This Man Randomly Bumped Into His Own Cat, And His Pet’s Reaction Became An Internet Sensation

Cats are well known for coming and going as they please, and on occasion, that means that felines are often seen exploring their own neighborhoods. Darren Sherlock’s cat, Louis, certainly likes to go strolling away from home. In fact, it’s part of his everyday routine.

Van Louis and his owner unexpectedly crossed paths one Wednesday, and the cat’s reaction was legendary. On the morning of April 4th, 2018, Sherlock, who works as an airline’s commercial manager, was driving to work in the British city of Brighton. Then, however, he spotted a familiar furry face. It was Louis, of course, and Sherlock may have been very pleased to see the kid. After all, Louis had gone missing that morning, or at least, he deviated from his usual routine.

Sherlock would later explain to media that since Louis is a cat whose life revolves around food, he’ll typically annoy us until we wake him up and feed him. After the animal’s appetite has been sated, however, he’ll go out for the day. On that particular occasion, though, Sherlock said that instead of being forced to wake by Louis, he and his partner discovered that their pet had seemingly vanished. He said, “When we woke up, he wasn’t there, and he was nowhere to be found,” the cat owner added.

So, we both went to work thinking he’d come back soon. Sherlock also explained, however, that on his way to work that morning, he’d kept an eye out for Louis. He continued, “I even went past this place where I know Louis hangs out sometimes.” And as it happens, Sherlock’s gamble paid off. Louis was right at the spot where his owner had expected him to be.

Louis’s human parents subsequently wound down the window and called him. Then, on hearing his name, Louis turned around and perhaps to his surprise, saw Sherlock in the car. After Sherlock had opened up his car door to welcome his feline, however, he took a snap of the cat, and the resulting image was hilarious.

In the image, Louis is seen with his front paws resting on the bottom of the doorframe. What really makes the photo, however, is the cat’s expression, which can only be described as an elated grin. Still, after getting that shot, Sherlock was left with quite the conundrum. Why? Well, as Sherlock would later tell media, Louis jumped in the car, and then, “I didn’t know whether to push him out of the car because I needed to go to work.”

The cat owner eventually made a sacrifice on behalf of his beloved pet, though. Yes, Sherlock decided to chauffeur the feline home after all. Then, once at home, he fed Lewis his breakfast and headed back to work. Sherlock also sent the photo of Lewis to his partner, Sam, to confirm that their pet was safe and well.

In time, though, he decided that Lewis’s momentary expression also had to be shared with the wider world. So, Sherlock posted the photo of Lewis on Twitter, and sure enough, the cat and his grin went viral. In fact, the snap would be retweeted over 90,000 times. It’s also received 315,000 likes from users of the social media site.

However, Sherlock certainly didn’t predict that the image would go as far and as wide as it did. What’s more, Sherlock initially had no idea of his pet’s online popularity. When I woke up the next morning, he later recalled, my partner nudged me and said the post was on 50,000 retweets. He also told the site, “I couldn’t really get my head around the reaction on Twitter.”

It appeared, however, that Lewis’s hilarious expression prompted many people into making observations of their own. One Twitter user commented, for instance, that “Cat’s goofy is combined with his cool eating grin make the picture perfectly hilarious.” Meanwhile, another wrote, “Just because he has four legs doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own thing going on.”

And judging by what his owners revealed, that’s certainly true of Lewis. Indeed, Sherlock has revealed to media that his cat’s adventures have practically made the feline a household name in the area. Furthermore, the Brighton man invariably receives numerous calls from other neighbors regarding Lewis’s whereabouts. Once, for example, the intrepid animal made it onto somebody else’s balcony. And Sherlock said to the media, “I once got a call from the local thrift store on the high street to say that Lewis was in the shop saying hello to all the customers. I had to go and collect him and bring him home.”

When the cat’s owner arrived at the store, however, Lewis came trolling over between the clothes rails and proceeded to trail Sherlock all the way home. But despite Lewis definitely being feline, his owner has said that his beloved pet behaves more like a dog in a lot of ways. In keeping with his canine tendencies, Louis welcomes Sherlock into the house. The cat also likes to play games of fetch.

Another of Lewis’s quirks is his obsession with food. In fact, his owners have to keep anything edible squirreled away out of sight of the pesky Kent. He eats almost anything, so we can’t leave anything out on the side, Sherlock explained to Unilad. And apparently, even bread isn’t off the menu, as the intrepid feline will have a loaf on the floor and start munching it. In fact, Louis is such a foodie that Sherlock has had a personalized collar made from emblazoned with the message, “Please don’t feed me. I’m very greedy but nice.”

The animal’s appetite has also become part and parcel of his local reputation. One time, according to Sherlock, a passerby recognized him and said, “This is the greediest cat in the world.” And since Lewis has risen to internet stardom, another individual has tweeted at Sherlock to relate their own real-life encounter with the animal in question. “Oh my God, it’s the Lewis on Twitter,” they posted, alongside a snap of Lewis in said vehicle.

Furthermore, and much to the delight of Lewis’s fan base, Sherlock has posted regular updates on the animal’s adventures, including photos and videos on Instagram and Twitter. One Instagram user was even prompted to say in response, “That’s where the most adorable cats I’ve ever seen. He’s awesome. I’m a bit jealous now.”

It seems, then, that Lewis is becoming something of a social media celebrity. Time will only tell, though, whether this newfound fame will go to the cat’s head or whether he’ll still be the same greedy, adventurous kitty that Sherlock knows and loves. I hope you liked this video. If so, please hit the subscribe button and click on the bell icon to make sure you never miss a video from our channel.”