A cat owner has shared their unconventional relationship with a feral cat who lives on their property—and Reddit can’t get enough of it.
The Redditor, u/Flamestitch, posted a video of the cat, Dennis, who lives in an outhouse. The clip has amassed more than 35,000 upvotes in the subreddit “cats,” with viewers charmed by the hands-off but deeply caring bond between the two.
“Dennis started coming around about a year ago. I noticed him with a neighbor’s cat, and one day fed both of them, but he waited until I went inside to eat. After that, he came around every day and I fed him. If I got too close, he would get scared and hiss. Last year, I cobbled together a little insulated shelter for him. I made it out of storage containers and put insulation between the two containers. I filled it with straw. He used that all last winter,” the Redditor told Newsweek.
The original poster (OP) said that this year they felt he needed something more substantial, so they made plans and built him a house themselves.
“This is Dennis, my feral cat. I have never touched him and he hisses when I feed him,” they shared in the post.
They explained that although they are a teacher, they grew up around woodworking because their family owned an upholstery shop, which gave them the skills to take on the project.
The OP said they framed the structure with 2x4s, covered it with plywood, used OSB on the inside, added insulation between the layers, and installed both a chicken coop heater and a heating pad. They also said they put a camera inside to check on him and decorated the exterior with small lights.
“He is super skittish and doesn’t let me get within 2-4 feet of him. He will absolutely hiss at me when I bring him his food. He’s just afraid and wants me to respect his boundaries, which I do. I’d love to turn him into a house cat, but I know that may never happen. Even if I can’t bring him in, I can make his life a little easier. Life is pretty hard for just about every living thing. I feel like Dennis is probably a cat whose ancestors were the pets of owners who failed them. That’s not his fault, so building him a little place to be safe is the least I can do,” they added.
According to Alley Cat Allies, feral cats are typically unsocialized to humans and can be fearful and defensive when approached, because they have little to no positive early interaction with people and tend to behave like wild animals.
Animal welfare groups that work with feral and community cats emphasize providing regular food and shelter rather than forced contact with humans, and support humane management methods like trap-neuter-return (TNR) where cats are neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their outdoor homes.
Redditors were quick to praise the owner’s quiet compassion, responding with humor, admiration, and personal stories of their own feral companions.
“I am sure he hates you the least,” said one user.
“He’ll definitely eat OP last,” shared another user.
“Dennis may be rude in demeanor but he certainly appreciates your kindness. I predict less hissing in the future,” added another viewer.
“OP should place a picture of themselves in there too to make it more homely,” shared another user.
“I can’t wait for the update in a few weeks when Dennis allows a few pats and scritches,” added another user.
“Lots of feral won’t warm up to a human. This is one of the rare times a person posted an actual feral cat and not just a stray,” added another viewer.
“I have two feral brothers (litter mates). One of them has a very large but conventional vocabulary, however, his brother’s style always sounds angry or upset, even if he’s happy as a clam. It’s like part hiss, part growl, part meow. Kinda ‘reeeee,’” said another user.
“I serve a little female tortie who was semi-feral and living under our deck. Same deal at first, she wouldn’t come near me, hissed nonstop. I had to trap her inside once it became freezing outside, used some thick leather bbq mitts to wrangle her to the vet, and after all that she’s my best bud now,” shared another user.
“If Reddit has taught me anything its that Dennis will surprise you in a few years by randomly sitting in your lap,” shared another user.
“This summer, OP will have the door open for fresh air, and Dennis will stroll in and claim the house,” shared another viewer.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Read the full article here
