Owner Failing To Notice Indoor Cat Escaping Goes Viral: 'Worst Nightmare'

A cat owner's "worst nightmare" almost came true when their pet quietly escaped the house to explore the wider world—and the incident was caught on camera.

In a door cam video shared to TikTok by the owner, Dutchkittycat, the white Persian takes advantage of their human doing some chores outside with the door open. The cat, Silver, roams the area before deciding to move further afield.

After Silver escaped the house without anyone in the house noticing, he tried sneaking back in. However, the door was closed, so he walked around some more and almost got run over by a car.

According to Lost Pet Research and Recovery, at least 15 percent of cat owners lose their pets in a five-year period. The good news is that 64 percent of those animals are found alive.

Most people who reported finding their cat did so by walking around the area, speaking to neighbors, posting missing cat fliers, using social media, and calling shelters.

Data by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) shows that 3.2 million cats enter shelters as strays every year. At least 100,000 of those are safely returned to their owners.

Of those who don't have an owner, 2.1 million are adopted each year, and about 530,00 are euthanized.

After "seven long hours," Silver was eventually found in one of their neighbors' gardens, "two houses down the road." According to the poster, he was so exhausted when they found him that he slept for hours.

The clip which was first shared on Monday has been viewed over 2.3 million times and liked 87,900 times, and the internet is glad Silver is back. One user, CosmicBengal said: "awwww. it's so scary out there!"

And corriemeredith615 added: "Our baby is out for about 15 hours a day then lets herself in when she's ready, I worry all the time but she often brings me gifts."

Another user, Willow, shared their personal experience: "Mine escaped, got as far as the neighbors trellis & then cried til someone noticed her & brought her home."

Celtic ruin on the other hand said: "Most exciting time of its life. Imagine being stuck in a house for your whole life then find out the world isn't a 3 bedroom semi-detached."

And Misty Finch said: "Cats DO NOT belong outside in the city unless you can train them to stay in their yard. People are cruel and people in cars are even worse." Liv added: "Exactly this!!!! They are not safe out there! Wonder if people would let their dogs roam alone too."

GoingPlaces asked: "Did he come back talking?! My cat escaped once and when he came back he kept 'talking' with big eyes like omg the things I've seen." And Suze added: "Yup, my kitty did that too once, and when she came back - [pregnant emoji]."

Another user, helenkatona, suggested: "This is why you always take your indoor cats outside, get a leash and show them what is out there. All our cats go outside but we also live rural."

Newsweek reached out to Dutchkittycat for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.