Pips the cat is a resident at All Saints Church in Ilkeston, England. She’s got a reputation for tip-toeing across the church organ pipes, meowing during weddings and baptisms, and has even been banned from attending funerals because of her habit of jumping into coffins…
Now, the grey-and-black striped tabby has taken a liking to the manger that was set up for Baby Jesus in the center of the Church’s Nativity scene inside the chapel. The funny feline thought the straw bed looked like a cozy spot for a cat nap, evicted the baby Jesus, and stole his spot in the manger!
A tweet about the incident went viral on Twitter:
At my friend’s church, the church cat has evicted the baby Jesus from the manger #JoyToTheWorld pic.twitter.com/YYXnVN2Dcw
— Kate Bottley (@revkatebottley) December 14, 2016
Pips showed up as a stray at All Saints years ago, Rev. Christine French tells PEOPLE:
“If Pips were to have a Christmas message,” she says, “I believe it would be along the lines of, ‘As there was no room in the inn for baby Jesus, then sadly at the moment, there is no room in the vast majority of cat and dog rescue homes either,” she says.
“Lots of cats and dogs will be homeless this Christmas, so please give them a home. You just might be looking after another little angel.”
