A woman mistakes her neighbor’s cat for her own in a case of mistaken identity, and goes viral

In June, a woman in Ontario, Canada, named Kelly McCann mistook a neighbor’s cat for her own. She presumed her own cat named George escaped from her home. 

When she saw the grey tabby in her townhouse complex, she retrieved him in her car and brought him home. However, she was in for a surprise.

Mistaken identity

As the viral TikTok post shows, you can see her reaction when she returns home and opens the door to the house to discover George has been home the entire time.

Dumbfounded and amused, the cat’s mom recounts her confusion to her cat George and explains that she thought he was loose and now has a cat in her car. 

The puzzled chunky cat George looks at his mom, stunned and confused, as he stands on the top of the stairs. Her rushed explanation to him is a lot to digest.

Amused and embarrassed, cat mom Kelly laughs awkwardly and runs back to the vehicle with the stray tabby cat in the back seat, wandering about confused.

Kelly admitted her error in confusing the stray for her beloved George. She confesses, 

“I stole someone’s cat! That’s not George. Why does it look like George? I stole someone’s cat! Wanna come home with me?”

Social media reacts

Viewers and concerned animal lovers alike chimed in with their thoughts. From comments on her infectious laughter and amusement to sheer confusion, the social media post went viral and garnered a flood of reactions online. 

The post has received over 9.5 million views so far. Here are a few reactions from viewers.

“The way he screams at you like “YES YOU STOLE ME NOW PUT ME BACK” 😂😂😭 – Asheleigh Charbonnea 

[T]the way he’s yelling like “I TOLD YOU I WASN’T GEORGE, TAKE ME TO MY MOTHER IMMEDIATELY OR I’M CALLING THE POLICE” 😂 -lisajane

“The laugh was pure anxiety.” 😂😂😂 – Wulff_102105

“George was like, why are you yelling at me “😂😂 – Kayla Smith

“[H]ow do you not recognize your cat tho?” 😅 – Derek McEachnie

After the TikTok poster received a flood of advice and comments and realized her own judgment error, she returned the stray cat to the area in her complex where she found it. 

Final Thoughts

Pets are family. However, even with the best intentions as pet owners, mistakes can happen – including cases of mistaken identity. Fortunately, no harm resulted from this catnapping incident that went viral.

What did you think of this funny case of mistaken identity? Has this ever happened to you?

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