The only thing that rivals a cat's cuteness is its ability to climb and hide. I swear, some felines are determined to set paw on every surface of their house. Whether we're talking about a ceiling lamp or the ventilation system, the bravest furry explorers have their eyes on it.
We at Bored Panda decided to honor these adventures and give them the attention they deserve. So we compiled a list of photos that cat owners took the moment they realized James Cook and George Mallory have nothing on their pet. Scroll down and check them out!
This post may include affiliate links.
Cats are naturally drawn to small, tight spaces such as baskets, boxes, and nooks — it's where the popular phrase "If I fits I sits" comes from.
"Being both predators and prey, enclosed spaces provide a place to hide and keep safe, and are perfect for ambushing unsuspecting prey," Lucy Hoile, a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) who specializes in these animals told Bored Panda.
Dad started putting in new toilet. Walked away for a few minutes and came back to this
Trying to make their furballs comfortable, people (and businesses) began building them comfy indoor condos, towers, and entire castles where the critters can both take a nap and play around. "Enclosed cat houses help reduce stress and keep cats happy," Hoile explained.
The biggest and poshest of these "structures" can cost hundreds of dollars but a bigger price tag doesn't necessarily mean more purrs.
"They needn’t be expensive, many cats prefer a cardboard box over a conventional cat house. Provide the right size for your cat to fit snuggly inside, make sure it is easily accessible and there are enough to go around if there is more than one cat," Hoile said.
How I noticed that my cat was stuck in the attic
My cat got stuck today
However, a tall and sturdy cat tree might save your home decor. "A cat's territory incorporates all three dimensions and if they can access the space up high (by any means possible), they will," Hoile added.
"Being up high means they can survey their territory from the safest point. Providing tall cat furniture will encourage them to do this appropriately instead of the scaling curtains and bookcases."
Even if your cat's claws cause damage, you can't really blame the animal for it. Their bodies are made to climb!
I am Napoleon, The Cat Emperor. Now do my bidding and get me tuna. Lots and lots and lots of tuna!
I had a cat do that - get into a dropped ceiling and wander around on the tiles. The thing is that the ceiling was very lightly hung - too lightly by a couple of amateurs. The cat fixed that, though. She brought the ceiling - well, about half of it - down onto the floor. That's how we discovered she'd been in the ceiling.
"Giant creature trapped inside someone's home, or a doll house with a curious visitor? You decide."
"Fur ball, corner pocket."
So we agree you get me that tuna and I make sure that 8 ball never goes in the hole?
"Over the last week our kitten has discovered she can climb"
he was better prepared for the pandemic than many of us out here.
"My parents' cat destroyed bathroom's door vents so he could spy while we pee."
My cat used to do that. She shredded the couch from below. I miss those days, she is an old lady now, and she sleeps for most of the day.
"Found my cat chillin in the garbage can"
"My cat climbed inside the bird feeder (2 meters tall) , because she saw bird flying there"
We had a lazy ragdoll years ago. She would sleep on the top of the bird table roof. The birds knew she was no threat and would still come to eat, even perching on her back before flying off. ;o)
Opened the cabinet to get a glass and nearly jumped out of my skin
My cat got stuck in the wall on Christmas day.
The basement kitchenette ceiling was left open when it was built a few months ago so he climbed onto the cupboards and into the ceiling before falling into the wall.
This was at my mom's house and he was stuck for about 2 hours while we tried to figure out his exact location and cut a hole to release him. He is perfectly fine and even tried to go back in the hole!
I was once doing some work on our house and had to enter the crawl space below the floor. Each time I came out checked for the cat and closed the trapdoor. When I'd finished however, no cat to be found, went back into the crawl space and found her in the furthest tightest parts. Shouted I'd found her, at which point she walked passed me and out, my wife telling me she was safe. Me on the other hand stuck, unable to turn or crawl back; had to call a friend to remove some floorboards to release me. Still trying to live this down after 20yrs.
"I finally figured out where Tank the cat has been hiding. I only saw him because a bird chirped on tv and he stuck his head up slightly. Who sees him?"
"Finally found my cat"
Don't look at me like that! You have a better idea than eating my way out?
This is tricky, I once sat on my cat who was under a blanket. She wasn't hurt but she was so pissed!
How I left him vs how I found him
The second picture is marvellous. "Didn't think I'd do it did you? Mwahaha'
Humans just fascinate me! They waste all that water and soap when they have perfectly good tongues. Amazing litter boxes though.
"Thought my cat went missing. Found out he made himself a personal hammock out of our couc"
"Couldn't find my cat... heard some rustling inside my desk, opened the drawer and voila. Found kitty"
My neighbor and I were chatting in the hallway next to the front door. The guest bathroom door was on my right. My neighbor started grinning and pointed down to the bottom of the bathroom door where there was a paw, upside down, swooping at the air. I knelt down and poked the center of the paw. She stopped for a second. I poked it again and she meowed like "OMG! I found something!!"
So, yeah, thought no way my adult cat would fit in this one spot. Yes, she can. How, I don't know, but she sort of liquified herself to get out. She shouldn't be able to fit there, but she did. And now she knows she can, she'll go back over and over and over and over....
If a cat owns you you have entertainment, love, warmth, purrs for the rest of their lives - may be even yours!
