A couple who had "lost sleep" worrying about a stray cat they found and were unable to take in, had their fears quashed after finding a sign revealing he was not a stray at all.

Joey Patton and his girlfriend Erin live in a suburb of Los Angeles with their two cats, and their hearts were broken when they found what they believed to be a desperate stray wandering the streets.

Patton explained to Newsweek that Erin was on a walk when she called him telling him an elderly stray cat had been following her for "at least half a mile," who looked like it was "not in great shape" and "really sad."

Patton rushed to the scene with a can of wet food for the cat, which they called Cheeto due to his ginger and white coloring.

They called multiple animal shelters who were unable to take Cheeto because they were at max capacity with other strays. As the couple already have two cats, they weren't able to take him themselves, worrying about space as well as potential diseases spread to their pets.

So they made the heartbreaking decision to leave him, hoping someone would be able to rescue him as they simply "weren't in a position to do so," reassuring themselves that at least Cheeto had some food.

But the couple, both animal lovers, "lost sleep" worrying about him.

"We did lose sleep, we were talking about it late at night for at least a couple of days. We were very concerned," he told Newsweek.

But not long afterwards, Erin was on another walk and spotted a sign.

In a post to Reddit's r/mademesmile sub from Patton's account u/GBJoe21, he shared a photo of the sign, which featured a snap of Cheeto snoozing on a sofa and a letter from his owner.

He wrote: "A couple weeks ago, my girlfriend and I encountered a stray cat we felt bad for. We gave it some food but couldn't take it in, and lost sleep over its well-being. Today, our worries were put to rest."

The sign revealed "Cheeto" was actually Harley, and he was not a stray. Instead, he had a loving family who understands he is "feral and need to wander," and only looked in bad shape because he loves to "sleep in the dirt."

The 19-year-old cat comes home for food and water, but "my fans bring me lots of treats and snacks and I prefer gutter water," the sign read from Harley's perspective.

It went on to say that Harley is "risky" and is aware of coyotes and cars but chooses to sleep in the sun in the middle of the street anyway, and while he is on "the last leg" of his journey through life, he will continue to be allowed to roam free until he becomes too old or unwell.

"Until that time, please know I am loved, I have a home, and my mom is watching out for me. Thank you all for loving and caring about me."

Patton told Newsweek: "It was a major relief. There was no more need to worry or be concerned for him. To know that he had supervision, that he was being fed, and he was loved."

He added that they hadn't seen the cat since, despite often walking that route, and joked he may have "chosen other people" to beg food from.

Patton's Reddit post had a huge response, garnering 44,000 upvotes since being shared on July 16, and hundreds commenting to share their own stories.

One recalled being played "a fool" by a senior cat for years, thinking she was feeding a stray only to learn she was a "spoiled rotten" pet who would come over for "pre-dinner at my house, before she has her real dinner at home."

Another revealed their own cat had done the same thing, as he would beg to be let out and go straight over to the neighbors to take a nap on their couch.

And one wrote: "I was trick-or-treating at a neighbor's house when we discovered our cat inside their house, just chilling on the stairs right in front of us like a traitor. The neighbors thought it was a stray they had adopted."

Patton said he chose to share the sign on Reddit after it made him and his girlfriend "so happy," but to get such a massive reaction was "a pleasant surprise".

Noting there were some negative comments around the fact the cat was allowed to roam, he said "the responses were overwhelmingly positive, as they should have been, and it was nice to see people be so happy about it."

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recommends that cats be kept indoors, as there are dangers outside, including cars and wild animal attacks, as well as fleas and diseases.

If your cat is allowed outdoors, they should wear a safety collar and ID tag, so they can be safely returned to you if they stray.

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