"They were all up against the screen staring at us.”

Con Keramidas is accustomed to seeing two cats from across the street; they’re his neighbors, each with their own family and loving home in the Melbourne, Australia community. The two girls often hang out together outside, and one day, they made a surprise visit to Con's place.

It was a leisurely Sunday afternoon when Con decided to prepare one of his favorite dishes: salt and pepper squid. As he began sautéing the squid, his son suddenly noticed movement at the door.

 “My son called out to me to check out some cats hanging outside the front door,” Con recounted to The Dodo. “Sure enough, they were all up against the screen, staring at us.”

Con immediately recognized two of the cats as his longtime neighbors, but he noticed a few new faces among them. Alongside the two cats sat four kittens — half belonging to one cat, and half to the other.

“They must have followed their noses,” Con chuckled. “[It] was a very amusing surprise.”

The aroma of Con's dinner had drifted through the neighborhood while he cooked, instantly attracting the cats and their kittens.

The little family peered through his front door, hopeful for a morsel, but Con knew it wouldn’t be safe to share since the food was already seasoned. Instead, he showered the cats with affection and continued with his evening.

Five hours after their initial arrival, the cats reluctantly wandered back home.

“They lingered until 9 p.m.,” Con recalled. “We dubbed them the Squid Crew.”

After that day, Con didn’t receive any further visits from the Squid Crew. Eventually, the four kittens grew old enough to be adopted, leaving just the two mother cats in the neighborhood. Thus far, they haven’t revisited Con’s place.

Though it's been some time, Con eagerly anticipates the next occasion when the cats' curiosity brings them to his doorstep. Until then, he'll keep watch for any furry visitors whenever he's grilling something delicious.