‘This is very much not our cat’: Pawrents rescue missing cat Chebby, but the reunion takes a twist when they discover an adorable impawster with swapped socks

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Sarah Brown • Writer and Editor
May 12, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

In this tail of furocious confusion, a pawrent thought they had finally reunited with their missing feline, Chebby —Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit, if you want to use his full government name. After days of searching, a tip came in about a cat that looked purrfectly similair to Chebby. The tell-tail identifier was Chebby's white paws, complete with a hole in his left sock. Could this be the long-lost kitty?

Plot twist - the cat wasn't Chebby. 

When the mystery meowster was finally coaxed out from under the bed (where he was clearly doing some serious hide-and-seek), the pawrent noticed something: the hole in his paw was on the right sock, not the left! The markings were close enough to make any cat lover paws and do a double take, but this was a completely different furball. With dim lighting, low-quality photos, and a sneaky cat under the bed, the catastrophic mix-up made sense at first.

 Now, the pawrent has claws for concern: where is the real Chebby, and what to do with this sweet impawster? While we await Chebby's return, maybe this sock-swapping stray was just trying to fill the paw-shaped hole — and might be the purrfect mismatched pair after all.

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  • 01
    Forgive the vague title, but I genuinely am at a loss for the situation. This was going to be a very different post asking about how to get a lost cat comfortable at home again, but when I was adding before and after pics | saw that a marking on his paw is different. Our cat, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit (Chebby for short), has all white paws except for a hole in his left sock. The cat that we got calls about, went to pick up, and brought home with
    via u/eelsRus
  • 02
    us today has a hole in his RIGHT sock. It took so long to notice bc his pattern is so similar and the pictures we were sent (on the first slide) were low light, then he was in a carrier, then he went under a bed as soon as we let him out so we couldn't really SEE him, yk?
    via u/eelsRus
  • 03
    We didn't think much of him looking different because we figured he would be much skinnier/dirtier than before, but after managing to coax him out and fully see him it became clear that this is very much not our cat. I feel terrible because he's such a sweet boy and is litter trained, so he had to have belonged to someone, but he's also clearly been outside for a long time. I just have no idea what to do now.
    via u/eelsRus
  • 04
    I think I'm mostly trying to figure out if it's reasonable to have mistaken the impostor as we've been calling him for Chebby or if I should have realized sooner, and what to do with the impostor now. I can't in good conscience throw him back outside without knowing where he lives or if he even has a home, but keeping
    via u/eelsRus
  • 05
    because our other two cats have made their displeasure at the newcomer known. And that's not even to mention what if we manage to find the real Chebby and get him back? Taking the impostor to the local shelter is an option, but not one I particularly like. Idk. The entirety of the search for our cat has been like taking one step forward and three steps back.
    via u/eelsRus
  • 06
    The first picture is the post I made on instagram when I first realized the paws were wrong, second is of the impostor in better light when he came out of hiding, and the last three are of Chebby before he went missing.
    via u/eelsRus
  • 07
    chebby white right paw ???? hole in his sock??????
    via u/eelsRus
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10504278528
    via u/eelsRus
  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10504277504
    via u/eelsRus
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10504276736
    via u/eelsRus
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10504277760
    via u/eelsRus
  • 12
    Loud-Stable6924 Take him to vet and check microchip
    via u/Loud-Stable6924
  • 13
    catmamasupreme Definitely seconding the comments saying to scan for a microchip! You may be able to find his original owners. I am deeply sorry this is not your lost kitty. Try to take solace in knowing you're helping another kitty in the process of finding your own.
    via u/catmamasupreme
  • 14
    DrDakhan Didn't know identity theft was a thing among cats
    via u/DrDakhan

  • Cat identity theft is real, folks. One minute you’re rescuing your lost fur baby, the next you’ve got a lookalike with swapped socks and no return policy. Purrsonalities matter!

  • 15
    Weekly-Quantity6... Not what you were expecting but you found another cat! And he seems to be very happy you did. Hope you find your other baby, too.
    via u/Weekly-Quantity6435
  • 16
    squifff You should probably get him to the vet just to check if has a chip. Not sure the litter box's good behaviour is proof of anything, both my strays. have been using it naturally since day one.
    via u/squifff
  • 17
    He looks like a happy beautiful gentleman, I'd keep him if I were you if he has no legal owner.
    via u/squifff
  • 18
    Contessarylene And now you have an Olive Garden breadstick. Aka Ollie. And if Chebby comes back, y'all have a bread basket!
    via u/Contessarylene

  • That’s the dream! A full bread basket of purring pastries. Chebby, Ollie, now we just need a Baguette and maybe a Ciabatta to complete the carb squad. 

  • 19
    Rough_Communit... Plot twist, it's the neighbors cat and you two did a cat swap
    via u/Rough_Community_1439
  • 20
    Lazy_Fish7737 Yea the chedposter has less white on his upper lip area too. I'm sory this wasnt your cat op but certanly see if hes chiped and see if you can find him a good home if your not into keeping him. He seems like a good boy.
    via u/Lazy_Fish7737
  • 21
    Skwerl_Master you now have 3 cats the other 2 will get over it in a week or two remind them who pays for the meow mix
    via u/Skwerl_Master

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missing adorable socks lost and found reunion feline pawrents Cats stray rescue
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