A Baby Fur Seal Breaks Into A New Zealand Home, Terrorizes The Cat Who Lives There, And Takes Over The Couch
Most people expect a quiet house to stay quiet, even after they step out for a few hours. In Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand, Jenn Ross came home from an early morning fitness class to find something far less ordinary waiting inside: a juvenile fur seal.
Ross had heard barking and scurrying before she left, but she assumed it was just a neighbor’s dog. By the time she got back, buckets had been moved in the garage, her cat Coco was blamed for the mess, and the real intruder was lounging inside the house after apparently squeezing through the pet flaps.
The seal, later identified as Oscar, had clearly made himself at home, and Coco was not impressed. Read on.
The Ross Family
From left to right: Noah, Jenn, Ari, and Phil
Oh, Good Morning
It was around 7 a.m. on a Wednesday when Mrs. Ross discovered the seal. Knowing this was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, she woke her two children, Noah, 12, and Ari, 10, to see the juvenile fur seal.
The kids were ecstatic about the visitor and named the seal “Oscar,” but everyone kept their distance as he growled at the curious human onlookers. "They thought it was pretty cool to have a seal in the house, but they don't understand that this is such a strange thing to happen... they just think it's another cool thing about living in the Bay of Plenty."
The cat was not expecting company like this.
Coco Was NOT Pleased
While the family home isn't located too far from the sea, it's assumed that while Coco was out exploring, she came across Oscar the seal. She has been known to confront dogs in the neighborhood, so she might have "tried to take on" Oscar in the yard, with Oscar responding in kind.
Good Thing He's Cute
Ironically, Jenn Ross is married to marine biologist and University of Waikato researcher Phil Ross, who was away for work at the time. "This was the one kind of family emergency where a marine biologist would have been useful - I missed my time to shine," Mr. Ross joked.
That’s when the whole situation got even stranger.
"Are You Real?"
Mrs. Ross found the entire situation to be hilarious, and after capturing some photos for posterity, she called the Department of Conservation to come collect Oscar so he could be safely returned to the ocean. Mr. Ross suggested Oscar looked to be around 10 months old, equating him to a "teenager."
Much like human teenagers, Mr. Ross said that seals at this age may make poor decisions, such as swimming in bad weather or moving inland to rest.
Coco Says "Yes... The Inside of the Seal's Mouth Did Look Like This"
Traumatized, Coco ended up taking refuge at a neighbor's house. To keep the spirit of the amusing encounter alive, the Ross family considered creating a social media presence for Coco. As relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman states, "Humor can be a great way to cope with unexpected situations, helping to foster connection and resilience." This sentiment resonates with the family's decision to celebrate Coco's antics in a lighthearted way.
Oscar Had a Good Bit of Exploring
In spite of Coco's trauma, Oscar was a considerate house guest. It was reported that he "had a good roam around the house," exploring their spare room and even hopping up on a couch, and fortunately made no messes in the Ross home.
"I'm pretty happy there is no seal poo on the carpet or the couch. I am sure that would have been fairly terminal for the furniture."
Oscar had already made himself comfortable by the time anyone could react.
This is similar to the coyote mix-up, where a resident posted “lost-but-found” for a stray dog.
Eventually, Oscar Was Picked Up by the Department of Conservation
Mrs. Ross opened the front door of their home after calling the Department of Conservation, and Oscar was happy to continue his exploration outside in their front yard. She shut the gate to their front yard to keep him from wandering into the road, and he was eventually picked up by a ranger and released back into the harbor.
Relief That the Intruder Is Gone
Coco refused to go downstairs for the rest of the day following the seal break-in, but eventually sniffed around and began to relax once she was sure Oscar was gone.
Even a seal this cute still caused plenty of chaos.
'Seally' Season
Mr. Ross and his family have seen many seals on the beach around this time of year, but they have never heard of a seal entering a home before.
“The message to the public would probably be: if they see seals on the beach or in unusual coastal places, they are probably just having a rest, rather than being sick or injured. It's best to give them space and keep dogs away from them.”
Many News Outlets Picked Up Coco and Oscar's Story to Share Worldwide.
You Can Watch a Local News Clip Below
Leave It to the Internet to Make a Meme of the Encounter
This is literally a work of art and Phil Ross' favorite bit to come from their viral story. "...if anyone knows the real Seal, let him know that he is welcome to drop by anytime for a jam."
It’s always important to remember that no matter how cute wild animals are, whether it’s a seal or another type of animal, you should never approach, feed, or try to touch them. It’s best to contact your local wildlife services to help relocate the animal if they’re in a place or situation where they cannot navigate their way out.
In any case, we can all live vicariously through this adorable and amusing story at any time thanks to the internet. If you enjoyed this story, be sure to share it with your friends!
Want another weird rescue story, read how fishermen spotted a mysterious figure stranded on an iceberg.
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