The cat distribution system works in mysterious ways. Sometimes you get so used to seeing cats outside you become desensitized to them. It can be difficult to identify a street cat opposed to an outdoor cat with owners. If they look clean and well fed, it can sometimes be assumed that they're just an outdoor cat living their best outdoor cat life. In the story below, the protagonist tells of a chocolate cat who she thought was an outdoor cat with pawrents, but turns out he wasn't. In 2023, this big chocolate cat would appear all the time outside. The protagonist assumed he had owners, but it turns out he was just being well fed by the community.
Around 2024, the cat disappears, and the protagonist assumes he just stopped being outside as often. Then, he returns. This time when they see him, he's skinnier than usual, he's not looking so well or so clean. Read the full story below for all the juicy details.