‘If no previous family comes, this Copycat has me as a mama.”: Cat owners hope that they found their lost cat after four months, crushed as microchip scan reveals the lookalike cat to be an imposter who they adopt while their search for soul cat continues

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Oct 8, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

In nature, there are more than a few animals who have figured out that if they look similar enough to a parent's children, then they will be taken care off as a part of the brood. 

This tactic is most common amongst birds, but it seems that with all the time that cat children spend looking at birds, they have picked up a thing or two, including but not limited to this switcheroo technique.

As was proven by the copycat feline who managed to sneak its way into this woman's life after managing to match pretty much all the defining features of her lost cat. An incredibly clever ploy which got him through the door and firmly settled in his new hooman's heart before she had the chance to properly investigate whether the imposter was actually her missing cat child. A very impressive feat of trickery that we have not seen in a cat child before and are somewhat concerned by how easily they tricked this hooman.
 

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  • 01
    So. My cat went missing October 14th, 2024. I got a hopeful message a couple weeks ago. He had been found! It looked just like him in the pictures the woman sent to me so of course | went to her house to
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  • 02
    look. I took him home because I was eager and excited that I'd found my cat who'd been missing for forever. He was somewhat skiddish but still clearly domesticated. Used the litter box. Even
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    Left paw My cat
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    Possible imposter All pink neither of my cats back paws were all pink)
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    came to me when I called his name.. and crawled into my lap himself. I thought oh my god it is him. But he was missing something. My cat had a strange rasp.
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    It's hard to explain but point being, the cat in my possession doesn't have said rasp. I thought, wow, his raspy little wheeze is gone, that's great! I was always worried it was because my cat was sick so yay! No
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    My Cat Right
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    WINDON 24 Right paw Possible Imposta
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  • Well, this sure does all sound rather normal and above board. And heck, in this context, even a bonus to find one’s missing cat healthier than before they got lost. As though they had crossed paths with a feline shaman who healed their ailment.

  • 09
    more sickies! Then I noticed his paws. His toes beans were the right pattern on his front left foot. An exact match to Ciggy. His right paw, not so much. His back paws. All pink.
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    I'm googling and searching for an explanation that might explain away how toe beans can switch from pink to black and black to pink, hoping that I'm
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  • 11
    not back at square one. That Ciggy is still missing. And I'm so scared to out my cute little imposter. Of course I want to provide a home to this cutie. But I can't sleep knowing my kitty might still be out there.
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    My Cat
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    www Maybe not my cat
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    Part of me feels like if this is my kitty there wouldn't be a doubt in my mind right now. And that I know if I accept this isn't him, I might lose hope for my Ciggy. Please help me. Please someone explain away these changes
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    So my cute little imposter is not Ciggy. Unless Ciggy's microchip somehow maneuvered its way elsewhere in his body, it's not him.
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    My Cat Left pa
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    Not him?
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    The woman at the shelter was made aware that this copycat has a vet appointment tomorrow, and asked that I have the vet do a more thorough check for a (possibly migrated) microchip.
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  • Well, well, well, you often hear about animals in nature using copycat methods in order to sneak into other animals nests, or to trick other animals into raising them. But you rarely hear of a cat doing so to a hooman. This is definitive proof that feline kind has been learning, and they are learning fast.

  • 19
    That being said, I'm now going to address the somehow spiteful comments I managed to receive on my post :
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    My Cat Right paw Back par
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    CopyCat
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    1. CIGGY IS MICROCHIPPE D. To everyone who said "this is why you get them microchipped", yes... I know!!!
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    2. "Can't you tell by his behavior?" Uhh no, that's why I posted this. His behavior is so similar I was starting to believe I was deliriously delusional.
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    3. Ciggy has been MISSING for FOUR months. I LAST SAW Ciggy with my own eyes, NINE months ago. He was much smaller than he would be now and smaller than picture his
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    My cat
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    Left paw Guys I really hope he's him.
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    other mama would send me. Unfortunately the photos she sent me weren't very good for using on this post or even helping myself in differentiating the two kitties.
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    4. "It's SOOO obvious that's not the same cat" k cool, glad you can say that with such confidence. I wasn't able to! And quite frankly, didn't want to! Every
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    ounce of me wants this kitty to be Cig. 5. Claw Caps/"Nail Polish": Ciggy's, and Impy's nails have never been painted, and they never will be. I'm not
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    incompetent. As for nail caps. I was told by a VETERINARIAN that they were safe. Not to mention, the glue used is a safe and non- toxic glue. And with enough scratching
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    around they pop right off like press on's. I do the nail caps to prevent my pets from scratching up the furniture in my mom's home. She's kind enough to let me stay in
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    her house, I'd like to take "measures" to make sure me and my pets aren't ruining her things. Impy currently doesn't have claw caps on right now because
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    they've popped off. And I won't be reapplying them because he hasn't been scratching at any furniture! I only applied them to Ciggy when he was a kitten because I
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    was living in a dorm and would've had to pay large fines for any damage done, after noticing he didn't have a habit of making the beds a
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    scratching post, we stopped applying them. And I reapplied them when I thought I found Ciggy because I didn't know if being outside had changed his habits
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search months cat lookalike copycat found hope soul microchip crushed cat adoption mama reddit story impostor cat story cat owners Lost Cat family scan
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