19/10/2025
Our friend Dave's story:
Last week, I got a call for what sounded like a routine job: pick up an old couch from a house in the suburbs and drop it at a charity shop. Simple, right? Oh, how wrong I was.
I roll up to this quirky little house, and the client, an older lady named Maureen, greets me with a mischievous grin. “The couch is in the living room, love,” she says, “but there’s something you should know…” Before I can ask, she ushers me inside, and there it is: a massive, glittery, hot-pink velvet couch that looks like it belongs in a disco museum. It’s so tacky it’s almost cool, but it’s also wedged tighter than a sardine in a can between a piano and a bookshelf.
Maureen casually mentions, “Oh, and there’s a surprise inside it!” I’m thinking loose change or maybe a lost remote. I start maneuvering the beast out, sweating buckets, when I hear… a meow. I freeze. Another meow. I look at Maureen, who’s now giggling like a schoolkid. “That’s just Mr. Whiskers,” she says. “He loves napping inside the couch!”
Inside?! I’m no cat whisperer, but I’m not about to move a couch with a feline tenant. I ask Maureen how to get Mr. Whiskers out. She hands me a can of tuna and says, “Good luck!” So, there I am, on my knees, waving tuna like a madman, trying to coax this cat out of a tear in the couch’s lining. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
Desperate, I post a quick video on my business’s page, half-joking: “Day in the life of a Man with a Van: stuck with a couch and a cat who’s living his best life inside it. Send help!” I figure my mates will get a laugh. I get back to work, finally nudging the couch free, when I hear a faint purr. Out pops Mr. Whiskers, a fluffy orange tabby, looking smug as he struts off with a piece of tuna.
I load the couch, drop it at the charity shop, and think that’s that. But when I check my phone later, my video’s gone nuts. Thousands of likes, shares, and comments like, “This is why I love small businesses!” and “Mr. Whiskers for president!” People are tagging their friends, making memes of me waving tuna, and someone even starts a hashtag: .
The next day, Maureen calls me back. Turns out, Mr. Whiskers misses his couch and won’t eat. The charity shop agrees to return it, so I haul it back to her place, free of charge. I post an update video: “Reunited Mr. Whiskers with his throne. Man with a Van: now offering cat-couch reunions!” The internet loses it again. Local news picks up the story, and suddenly I’m “Couch Cat Dave,” the guy who’ll move your stuff and save your cat’s favorite nap spot.
My inbox is flooded with bookings now, and half the clients ask if Mr. Whiskers can come along for the ride. Maureen’s thrilled, sending me homemade scones as a thank-you. Moral of the story? Never underestimate a glittery couch, a stubborn cat, or the power of a good laugh online.
