‘Cats don't just let anyone walk up to them, pick them up’: Homeowner’s hilarious struggle to deter a pest-laden cat ends in defeat finally convincing him that he has been manipulated into adopting the cat after weeks of frustration and failed deterrents

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Oct 1, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Being chosen by a cat is one of the greatest honors you can have in life. Sometimes it is something as simple as a cat coming back to be fed by you day after day, showing how much they value your food giving. Other times it is a devotion that they show where you become the central focus of their lives, bringing you gifts, purrs and cuddles on demand.

The latter kind is certainly the more coveted kind and is amongst the greatest honors that anyone can hope to achieve in this life, which is why it is so confusing that it was bestowed upon someone who does not like cats all that much in this story. Thankfully, this hooman learned their lesson by the end and was smart enough to learn to value the gift they had been given, once and for all, turning them into the cat lover they were always meant to be.
 

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  • 01
    I've got a pretty large property and don't mind the neighbor's cat hanging out chasing mice and other things but it's constantly walking right up to me and brining me dead things when I'm outside.
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  • 02
    I don't feed the cat and barely pay any attention to it except when it rubs up against me and purrs. I'll give it a quick pat and move on to whatever I was doing, gardening, etc. Otherwise I basically ignore it.
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  • 03
    Anyways, the frequency of dead things plopped at my feet has gotten to almost every day. I don't want to be mean and scare it or anything, it's welcomed to relax
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  • How to tell that someone is not a feline fanatic without them saying a word about it. It is rather hilarious, this person is basically like an oblivious teenager who has not yet learned to pick up on the not so subtle signs that someone is into them. Wake up person! This cat is in love with you!

  • 04
    or prowl the yard but it's a looooooong walk from one end of the yard to my trashcans to dispose of the things it brings and it's getting old really fast.
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  • 05
    Update 1 In a nutshell, the neighbor's cat keeps bringing me dead things almost daily. I don't hate cats, but cats are just not my jam (sorry sub, no offense). If cats are
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  • 06
    around cool, no big deal. I'm an animal lover. I have no issues with the cat itself. It's welcomed in my yard to do as it pleases and I practically ignore it
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  • 07
    unless it goes out of its way to come up to me. I'll give it a quick pat or scritch and move on to the many things I have to do in my yard.
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  • 08
    I forgot to mention the actual issue is not that it brings me dead things, but the dead things it has brought me and I didn't find right away, attract ants. Where I'm at,
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  • 09
    ants can pop up out of nowhere in the hundreds or more if dead things are not disposed of quickly. This summer I've been at war with ants and they are such a pain to deal with especially if
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  • 10
    they're swarming the dod things left by the cat. Then lugging the d d thing waaaaay over to the trash cans is also a huge pain. I've been working hard to get the yard landscaped the way I want it. I've planted
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  • Ok, fair enough, this is a legitimate concern and no one particularly wants to become a volunteer mortician. So we can somewhat understand why this person is so averse to this cat bringing him presents every day. But still, they are presents, as cumbersome as they might be.

  • 11
    specific flowers to attract birds, butterflies, small wild life. It's gotten close to looking like a little sanctuary. It requires a ton of maintenance as I clean daily any seeds not eaten in the feeders, mowing,
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  • 12
    trimming, etc. The cat walking around in the yard is no issue for me as it seems not to bother any of the small wild life except for mice and seems to enjoy the yard vs its owner's yard for some reason.
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  • 13
    It's an older cat and I don't think it's right to spray it with a water bottle or try to scare it or be mean to it as some suggested here. That's just not an option for me.
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  • 14
    I called my vet to get their advice and he said to soak cotton balls 1:1 with food grade vinegar and water and lightly dab my wrists, neck, ankles, shoes, etc. The vet
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  • 15
    said the vinegar is totally safe for the cat but cats don't like the vinegar and will associate the scent with me and in theory should stop approaching me and will likely give up trying to give me dd things. The vet
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  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 10559056640
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  • 17
    said it might be a good idea to actually lure the cat to me with a simple treat to make sure it approaches me, smell me, dislike it and leave. So one quick stop at the market for the vinegar, cotton balls,
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  • 18
    cat treats and dabbing myself all over like my vet advised and I'm good to go. VOILA! PROBLEM SOLVED right? Nope.
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  • 19
    The cat showed up as usual and brought me another dead thing (partial grasshopper this time) and I did what the vet said and gave it the cat treat.
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  • 20
    Update 2 First of all I'd like to thank everyone who gave sincere well meaning advice here as when I say I'm not a cat person, I really mean I'm not a cat person. I don't
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  • 21
    dislike cats but I've always grown up with dogs and other than bumping into the occasional cat in the periphery, I have almost no knowledge other than the basic guy off the street.
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  • 22
    So...I bring the cat back home. I told my wife everything. My wife has a grin ear to ear. Wife, "Ok good." She grabbed the cat and it just snuggled up to her. The little kiss a "There's
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  • 23
    still time to go to PetSmart and get it some things. And while we're there you can get one of those cat flappy doors for the kitchen." I told her "H | no.". This cat has already given me major
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  • 24
    headaches with ants outside. I don't want it coming in the house. I looked her straight in the eyes and said, "100 percent NO to the cat door." I crossed my arms "1,000 percent NO"
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  • 25
    She narrowed her eyes at me. Anyways...we're at PetSmart and she's looking for outfits for the cat and I'm in the pet door section...
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  • 26
    The only consolation prize is she let me name the cat. I named it what she thought was "Elby". I told her it sounds cute like Elmo and she went with it. It's actually is "L.B." for little b d. I giggle inside when I call its name.
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  • 27
    PS: "Elby" has stopped bringing me c d things since being inside most of the time. Has already destroyed my Newton's cradle I've had for years in my office, stolen one of my Chewbacca
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  • 28
    slippers which I still haven't found and I still often wake up after napping with him sleeping on my chest, ass right in my face. ML. I give up.
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hilarious weeks manipulative frustration failed pest control struggle determined homeowner cat adoption reddit story cat story pick up Cats
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