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EntertainmentBritish Columbia, Canada

Lost Cat Spoof: Woman Receives Endless Calls Due to Fictitious T-shirt Campaign

A mix-up over a parody missing cat campaign has left a British Columbia pet owner inundated with phone calls.

By Rylee KirkSource: nytimes.com1 min read

In brief

Natasha Lavoie thought she'd solved a mystery when her partners' phone took a flurry of calls about a supposedly missing cat bearing a name completely foreign to her — Torbo. Yet, far from being a worried pet parent, Lavoie’s own cat, Mauser, was safe and sound at home. This peculiar situation began back in 2024 when the T-shirts, sold by an American company, Wisdumb, printed her phone number as a contact for a jester's missing feline story.

Despite her attempts to identify the source of the whirlwind of calls, it wasn't until recently that Lavoie uncovered the joke. A persistent caller finally revealed that his son's purchase of the humorous merchandise was the culprit of all the confusion. Lavoie’s insights prompted a mix of amusement and frustration, recalling the multiple late-night interruptions and wondering who might have posted her contact information maliciously. Now, she is considering a follow-up with the shirt company to prevent this from happening again.

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