In these homebound days, we’re noticing things outside our windows that have always been there, but we’ve never had the time to notice before.
And in one household, the something noticed proved to be a someone…
Sian Cosgrove had been living across the street from her neighbor for about a year, but with life being busy and her work with the Support After Rape & Sexual Violence Leeds, she’d never had a chance to meet the folks across the way. With life in Leeds, UK, now in lockdown, Sian noticed one of those neighbors peering out the window.
On the daily, a tuxedo cat would sit in the window of the house across the street, watching the world outside.
“Me and my partner had been calling him Eric because we didn’t know his name, but he was always sat in the window looking majestic,” said Sian.
She Had to Know the Cat’s Name
Yet, not knowing the cat’s real name vexed Sian. She just had to know, so she came up with a way to ask without risking exposure.
In bright, green ink, she wrote a sign reading “WHAT IS THE BLACK + WHITE CAT CALLED?” She then posted it in her window.
Not really expecting a response, Sian was delighted to learn the cat was called “WALTER”.
“We’ve lived here for nearly a year and never spoken to them, but I figured what have I got to lose. I was so chuffed when they posted something back!”
And the conversation continued, Sian writing, “GREAT NAME, WALTER IS A HANDSOME BOY”. The reply read, “HE SAYS THANK YOU”.
Sharing a Chance Meeting
Sian shared the experience on Twitter, and tweeters loved the tale, her post garnering over 1 million likes and nearly 70k shares.
This small bit of connection was an amazing thing while people have been chased into solitude. Sian shared, “Feeling part of a community has felt huge for me while we’re in lockdown.”
She also let her neighbor know about the viral post, writing, “WALTER IS NOW TWITTER FAMOUS… SORRY”.
But Walter the cat was tickled with the fame and started his own Instagram page, @waltersobchat, so everyone could meet the handsome tuxedo lad. On his feed, “The cat across the road” shared some great tips for humans new to the indoor life…
“As an indoor cat, I know all about being inside all day. So here are a few suggestions for activities while you’re in quarantine:
- lick plastic bags all over the house, particularly in the middle of the night
- try out new places to sit that don’t look like they would be at all comfortable, like laptop keyboards or important paperwork
- wake people up at 4am to see what happens
- donate some money to @sarsvl”
Thanks, Walter, and nice to meet you!
H/T: www.expressandstar.com
Feature Image: @waltersobchat/Instagram & @sian_cosgrove/Twitter