Woman Hears ‘Weird Shuffling’ Inside New Home And Is Shocked By Who She Finds

When Katie Hoover started hearing strange noises coming from inside her new home, she initially thought that it was just another old house quirk she’d learn to acclimate to.

“[I] moved into an extremely old historical home and I’m still getting used to all the groans and creaks that come with that territory,” Hoover wrote in a Facebook post.

But when the sound started getting louder and more consistent, Hoover decided to investigate.

“I kept hearing this weird shuffling sound that I couldn’t identify and was starting to get freaked out,” Hoover continued, “then I rounded the corner to this.”

At first, Hoover only saw sealed moving boxes lining the walls of her living room. She then took a closer look at one of the boxes, noticed it was unsealed and was shocked to find a full-grown orange cat staring back at her.

Hoover scooped the cat up and placed him in a safe, enclosed room — away from her two resident cats, Artemis and Apollo, and started talking to neighbors in search of the orange cat’s family.

“It didn’t take long to find out what happened,” Hoover wrote. “His old owner was elderly and passed away and his family didn’t want the cat, so they dumped him in the woods out back and left.”

The brave cat lived in a wood shed behind the house for over a year before the new tenants moved in. When he saw them bringing in cardboard boxes one day, he decided to hop in one of the boxes and join them.

“I decided to take him in,” Hoover continued. “It was only right since it was his house longer than it was mine. He sort of came with the house.”

It didn’t take long for the orange kitty to settle into his new home life, or for Hoover to find the perfect name for him.

“I ended up naming him Murdaugh, after the orange cat from the video game 'Stray,'” Hoover told The Dodo. “But as a nickname, I’ve been calling him Murray or Murray Murder Mittens!”

At first, Murray had a tough time accepting affection from his new family.

“He would be very defensive when you’d suddenly pet him,” Hoover said. “He was used to fighting for survival, so I couldn’t blame him.”

But as soon as Murray realized he was safe, he became extremely affectionate.

The final hurdle Murray faced when joining his new family was getting his new cat siblings to like him.

“Artemis and Apollo are thick as thieves and weren’t sure what to think of this orange interloper,” Hoover said.

At first, Murray would give his siblings the space they needed. When Artemis and Apollo would curl up on their mom’s bed at night, Murray would choose to sleep alone in the guest bedroom.

Hoover thinks this room brings him added comfort because it’s where his late dad slept.

“Despite everything, he still remembers his elderly friend,” Hoover said.

Over time, Artemis and Apollo started opening up to the idea of accepting a third cat into their family. Although they’re not yet the best of friends, the kitty trio has started to get along.

For now, Murray is soaking up all the love from his new parents, and enjoying the safety and comfort that comes with having a home.

“[The] little stinker is extremely mischievous,” Hoover wrote, “and a happy house cat once again.”