Once, one of my cats got stuck behind the washing machine. We’ve also found our cat in the dryer, sleeping on the warm laundry. We have also found him on top of shelf near the ceiling, after he climbed onto a counter, then the fridge, then the shelf.
There are so many cat-permeable buildings. Also: people need to stop doing construction or remodeling projects with cats loose in their houses. And stop leaving plastic bags available to your pets.
My neighbors cat loved the hugely gigantic plastic bags you get in the home decor stores. She would hide underneath them in the middle of the living room floor waiting for someone to walk by so she could swipe a paw at someone's foot. She was never left unsupervised with them and she knew better than to climb into them. The fact they made a crinkly rustling sound was a plus for her. And since home improvement projects can take weeks...it's not fair to keep a cat cooped up in a tiny room or the bathroom for that long. Cats will get into spaces they don't belong. Most of the time they can get themselves out or you can get them out without having to call emergency services. But emergency services will come and help rescue the cat if necessary.
Load More Replies...My cat once crawled into the tv cabinet and made himself comfortable on the power button of the receiver, just as the finale of the show I was watching was drawing to a close...
And we all know that he did it ON PURPOSE... just because.
Load More Replies...Had my second foster cat hide in a totally inaccessible spot behind my prized built-in floor to almost ceiling bookcases. She climbed to the top and then either dropped or fell down to the floor. I had to have my SIL come over and saw a hole into my solid wood bookcase to be able to get her out. It turned into a favorite hiding place for the newly acquired fosters that I've had to block it off to prevent them from going back there again. Goobers.
This is all fun and games but when I first started dating an ex years ago, their cat climbed into the dryer and we were woken to screaming by his mother. I choose to believe the cat climbed into it to die cause it's just horrifying.
Exactly what I’ve been saying to every post about a cat in a dryer or washer or refrigerator or...
Load More Replies...I don't mean to be a party pooper or whatever but I feel like a large majority of these pics were staged, in other words the owners put their poor cats in uncomfortable positions just for likes
Some, maybe, but since I spent 30 minutes convincing my one cat to come out of a space she cannot possibly fit into (by laws of NORMAL physics).... I tend not to doubt feline capacity to do these things.
Load More Replies...Why are so many of these from “cats in places where cats shouldn’t be”? There are no places where cats shouldn’t be…
Look at all those potentially lethal places. Absolutely there are places cats shouldn’t be.
Load More Replies...My neighbor and I were chatting in the hallway next to the front door. The guest bathroom door was on my right. My neighbor started grinning and pointed down to the bottom of the bathroom door where there was a paw, upside down, swooping at the air. I knelt down and poked the center of the paw. She stopped for a second. I poked it again and she meowed like "OMG! I found something!!"
So, yeah, thought no way my adult cat would fit in this one spot. Yes, she can. How, I don't know, but she sort of liquified herself to get out. She shouldn't be able to fit there, but she did. And now she knows she can, she'll go back over and over and over and over....
If a cat owns you you have entertainment, love, warmth, purrs for the rest of their lives - may be even yours!
Once, one of my cats got stuck behind the washing machine. We’ve also found our cat in the dryer, sleeping on the warm laundry. We have also found him on top of shelf near the ceiling, after he climbed onto a counter, then the fridge, then the shelf.
There are so many cat-permeable buildings. Also: people need to stop doing construction or remodeling projects with cats loose in their houses. And stop leaving plastic bags available to your pets.
My neighbors cat loved the hugely gigantic plastic bags you get in the home decor stores. She would hide underneath them in the middle of the living room floor waiting for someone to walk by so she could swipe a paw at someone's foot. She was never left unsupervised with them and she knew better than to climb into them. The fact they made a crinkly rustling sound was a plus for her. And since home improvement projects can take weeks...it's not fair to keep a cat cooped up in a tiny room or the bathroom for that long. Cats will get into spaces they don't belong. Most of the time they can get themselves out or you can get them out without having to call emergency services. But emergency services will come and help rescue the cat if necessary.
Load More Replies...My cat once crawled into the tv cabinet and made himself comfortable on the power button of the receiver, just as the finale of the show I was watching was drawing to a close...
And we all know that he did it ON PURPOSE... just because.
Load More Replies...Had my second foster cat hide in a totally inaccessible spot behind my prized built-in floor to almost ceiling bookcases. She climbed to the top and then either dropped or fell down to the floor. I had to have my SIL come over and saw a hole into my solid wood bookcase to be able to get her out. It turned into a favorite hiding place for the newly acquired fosters that I've had to block it off to prevent them from going back there again. Goobers.
This is all fun and games but when I first started dating an ex years ago, their cat climbed into the dryer and we were woken to screaming by his mother. I choose to believe the cat climbed into it to die cause it's just horrifying.
Exactly what I’ve been saying to every post about a cat in a dryer or washer or refrigerator or...
Load More Replies...I don't mean to be a party pooper or whatever but I feel like a large majority of these pics were staged, in other words the owners put their poor cats in uncomfortable positions just for likes
Some, maybe, but since I spent 30 minutes convincing my one cat to come out of a space she cannot possibly fit into (by laws of NORMAL physics).... I tend not to doubt feline capacity to do these things.
Load More Replies...Why are so many of these from “cats in places where cats shouldn’t be”? There are no places where cats shouldn’t be…
Look at all those potentially lethal places. Absolutely there are places cats shouldn’t be.
Load More Replies...