Neighbor's cat wonders around to a person's home, spends the night, and raises questions about letting house cats roam the streets: 'He refuses to leave.'

Whose cat is it, anyway?

If this question is applicable to a cat, you know they roam the neighborhood like they own it, as if they run it with an iron paw. Some people are sure their cat is their cat, until they find out the family's feline was two-timing them all along. But even a cat has double the family, usually their original humans know what's up, they're aware of their cat's doings, and it's ok that they're ok with it. But some people just let their cat roam, and that we, admittedly, don't really understand. It can lead to some complicated situations, such as a cat stuck outside in the snow, which is a literal hazard. There might always be kind neighbors to take these cats in, but what if there aren't enough nice people around? What if there are other dangers outside, that even the kinderst of people can't help prevent?

All of these questions popped into our heads when we read about Salem, the roaming void cat whose owners don't seem to look for during an entire night. He was taken care of, for sure (and we're happy he had a safe and warm night), but really, it begs the question - whose cat is it, anyway?

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Well, with this picture, you can definitely say this cat has made himself comfortable. Not any cat would curl up on your sofa, but a cat who feels safe and comfy. Sure, the click of the phone's camera might be the reason he's awake with these common demon reflections of cats' eyes, but you can tell he was pretty comfortably rolled like a cinnamon bun right before the frame was captured.
All of this begs the question - if this cat is so comfortable in other people's house, does it reflect more on the cat or on his owners? Because if it “just” means the cat is friendly, we figure it completely ignores the core question at hand - why would his humans let him roam for so long in the first place?
And why the AirTag? It's not like this cat is an exotic animal to be studied by researchers of migration patterns or something similar. Of course, some people AirTag their cats if they roam during the day, but usually the AirTag is being used if the cat spends an entire night out. Why wasn't it used here? Just makes us wonder if this cat's owners actually “own” this cat.
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