A man in Racine, Wisconsin, recently made headlines for a thoughtful note he wrote to his upstairs neighbor about her noisy cat. In a time when disputes between neighbors are common, especially regarding noise complaints, Lucas chose a different approach. According to a poll conducted by Talker Research for Newsweek, noise complaints rank among the top causes of conflict among neighbors in the United States.
Lucas, who has only briefly met the woman living above him, described their encounter as pleasant. “My neighbor is pretty new to the building, but I did get the chance to meet her while she was moving in, and she seemed very nice,” he said. Despite their limited interaction, Lucas noticed the distinctive sounds of “ceiling cat tippy taps” coming from above, prompting him to write a note.
Instead of addressing the noise negatively, Lucas’s message took an unexpected turn. He began the note with, “Dear [redacted] 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 feet on my ceiling.” Most readers might anticipate a request to quiet the pet, but Lucas surprised them with his next lines: “It’s very cute and brings me a lot of joy when I hear it. Tell them to keep it up.”
Lucas, a fellow cat owner, understands the playful antics that come with having pets. He expressed his intention behind the note: “I wanted to make her feel welcome in the building as a fellow cat parent myself.”
Though the neighbor has not yet responded, Lucas’s note quickly gained popularity on social media. He shared a screenshot of the note on Reddit under the handle u/gumtoe34, where it received over 70,000 upvotes. Fellow users praised his kind gesture, sharing their own experiences with noisy pets. One user commented, “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.”
Lucas has been heartened by the positive feedback. “I’ve read a lot of horror stories on that particular subreddit and figured it would be a nice change of pace for the community,” he stated. His intention was to counter the typical angry neighbor posts that often populate Reddit. He hopes that his message inspires others to spread kindness in their own communities.
“My mother always told me if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” Lucas reflected. He believes that a simple note or comment can greatly impact someone’s day. “A quick comment or note to somebody might seem like barely a breath or stroke of the pen for you but might make somebody’s day, week, or month immeasurably better.”
Lucas’s story serves as a reminder of the power of kindness in everyday interactions. In a world often filled with negativity, a small act of goodwill can resonate far beyond its original intention.
