Cats Surprise People Everywhere, Inspiring The "Catspotting" Facebook Group
Catspotting turns random cat encounters into a full-on photo hunt, and that is exactly why people keep coming back. The Facebook group is built around those unexpected moments when a cat appears somewhere funny, scenic, or just plain strange, and members love sharing the story behind the sighting.
Ruby Black started the group in 2014, and it has since filled up with posts about cats in all kinds of memorable situations. Some are funny, some are oddly beautiful, and some are just the kind of thing you would never expect to see on an ordinary walk.
Here are some of the best Catspotting moments from the group, and a few of them are hard to beat.
There is a significant difference between the Dogspotting and Catspotting Facebook groups. The first one is open to the public, while the second one is private; you can join only after the admin's approval.
"Was On Zoom For Class And Turned Around And Did A Double Take. Inside Cat Mine, Outside Cat Not My Cat. Da Baby (My Cat) Tapped The Window And Outside Cat Looked At Him Like He/She Saw A Ghost And Ran!"

"The Neighbour’s House Caught Fire And A 10-Year-Old Boy Came Out Of The House Carrying His Cat, Yoda. So We Welcomed Him And His Mother Into Our House. Yoda Took Over The Flat And Is An Absolute Sweetheart."

"Found This Pretty Flower On A Walk A Few Weeks Ago, Wouldn’t Let Me Pet But Still Loved The View"

"The Cutest Staff In Our Local Supermarket"

"Spotted In The Building In Front Of My Job!"

"I Found This Cutie In My Backyard. He Proceeded To Attack My Shoes With Those Murder Mittens And Then Pulled Down My Too-Big Sweatpants Trying To Climb Up My Leg For More Pets. Would Totally Pet Again With Pants That Can't Fall Down. 10/10"

"Floppy-Eared Cutie, Spotted Up The Road From Me"

"Saw This Beautiful Duo On My Walk This Morning. They Both Came Running Over For Scritches"

"Took This Photo Of The Most Cuddly Little Ginger In The Middle Of A Head Shake While It Wouldn't Stop Purring, Such A Majestic, Graceful Beauty"

"The Smoke Has Cleared Up A Little Bit Here In The Bay Area, So I Went Out For A Walk And Spotted These Two Buddies Enjoying The Night Air Together."

"I Was Watching TV In My Living Room, Only To Realize I Too Was Being Watched. B.C., Canada."

"My Brother Spotted This Little Baby In The Middle Of The Road, So He Brought Her Over To Give Her A Bath. He Bought Some KMR Since She Seems To Only Be Around 2 Weeks Old And Took Her Home"

"I Did Not Dare To Disturb This Little White Cloud"

"Think I Ran Into The Same Kitty Enjoying The Sun Again"

"I Just Got Off Work, Came Home To Let My Dogs Out, And This Little Thing Started Following My One Pupper Around. It Was Chilly And No Mom Was In Sight"

"Stumbled On This Super Old Trooper Today. I Even Broke Social Distancing Rules To Give Him A Head Scratch. Massive Paws. 12/10 Worth A Bit Of Hand Sanitizing Afterwards"

"Holy Mackerel!!! I Met This Thicc, Loud, Very Friendly Boy Who Would Not Let Me Leave!!!! Please Find Attached: Video Of This Big Old Creamsicle Slapping Me With His Paw When I Tried To Walk Away"

"This Stray Mama Has Come Around For A Few Weeks Looking For Food. She Finally Brought Her Baby Around, And I Cannot Handle The Politeness"

After the group's administrators dealt with these troublesome individuals, the group was free to dedicate themselves to cats. Black says the group members are mostly crazy cat people who truly love these majestic creatures. "In our member requests, we ask people to answer the question 'What do you love about cats?' and 99% of the answers are 'Everything!' and 'Toe beans!'"
And if you think that’s chaotic, meet the “suspects” in cats caught mid-heist and acting weirdly proud.
"Little Lady Sat In A Planter Waiting On Her Pint"

"Don’t Pspsps To Me Or My Son Or My Wife Ever Again. 🐱 Cats At A Local Museum In Ioannina, Greece."

