Georgia Man Taken By Surprise After Finding An Unexpected Guest Inside His Owl Nesting Box

Harry Saddler, a lifelong bird enthusiast, had always loved watching owls visit the trees in his backyard. Their flights and mysterious presence had fascinated him for years.

Wanting to do something helpful for these majestic visitors, he decided to build a small owl nesting box and install it high up in a tall tree.

He spent careful time making sure it was sturdy, weatherproof, and just the right size for an owl family to settle in.

In his mind, he pictured a pair of owls moving in, making the box their cozy home, and maybe even raising a clutch of owlets under the cover of the tree branches.

After setting the box up, Harry went back inside, eager and curious to see his first visitors.

He waited and watched, binoculars in hand, expecting any moment to spot the first owl inspecting its new home. But the visitor that arrived wasn’t what he expected.

A soft rustle, a flash of fur, and a long, bushy tail told him right away that this wasn’t an owl.

Harry blinked, rubbed his eyes, and realized a cat had climbed all the way up and made itself perfectly comfortable inside the box.

At first, Harry couldn’t help but laugh. The situation was completely unexpected. He shared on Twitter:

“This is not what we were hoping to attract when we installed nest boxes.”

As amusing as it was, Harry’s instincts as a bird lover kicked in immediately. He worried that the cat might scare away the owls or even harm them if they decided to visit.

Using his binoculars, he took a closer look at the feline intruder. The cat seemed calm and surprisingly content, curling up inside the box as if it had been there for weeks.

Harry didn’t recognize the cat, and he assumed it might be a stray that had wandered into the neighborhood. But instead of shooing it away, he decided to help it.

He snapped a few photos and shared them with local community groups, hoping someone would recognize the curious cat.

Soon enough, the cat’s owner saw the post and reached out, overjoyed to know their kitty had been found safe and sound. Harry shared the happy news:

“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.”

With the cat safely returned to its loving family, Harry could finally look at the owl box with fresh eyes.

The box was now ready for the winged visitors it had been built for, and Harry felt proud knowing that he had helped a lost pet find its way home.

The day had started with a funny, unexpected twist, but it ended on a heartwarming note.

Harry knew the owls might still check out their new box, and now, thanks to a little feline adventure, everyone had found a safe place.