Ever wondered where your cats go when they’re outdoors? One owner decided it was finally time to get some answers, so he attached a camera to one of his cats during a rainstorm just to find out.
David Jansonius usually keeps his cats, Diego and Pablo, inside, but he recently became curious about what would happen if that was to change. He has been letting the duo free roam for around a month now, and he was fascinated to see how they’d react to being out in the rain for the first time.
Jansonius, from the Netherlands, attached a camera to Diego, aged 2, as he told Newsweek that he wanted to see what his “little goofballs were up to.” The footage certainly didn’t disappoint as the cats could be seen roaming around a grassy field before running towards their apartment complex to find shelter when the rain started.
“They’ve only been free roaming for about a month now, and this was the first time they saw rain, so they were confused,” Jansonius said. “They were about 50 meters from my house when they noticed the rain and immediately ran back to my apartment and started playing and meowing there.
“What surprised me the most was that they actually didn’t care about the rain, and after a second, they went back to their normal orange cat behavior. They were only out for about an hour as I only let them outside when I’m at home, and the area is very quiet with some woods and barely any traffic.”
Pablo being caught on the camera that was recording his and Diego’s adventures during a recent storm. The cats have recently started exploring outside more and love going on adventures together.
u/Smauser / Reddit
Now that the cats are starting to explore outside more, Jansonius explained that they each have GPS trackers so he can keep tabs on their whereabouts. If they were to stray too far, he’d receive a phone notification warning him that the cats have exceeded a certain distance.
Part of the reason Jansonius decided it was time to let Diego and Pablo explore the world was because he hated seeing them cooped up inside and wanted them to have more opportunities.
“It was painful before to see them meowing on the balcony while the other cats were playing outside, when they’ve had the freedom before as well as a stray,” he continued. “Now, my heart melts when I see them have little adventures and experiences together.”
After watching the footage back, Jansonius couldn’t resist sharing it on Reddit (u/ Smauser) to the OneOrangeBraincell subreddit. The post went viral with more than 17,000 upvotes and 850 comments on Reddit in just a matter of days.
He also shared it on the cats’ YouTube channel, The Orange Amigos, generating over 8,600 views.
Pablo and Diego seemed to relish their first ever rainstorm before returning home for some snacks. Jansonius plans on recording his cats’ adventures again, but he jokes that most of the footage will likely just be them “meowing and eating grass.”
He told Newsweek: “Diego is the true boss as Pablo always follows him around. Diego is a shoulder/parrot cat, whereas Pablo prefers to stay close as he’s more nervous of noises.
“Whenever I collect the camera, there’s always surprises to see. I see cats I’ve never seen before, people saying hello and thinking they’re livestreaming. One thing is that Diego was a stray and loves to be with people, so he’s always trying to visit people.”
The Social Media Reaction
After the videos went viral on social media, internet users applauded their explorations and hope to see more. Jansonius has also connected with other cat owners who love the idea of capturing what their pets get up to when they’re out.
“In the beginning it was quite overwhelming, but luckily a lot of people supported me, and they can see that I’m trying to do everything for my two orange babies. I’m just a guy trying to give my furbabies their best life.” Jansonius continued.
“I dramatized the video a little by calling it a rainstorm. I’d never let them out during a real storm, and I’d recommend everyone to keep their cats inside when that happens. I also recommend everyone to get a tracker to keep track of where they go, and if you can, adopt don’t shop.”
With over 850 comments on the Reddit post, plenty of people loved seeing the secret life of this feline duo. One comment reads: “I could watch this kind of content all day long.”
Another Redditor wrote: “This video made both my cats lose their minds. I, however enjoyed every second! They’re so funny, I love watching the things they do without us around.”
Another person added: “You have adorable cats, OP! I enjoyed their melodramatic approach to life.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
