
Furthermore, Harry didn’t recognize the cat. He was fairly certain he had never seen this fluffy intruder roaming the neighborhood before, making him wonder if it was a lost pet or a wandering stray.
Meanwhile, the cat showed zero concern for Harry’s worries. It made itself right at home inside the nesting box, curling up as if it had just found the ultimate secret hideout.
Taking the opportunity, Harry snapped a few photos and shared them with his community, hoping to track down the cat’s owners before it became a permanent (and uninvited) resident of the owl’s new home.
With Harry’s help, the cat’s owner found their cherished pet. This unexpected visitor actually had a loving home but had lost its way. Harry explained:
“Good news! I posted in a local community group on FB and the cat’s owner came and got it. Also, I’m very happy to report that rather than being a free-roaming or stray cat, it’s an indoor cat which slipped out last night and ran off – I think every cat owner can relate to that.”
Thanks to Harry’s kindness and love for animals, what could have been a sad or dangerous situation had a heartwarming ending.
The adventurous cat was safely back home, and the owl nesting box was finally empty, ready to welcome the feathered guests it was originally intended for.
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