A cat's noises were notable for a downstairs neighbor.
Living in close proximity to others, such as sharing walls, floors, and ceilings in an apartment building, means occasionally having to communicate when one person's noise affects another. That might look like a simple, "Hey, would you mind turning your music down?" or letting a neighbor know that stomping feet or loud voices carry farther than they might think.
It's always a bit awkward to say something to a neighbor you don't know well, which is why some people simply leave a note. But a note an apartment dweller left for their upstairs neighbor about the sounds coming from their unit took an unexpectedly charming turn.
from Apartmentliving
The note reads: "Dear ____ in 201. I have to inform you of your cat. He or she runs around a lot. I can hear the pitter-patter of their feets on my ceiling. It's very cute and brings me a lot of joy when I hear it. Tell them to keep it up. [Signed] ___ (downstairs neighbor)."
Some people seemed to misinterpret the note as a sarcastic complaint rather than the sweet letter it was. (Referring to paws as "feets" should have been a clue to the tone, but it's not always easy to read intent in a note that plays on a common trope.) But most people in the comments got the intended message:
"Not gonna lie, you got me in the first half 😂 but I'm obsessed, I would've LOVED this when I lived in an apartment!"
"I was getting ready to tell you to get over yourself, but instead I'm here to tell you that you're awesome. Thanks for the smile."
"I tell my neighbor this all of the time! I think she might think I'm being passive aggressive bc I ask about her cat when I see her but genuinely, I can't have a cat bc I travel too much and I am delighted when I hear hers jetting around and getting into stuff 💕"
Some neighbors love the sounds of other people's pets. Photo credit: Canva
"I had three Irish tap-dancing dogs (or dogs who thought they could riverdance 🤣) living right above my head for a year. So. Loud. 😭. They chased each other back and forth all hours of the day. I never fussed about it though. I got so used to it, I was actually able to tone it out and it was like ambient sound to me 😂."
"I used to hear my neighbors cats get the zoomies and it was so cute. You could only hear it if the apartment was completely quiet but it literally was the best kind of neighbor noise."
"As a cat owner, I'd smile if I got this note. Also I can tell it's not sarcastic because you said 'feets' — a clear and friendly sign of a genuine cat lover."
"I always feel bad when my dog plays sometimes.. she likes to stomp around with her toys. I asked my downstairs neighbor if he could hear her, and he said yes, but dogs can do no wrong. He always gives her a little treat when he sees her."
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Dancing GIF Giphy
"During covid lockdown and during stormy weather, my neighbor would use our floor's long hallway to run their corgi up and down for exercise. I absolutely loved to hear her exuberant pitter patters. She'd only make 3 round trips before tapping out."
"I was in a second floor flat and after over a year finally met the neighbor who lived under me (identical floor plan). She and I both had dogs, but she didn't know I had one. She asked if we had kids because she could hear some running around in the hallway. I told her it was when we played with the dog and she was genuinely so happy to hear that, she hadn't minded when she assumed it was kids and said she liked hearing it and knowing there were people (or a dog) playing. It was really heartwarming."
Meeting neighbors is the first step in building community where you live.Photo credit: Canva
In reality, there are things about communal living that might genuinely be a bother, and there are times when it's worth saying something to our neighbors to make them aware. But we can also choose the attitude we take to hearing the sounds of life around us, whether it's kids laughing and playing or cats romping around with their little thunderpaws.
There's something quite lovely about seeing someone choose to celebrate the joy of a cat rather than be annoyed by the kitty shenanigans upstairs. Sending a note like this is sure to bring a smile to a neighbor's face, making life in the same building more pleasant for everyone.
This note is a good reminder that showing kindness to our neighbors goes a long way toward building the kind of community we all want to live in.