We all know cats are clever, but does your kitty know how to ring the doorbell? That’s what one grey cat adopted from a veterinarian did in Long Island after being missing for days.
Eight-year-old Lilly went missing after her family moved to a new neighborhood in Suffolk County. One day, she got outside and vanished. As a previous indoor/outdoor cat, Lilly had free reign in her familiar old neighborhood of 4 1/2 years. So, she might have tried to make it for her old haunts where she was a big deal.
“She owned the block,” said Lilly’s human, Stefanie Whitley.
Stefanie Whitley and Lilly the extremely street-wise kitty from Long Island via YouTube/PIX11 News
But in the new place, Lilly was lost. Whitley worried that something had happened to her beloved cat after she remained missing. Usually, the cat came home and never stayed out for long.
“I didn’t think Lilly was coming home,” Whitley told PIX11. (see video below)
Video by PIX11 News:
Ding Dong – It’s Lilly Ringing the Doorbell
Then one night, Whitley got a notification from her Ring doorbell. Everyone was surprised to be getting a visitor that late in the evening. Amazingly, it was Lilly, and the camera caught everything. There was the kitty, jumping up to the camera and meowing.
Inside, the family couldn’t believe it, gasping in disbelief.
“Oh, my God!” Whitley exclaimed.
Some might think the cat just lucked into pushing the doorbell, but Whitley thinks this cat knew what to do.
“She clearly knew what she was doing with the Ring camera,” she said. “It looked like she was running from something, like ‘let me in.'”
If not for the camera, she said she doesn’t know if they would have known their lost baby was there. Furthermore, she isn’t sure how Lilly found her way home. This is one street-wise cat who rings doorbells, no less.
After adjusting to being back home, Lilly seems to pay attention to the sounds from the camera. Whitley says she walks to the door when she hears the notification sound. Whether the cat understands the device or not, she says she hopes the story will offer some encouragement to others with missing furbabies.
“And I just figured, you know, my kitten came home. My baby came home. Maybe somebody elses will too,” she told NBC New York.
Image captures via YouTube/NBC New York
It’s certainly possible, as we’ve shared stories of cats who came home after a decade or more.
Generally, we recommend keeping kitties indoors. In this case, it appears Lilly snuck out, but hopefully, she’ll stay inside and safe now.
Video by NBC New York:
Did Lilly Understand How to Ring for Help?
It seems like this kitty understood how to use a camera doorbell, which is amazing. When you watch the extended video(see below), she does choose to cry for help on the railing in front of the camera and jumps up, extending a paw. Coincidence? Purrhaps.
You can also hear the family joyfully reacting to the alert that shows Lilly’s face and cute little meows. A wonderful reunion.
We’ve previously shared stories of cats unlocking doors, busing friends out of their shelter kennels, and even turning a doorknob. So, the moral of that story is never to underestimate a cat.
Video via KHOU11:
