4 months after their cat ran away, desperate owner finally finds "their cat", only to realize the new feline is not theirs, and although they remain sad but hopeful about their own cat, they gladly give the friendly impawster a forever home too

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Jun 28, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

What would you do if you found your missing cat and then realized that it wasn't yours? 

Having your cat run away is one of the world's worst feelings. We've felt it ourselves. The worst 24 hours of our lives were when we lost our cat. She came back. We were lucky. But those 24 hours were enough for us to learn our lesson for the rest of our lives - make sure that all doors are closed and all windows have nets on them. They don't run away because they are unhappy. Our cats are happy, but they are also curious creatures. Our cats are spoiled as heck. We know it, but they don't. Most of them don't know anything different, and they can't help but be curious about the outside world. 

It takes one second - one moment of turning your back with the door open behind you, and your cat could slip off if they wanted to. And then, whether you find them or not is up to them. We know how well cats can hide. Back when our cat ran away, we were out on the streets, shaking bags of treats and calling her name, and for all we know, she could have been hiding in a bush behind us the whole time, choosing not to be seen. 

Of course, the elation of having her come back was even greater than the pain of losing her. And that is what Shaquille_oatmeal_88 on r/cats must have felt when "their cat" came back to them after four months. They noticed immediately that the kitty was a little different than before, but he wasn't very different. And they were too happy to have her back to pay those tiny differences much attention. Until they couldn't ignore it. They knew that the friendly and loving cat that they thought was theirs actually wasn't. 

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  • 01

    "I think my cat isn’t my cat."

    Left paw My cat
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    My Cat Right p
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    My Cat
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    My Cat Left pa
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    My Cat Right paw Back par
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  • 06
    My cat
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  • 07
    Possible imposter All pink neither of my cats back paws were all pink)
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  • 08
    WINDY IN Right paw Possible Imposta
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  • 09
    www Maybe not my cat
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  • 10
    Not him?
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  • 11
    Left paw Guys I really hope he's him.
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  • 12
    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 I went to her house to look. I took him home because I was eager and excited that I'd found my cat who'd been missing for forever.
    via Shaquille_oatmeal_88
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    He was somewhat skiddish but still clearly domesticated. Used the litter box. Even 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.
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    My cat had a strange rasp. 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!
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    No 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 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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    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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  • 18
    Please keep in mind that the photos of my cat are from ages 6-9 months. Meaning the now photos would be 18 - 19 months
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  • We would have wanted to look away too. So badly, we would have wanted to believe. Accepting the fact that this wasn't our cat all along would be heartbreaking, and we completely see why you would look away. 

  • 19

    "The CopyCat: Part 2"

    CopyCat
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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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    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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    That being said, I'm now going to address the somehow spiteful comments I managed to receive on my post:
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  • 23
    1. CIGGY IS MICROCHIPPED. TO everyone who said "this is why you get them microchipped", yes... I know!!! 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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  • 24
    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 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 ounce of me wants this kitty to be Cig.
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    5. Claw Caps/"Nail Polish": Ciggy's, and Impy's nails have never been painted, and they never will be. I'm not 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.
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  • 27
    And with enough scratching 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 her house, I'd like to take "measures" to make sure me and my pets aren't ruining her things.
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    Impy currently doesn't have claw caps on right now because 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 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 scratching post,
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    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 or anything like that.
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  • 30
    6. Ciggy didn't escape while in my care. To make a long story short. Me and his other mom are from the same hometown. We went off to college together hours away where we actually adopted Ciggy. After the school year ended (last May) I had to stay up at school to work. I was staying in an apartment provided by my workplace for a "discounted" price.
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  • 31
    Unfortunately, animals weren't allowed in said apartments. So other mama took Ciggy back to our hometown. I came back to my hometown in August. At this point, her and I had a falling out, and she was back up at school. Ciggy was left with her parents at her house. I felt weird about the idea of going to her house without her there to visit Ciggy, so I told her to let me know whenever she was home so I could come visit. Something I now
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  • 32
    regret with every ounce of me. In October, she'd come home, and I asked to see Cig. I was told that she'd thought about it, and was not ready to "see me". So I wasn't able to see Cig when she'd come home. And not long after, I was told by a mutual friend of ours, that she'd posted on social media (snap priv story) a video of her looking for Cig. I waited a couple days for her to tell me he'd gone missing.
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    And she never did. So I decided to report Cig as missing to the microchip company. This was something only I had access to, as I paid for the microchip, and had Cig registered in my name when we got him.
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  • 34
    Like I said in some replies, I'm not negligent or insane. I'm just a sad cat mom in a SUPER stressful/ situation.
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  • 35
    Thank you for all the hopeful comments. The cute stories. And the sweet reminders. And of course that the CDS works in mysterious ways. My next goal is to find this imposters true family. (This isn't to mention I will be PRAYING going into that vet tomorrow that she finds a microchip in his leg or something). If no previous family comes, this Copycat has me as a mama hopefully cig will return home to a twin brother. And I'll be a happy mama of
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  • The fact that you've decided to keep this cat is a testament to how good you are as cat people. Clearly, he chose you, even if you didn't choose him. 

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