"*My Bathroom, Not My Cat* We Left The Garden Door Open And Juno (A Neighbour Cat) Snuck In And Made Herself At Home - Who Could Be Mad At That Face!!?"

"Met A New Friend Today"

"My Chest, Not My Cat! Spotted This Beautiful Big Guy In My Dad's Garden A Few Days Ago"

"I Saw The Most Beautiful Sleepy Angel Lounging In Their Kingdom. (A Restaurant In My Hometown, Amsterdam)"

"The Last Thing I Expected To Spot In The Sahara Desert Was A Tuxedo Kitty. The Berber People In Our Tent Told Me He Visits Sometimes To Chase Away The Scorpions"

"Spotted This Black & White Dough Ball On The Way Home. 10/10 For Inspiring A Black & White Photograph"

"My Car, But Not My Cat. Very Beautiful, Very Friendly, Likes To Stick Her Tongue Out At You & Show Off Her Balancing Skills. Found Out That This Is The Neighbour’s Cat And Her Name Is Foxy. 10,000/10"

"Heard Shouting At The Window In The Cottage I Rented Last Weekend On The Aran Islands. Lifted The Net Curtain To Be Greeted By This Enthusiastic Member Of The Local Welcome Committee!"

"Met This Fierce Lion On My Walk Today. Floof Setting - Extreme. Friendliness - Off The Scale. Miaow Volume - Turn It Down! He Followed Me For A While Before Returning To The Savannah"

"Saw This Beautiful Boy On A Walk. He Was Also Walking, But In The Opposite Direction. He Greeted Us Warmly, But Only Gave Us 30 Seconds Of His Time Before He Continued On His Walk!"

"I Met The Cat Of My Dreams Today Named Alex. I'm Pretty Sure He Was A Maine Coon Based On His Sweet Puppy Dog Demeanor. He Demanded Attention And Would Follow Me If I Continued On My Walk. I Was Absolutely Smitten With Him. Please Peruse"

"This New Neighbor Has Been Coming To Visit Me Every Day For The Last 4 Days"

"Ensuring No Bookmarks Are Stolen On His Watch"

"Mitzi Is A Cat Who Hangs Out At The Gate With The Security Guards In The University Where I Work/Study. But In Hebrew, "Mitz" Means Juice. So Whenever The Students Make A Post About The Cat, Facebook Translate Turns Her Name Into "Security Juice." Meet Security Juice. She's A Fluffer Who Enjoys Pets"

The most successful posts are the ones with unique locations and situations. "Most of our viral posts have been either extraordinarily silly (cats with wild expressions or in really silly places or positions) or really, really unique (one of our most popular posts was a beautiful photo of a cat standing triumphantly on top of a huge sand dune in the middle of the desert)," Black said.
"My Boyfriend And I Rescued This Little Guy Off The Side Of The Road. He’s So Little! Poor Little Guy Kept Almost Running Out Into The Road Crying For Help"

"Just Having Lunch And Then Suddenly This Cat Jumped On My Lap. Obviously, I Was Not Thrilled By This At All!"

"My Friend And I Were Out To Get Something And Were Walking To The Station When She Pointed At This Adorable Cat And Gave Me The “Ugh Fine” Look, And I Gave This Floof The Best Pets. She Was Letting Me Scratch Her Belly And Under Her Chin"

"Spotted: Ginger Soil, Super Rare Swedish Phenomenon. A Little Reluctant To Pets, But Overall 11/10"

"Ran Into This Sweet Girl On My Way Home"

"My Stairs. Not My Cat. The Eyes"

Catspotting keeps proving that cats can turn the most ordinary places into a story.
For more “cat trapping” gone wrong, see “If I fits, I sits” turning into a disaster.