The well-meaning guy at the center of this engrossing feline mystery will remain anonymous, but one thing is clear: He adores his black cat and would go to any length to keep her healthy and safe.

Unfortunately, his best intentions lately led him down a pricey and perplexing path, one that unknowingly lead him to become a cat-napper.

Clarke Gayford, the man’s buddy, recalls how he became concerned about a sudden change in his cat’s behavior in a series of tweets on the matter. Naturally, the man brought the cat to the doctor, who diagnosed her with anxiety. He spent $130 on the appointment and drugs to treat him.

Of course, he didn’t realize it at the time, but this wasn’t his cat.

As it turned out, the man’s actual cat had been gone on an adventure.

Actually, he’d been medicating, quarantining, and (no doubt) getting all lovey-dovey with … an impostor!

Gayford says, “JUST NOW HIS ACTUAL CAT WALKED IN.”

Having his pet home for the first time raised an obvious question: Whose black cat had he been caring for these previous several days?

Then he remembered a recent visit he’d made – and the mystery began to unfold.

The two cats do resemble one other, yet their gender differences indicate their true identity. Still, we can only picture the man’s interaction with his neighbor as he tried to explain that he’d kept her missing cat the entire time. He seemed to have felt terrible about the unintentional cat-napping.

According to the text he received later, she was simply relieved to have him home.

Gayford, like a good buddy, seems to take pleasure in spreading the news about his pal’s innocuous incident, but it’s difficult to blame him. This kitten caper, thankfully, has a nice ending for everyone involved.

Link to Paws Daily