Missing cat found after pulling off Home Alone style stunt by slipping out the front door unnoticed and going on the lam for days after pawrents leave for xmas vacation, relieved cat dad says: ‘This is the only Christmas present I really wanted.’

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
May 20, 2026 9:30 AM EDT

This is why it is imperative that cats are not shown television or movies…

Cats are a crafty bunch, we are all quite accustomed to that fact at this point in time. Whether it is ingenuous distraction techniques designed to allow them to steal food when no one is watching. Or it is the way they wait for you to be within inches of them as the zoom passed you in an effort to trip you up. There is no telling how far a feline will go to get what they want. But thanks to this story's cat child we have an idea of what lengths a cat can go to try and reunite with their family over the holidays after being left home alone.

Now, whether this cat got this idea from watching one of the home alone movies, or whether the act of escaping was simply motivated by love, we will never know. But there is no denying that with it being Christmas and all, that this story has quite the Home Alone feeling to it. And much like when Kevin McAllister is found in the movie this cat was brought home for a tearful reunion with its family. 
 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Advertisement
  • 01
    "I'm 11 hours away by car and I feel completely helpless."
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 02
    My cat is missing. Myself and my two roommates are both out of town for the holidays and I set up a cat/house sitter so that she wouldn't be lonely (and obviously to feed her.)
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 03
    Here's all of the details: My roommate was the last to feed her last night. She's prone to eating too fast and thro .g up so we feed her wet
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 04
    food 1/2 a can at a time. She thr wup the 1st half and then my roommate fed her the 2nd half and left. She is confident the cat did not follow her out the door. Edit: (honestly though I think this is
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 05
    how/when she escaped as my roommate had a suitcase to lumber out the door with.) Pet sitter shows up around 9AM today
    via therealBatu-Rem

  • Erugh, why do cats love doing this. The smart ones are troublingly good at escaping in this manner and it is so painful for us hoomans. It is a moment that they take advantage of and manipulate to their benefit. Causing us to believe that nothing has happened while also exercising minimal effort to make the escape. Leaving us feeling so dimwhitted for not noticing, while also somewhat disturbed that our cat would use us in such a manner. But ultimately we cannot blame ourselves, only our spicy felines who we hoped would have known better than to escape into a world that will not be kind to them…
     

  • 06
    and called me saying there's no cat. I FaceTimed her and we turned my tiny apartment upside down looking for her. She wears a bell and we haven't heard it jingle once. Her 2nd half of food
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 07
    was untouched. There's no way this cat is in the apartment unless there's something I haven't considered. Sitter is driving around trying to find her still. I've called
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10632351232
    via noppadon via Adobe Stock

    Orange kitten peaks head from behind table

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    everyone. Animal shelter, local PD, neighboring apartment complexes and my own, microchip company and some additional friends are going to go by
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 10
    later tonight to help look for her. I understand cats can behave weird when nobody is around and hide really well but it's literally only been
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 11
    one day- and she had my roommate feed her whom she loves. She's even met my pet sitter and treats her like one of us.
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 12
    The only significant change to her space I can think of is we got a Roomba for Christmas. She doesn't love it but isn't terrified of it. I let it do it's routine this morning
    via therealBatu-Rem

  • Not that we totally believe that a Roomba could cause a cat to want to escape its home, but we have seen cats do far more over far less. So it is not a massive stretch of the imagination to think that this might be a possible contributing factor. But if we were to deliver a verdict as to why this catto chose to run away, we would say it is a simple case of wanting to be with her pawrents. It is not easy being so far from your family, especially when they all go away at once. So much like in the actual Home Alone movies, this cat was trying its best to reunite with its family. 
     

  • 13
    because I figured if anything she would feel less alone with activity in the apartment. Pet sitter has put food, water, and some of our clothes
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 14
    outside our front door on our 3rd floor apartment. I've instructed her to check upper floors of neighboring buildings as she has escaped once before and was found meowing at the wrong door.
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 10632351744
    via Alex via Adobe Stock

    Tabby cat hiding underneath a parked car

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 16
    Is there anything else I can do? I love this cat so much, almost an unhealthy amount and she's just completely vanished. I don't return for 9 days and
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 17
    I'm 11 hours away by car and I feel completely helpless. To make things worse my other roommate and girlfriend is across the country even further and she
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 18
    doesn't know yet. I don't know how to tell her but she'll be expecting a video from our sitter tonight for sure so I don't think I can keep this from her any longer than that.
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 19
    Any advice is appreciated, sorry for the essay.
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 20
    godimtired When cats escape they always hide in the closest place they can find and then stay there silently, sometimes for longer than 24
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 21
    hours. It's most likely your cat is still very close to the house. Check up in trees as well as in/under any nearby structures. It's also possible
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 22
    that kitty is still hiding somewhere inside the house like up inside the lining under the couch or a box spring. They're VERY good at hiding and staying put
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 23
    Cheezburger Image 10632351488
    via Kyryl Gorlov via Adobe Stock

    Gray cat peaks out from behind carpeted wall

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 24
    for long periods of time without coming out for food or water when they are scared. Good luck, I hope you find her soon, please update.
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 25
    After telling my girlfriend everything she was able to recruit more friends to help find her. Tonight, a particularly rainy night, she was found under a bush in my complex. I don't
    via therealBatu-Rem
  • 26
    know all the details yet as this was moments ago. Thank you so much to each and every one of you that offered your advice and sentiments, this is the only Christmas present I really wanted.
    via therealBatu-Rem

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

missing cat front door Home Alone found relief slip reddit story christmas presents cat story cat dad pawrents stunt leave vacation Xmas
Scroll Down For The Next Article