# Mystery's Mysterious Boyfriend **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 15, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632 "2012-01-15T21:15:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/1 "2012-01-15T21:15:03Z")
It’s a mystery. Two mysteries, in fact. There’s [Mystery](http://www.flickr.com/photos/9624983@N05/3670035032/in/set-72157623434119688/), named after her still-unexplained appearance on our doorstep as a kitten. And then there’s the other small black cat with green eyes… Mr. Mystery? Mr. E? He’s been hanging around our house recently. He comes over to the door, looks in like he wants it opened, even meows sometimes, and runs away when we come near. He gulps down the food we left for him like he hasn’t eaten properly in a week. He may not even be a he, for all we know, but Mystery tends to hate other cats, excepting a previous boyfriend (which was a story in and of itself). So boyfriend’s our best guess. He doesn’t have a collar, but then neither does Mystery. (That is to say, any collar we put on Mystery mysteriously disappears within a short while). We saw them together outside last night. They were sniffing, touching noses. At least one of them was making the warbling howl that [Tikva](http://www.flickr.com/photos/9624983@N05/2437087215/in/set-72157623434119688) drives everyone crazy with when she wants me to come upstairs and pet her. No sign of aggression from Mystery. Is Not-Mystery a lost pet? A dumped pet? Something else? Where did he come from? What should we do with him? It’s a mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/2 "2012-01-15T22:18:10Z")
Could Mr. Mystery maybe be a sibling? ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/3 "2012-01-15T22:27:21Z")
If Mystery keeps losing the collars, doesn’t that mean someone is taking them off? Maybe it could be the owner. Why not attach a note to the collar including your contact information? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/4 "2012-01-15T22:57:46Z")
Cats that dislike collars just find a convenient branch in a shrub to drag it off. May I suggest you call him “Mr E. Nigma.” ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/5 "2012-01-15T23:10:37Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > If Mystery keeps losing the collars, doesn’t that mean someone is taking them off? Maybe it could be the owner. Why not attach a note to the collar including your contact information? A good idea, but be prepared that some people just don’t care. I did this to a ginger tomcat that seemed to spend almost all his time hanging around my back yard, as it was getting close to winter and I didn’t want him to freeze. The note went missing, and the cat came back in the spring, so now I just let them feed him while I get to pet him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/6 "2012-01-16T00:07:27Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > If Mystery keeps losing the collars, doesn’t that mean someone is taking them off? After eight or nine years? Nope. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > May I suggest you call him “Mr E. Nigma.” I’m leaning towards Enigma myself. The only problem is, calling for him could lead to some awkward misunderstandings. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/7 "2012-01-16T00:39:08Z")
Aw, from the thread title I thought/hoped the Pick Up Artist had been outed. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/8 "2012-01-16T22:21:58Z")
To make things even better, the family is about to leave for Florida for a week. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/9 "2012-01-20T18:37:56Z")
Enigma’s still hanging around. Last I heard, he’s been hissing if the person with the food comes too close. He acts like a lost pet in some ways, and a feral in others, and i am so confused. What should I do when I get back to New Jersey? ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/10 "2012-01-21T12:05:54Z")
There’s nothing you can do. Once you feed a cat, he’s your friend. In this case, as somewhat ungrateful friend, but he’s now your friend and thus your responsibility. Just make sure your cats have their shots and I assume they’re fixed, so they won’t have any issues catching things, like rabies or kittens 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/11 "2012-01-21T20:11:30Z")
The real mystery is why Mystery is sitting on a broom instead of on the perfectly comfortable chaise lounge behind her! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/12 "2012-01-21T20:31:20Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Cats that dislike collars just find a convenient branch in a shrub to drag it off. > > May I suggest you call him “Mr E. Nigma.” If you get him a collar eventually, it should be green with purple question marks on it. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/13 "2012-01-23T18:02:57Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > The real mystery is why Mystery is sitting on a broom instead of on the perfectly comfortable chaise lounge behind her! 😉 It took a lot of catnip. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/14 "2012-04-05T07:51:23Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > The real mystery is why Mystery is sitting on a broom instead of on the perfectly comfortable chaise lounge behind her! 😉 Because the human indicated (or just thought about) using the broom to sweep, so the cat decided that was just where he wanted to sit. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterys-mysterious-boyfriend/609632/15 "2012-04-05T08:28:05Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Because the human indicated (or just thought about) using the broom to sweep, so the cat decided that was just where he wanted to sit. This is almost certainly the correct answer, although involving catnip can also work.