Have you ever wondered what a day outside brings to your cat? Cat dad and documentary filmmaker Derek sure did, so he crafted a collar camera to capture his kitty Gonzo’s escapades. But curiosity over a typical day in a cat’s life wasn’t his only motivation. You see, Gonzo likes to bring his family trash as a treat, and Derek wanted to know where the gifts came from.
And now, thanks to the camera, he’s not only learned where Gonzo’s gifts come from, but he’s also discovered the rich life Gonzo lives when he’s out catting around. With the collar providing so much great insight into the tabby life, Gonzo’s dad started a TikTok to share a glimpse into the life of Gonzo.
Trashy Gifts are the Best
Gonzo loves gifting his parents trash when he returns home from his regular constitutionals. Thanks to Derek’s nifty collar camera, Gonzo’s family learned the gifts come from a storage area beneath the family’s apartment building. And Gonzo thinks the stuff in the abandoned area makes primo goods for his family.
Yet, trash wasn’t his first option. The first gift Gonzo brought home to his mom was a bird, but her shrieks over the nature of the gift resonated with the good tabby boy.
As Derek told The Dodo, “We set the bird outside, and it flew off after a minute or two. Gonzo seemed to take that reaction to heart because from that moment forward, the only thing he’s ever brought home is inanimate objects.”
And those gifts are plenty, ranging from scraps of plastic to old light bulbs. One time though, Gonzo brought home flowers. Sure, the flowers were a dried-up dead rose plant, but hey, it’s the thought that counts.
“Most days that he goes outside, he’ll bring us one or two trash gifts at some point,” Derek explained. “Some days he doesn’t bring any and some days he brings us a lot. His current record is nine in one day.”
“One time he brought some brand-new plumbing parts still in the plastic from a construction site. I returned those to the workers, who were a little confused when I explained how they came into my possession.”
Visiting Friends Too
Not only does he bring trash, but Gonzo also roams his territory, enjoying the outdoors and meeting friends. A number of Gonzo’s videos show the curious cat interacting with the chattery squirrels that mock him, but this sweet kitty likes to chatter back and watch rather than full-out chase. He’s decided the small and furry are friends, not food. And this includes baby opossums.
Derek described watching footage of Gonzo with the babies as a bit nerve-wracking, “but then he just hung out with them peacefully. And it was super cute and interesting, and we loved learning that about him.”
One friend has captured Gonzo’s heart, but formal feral cat Simone isn’t the biggest fan in return, hissing when he comes too close. Gonzo even tried to bring her a piece of plastic bag, but the sly lady gave him the slip and left him to meow out for her as he held his trash gift in his mouth. Derek described Gonzo’s feelings for Simone as “unrequited love.” Poor Gonzo!
That’s okay, though. Gonzo has kitty buddy Fish waiting to greet him when he comes home from catting!
Learning About Their Feline
The camera has shown the cat parents more than just trash origins, with Derek relating he and his wife thought the camera “would be a good idea to educate ourselves about what he was up to.” They wanted to be sure he wasn’t harming wildlife or getting into dangerous situations. So, the idea for the collar cam was born.
“I searched for cat camera collars online and really only could find one at that time, and I didn’t like the design. So I ordered a cheap, tiny spy camera and built my own rig by attaching it to a breakaway collar using a plastic 3D doodle pen.”
And the camera setup has proved purrfect, revealing the rich and full life their boy has discovered outside. But Derek doesn’t recommend a cat collar with a camera for every cat.
“Gonzo is a large, strong cat and is unusually intelligent, but the results are not going to be cute or safe for all cats,” Derek said. “We don’t let our other cat, Fish, run around the apartment complex because she definitely would kill wildlife and is prone to panicking and could run into traffic.”
So, Fish holds down the home front while Gonzo explores, reporting back with delightfully trashy gifts!
@gonzoisacat productive evening trashgift session. #trashgifts #catcam #catpov #gonzoisacat #insta360go2 #insta360 @insta360_official ♬ original sound – Gonzo
Catch all of Gonzo’s roaming fun on TikTok and Instagram.
H/T: The Dodo/YouTube
Feature Image: @gonzoisacat/Instagram