I love a news story that makes me stop and think, Wait. What?

Recently, someone in Washington called 911 because they heard loud banging in their house and thought they had a burglar.

Reasonable.

Except when the police arrived, the burglar turned out to be a bobcat sitting at the top of the stairs.

Apparently, the bobcat had climbed a tree, jumped through an open window and decided someone’s house was a perfectly acceptable place to spend the evening.

The police, wisely choosing not to engage in hand-to-paw combat, used a drone to guide the animal into an empty room until wildlife officials could arrive.

I have questions.

Who among us has not occasionally wanted to escape our own life by climbing through a window and hiding in another room?

The bobcat was apparently pursuing the resident’s cat.

Which makes this less of a burglary and more of an extremely aggressive Tinder situation.

And I have to admire the confidence.

No invitation.

No reservation.

No “Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

Just: I saw a window. I entered.

There is something wonderfully liberating about an animal that simply follows its impulses without worrying about whether anyone thinks its behavior is appropriate.

Humans, meanwhile, spend enormous amounts of time worrying about being appropriate.

Did I talk too much?

Was that email too direct?

Should I have waited three days to respond?

Did I look weird walking into that room?

Meanwhile, the bobcat is like:

“I live here now.”

Perhaps there is a lesson.

I’m not suggesting we all start entering strangers’ homes through open windows.

Boundaries matter.

But maybe we could be a little less concerned with whether everyone approves of our choices.

And maybe keep the windows closed.

Because apparently, somewhere out there, a bobcat is waiting for its next opportunity.

And it has absolutely no intention of asking permission.