Brackley Drive-In patrons asked not drive off with cat

The temptation may be strong, but the owner of Brackley Drive-In Theatre, on P.E.I.'s North Shore, has asked audience members to refrain from taking home Timber, the theatre's resident cat.

Timber will often join people to watch a movie, said Bob Boyle, but he needs to be left on the property after the credits roll.

"You're welcome to let him watch the movie with you, you're welcome to cuddle with him, but please don't take him home," he said. 

"It is not a public service announcement I thought I would have to make."

The orange tabby has gone missing a total of five times, with Tyne Valley being his farthest destination. Those who take Timber home usually have good intentions, he said.

"It's just becoming more and more common that people think he's a stray cat, but Timber is well-loved," he said, "We don't want him to go missing. My kids love Timber. He chooses one of our children to sleep with every night."

Sometimes Timber's adventures off the property are accidental. The cat once curled up in the backseat of a family's minivan and fell asleep. Boyle said the family got quite the surprise when they got home. 

"When they got home and realized the cat was there, they were kind of like, 'Where did this cat come from?'"

Timber is adventurous, he said, so it's not uncommon for him to leave for a day or two at a time. But when the cat is missing longer than that, Boyle starts to worry.

He'll usually post online about Timber's disappearance, which is typically when a family, or in one instance, a birthday party group, will return him safely.

Boyle said he considering showing a video about Timber before movies at the drive-in so the pattern doesn't continue.