History Main / ConvenientDecoyCat

Related to ItsProbablyNothing and NobodyHereButUsBirds. One of many EscapeTropes.

Not to be confused with CatScare (used in suspense or horror movies), or ThatPoorCat (which refers to the sound made by a disturbed cat, and may appear as the sound made by the decoy cat).\\
Related to ItsProbablyNothing and NobodyHereButUsBirds. One of many EscapeTropes.\\

Related to ItsProbablyNothing and NobodyHereButUsBirds. Subtrope of [[EscapeTropes escape trope]].\\

* In [[FireEmblemTellius Radiant Dawn]], the opening cutscene features soldiers distracted by a bird. Partially averted, as the bird's owner, [[StupidGood Micaiah]], is found by another soldier.
* In ''FinalFantasyVI'' during Sabin's scenario, when you select "hit it" to open a chest in an imperial camp, you attract a nearby guard and hide, but the guard is dismissed by a "meow".
* Played for laughs in ''BaldursGate'' where you break in the home of a sleeping man who wakes up and sleepily asks around if someone is there. You have the option of doing a rather obvious "meow" in your text options, and the man accepting it and going back to sleep. But then he awakens right back, saying "but I don't own a cat!", but replying [[InsaneTrollLogic "Yes, you just adopted one"]] also works, convincing him to return to sleep. You then go through several more of these arguments that he should just ignore you, each more absurd than the last, but every one [[WhatAnIdiot accepted by the home owner that you are in fact his cat.]]

* Another variation in the ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' episode "Pierrot Le Fou", where Tongpu has Spike cornered, ready to finish him off, when suddenly a cat meows at him from a fire escape. Tongpu, who is deathly afraid of cats, turns his full attention to it and tries to shoot it, allowing Spike time to throw something [[StuffBlowingUp big and explosive]] at him.

* Another variation in the ''CowboyBebop'' episode "Pierrot Le Fou", where Tongpu has Spike cornered, ready to finish him off, when suddenly a cat meows at him from a fire escape. Tongpu, who is deathly afraid of cats, turns his full attention to it and tries to shoot it, allowing Spike time to throw something [[StuffBlowingUp big and explosive]] at him.

* {{Tintin}} has been assisted by decoy animals on occasion:

* In the first episode of ''ToumeiShoujoEa'' the boy and the invisible girl are hiding from TheMenInBlack in a pile of very clean garbage bags. TheMenInBlack pass the pile by, then turn back and fire! But it's only a kitten.

* Envoked in [[TortalLUniverse Terrier]], when the main character's talking cat chooses run into an alley so that the muggers hiding there will say "It's just a cat" and the police main characters will know what they're walking into.

* Used by James Bond in [[Literature/JamesBond Goldfinger]], the unfortunate cat ends as Oddjob's Lunch

* Used and then subverted in ''ElChavoDelOcho''. During an ImagineSpot episode, Chavo and Chilindrina sneak into the Witch of the 71's apartment (who here is an actual witch). Chilindrina accidentally makes a noise and when the Witch asks who's there, she meows. The Witch assumes it is her cat and sends it away. Chavo then makes another noise and the Witch asks again, to which Chavo replies "[[TooDumbToLive Another cat!]]".

[[quoteright:350:[[InnocentVenus http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/convenientdecoycat_4825.jpg]]]]

* A variation in ''Manga/DragonBall Z'': Krillin, Gohan and Dende are trying to hide from Vegeta, who just learned to detect ''ki''. When he sensed Dende's small ''ki'', a fish jumps off the water, leading him to think that was the ''ki'' he sensed and leave.

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* In the 1959 film adaptation of ''TheDiaryOfAnneFrank'', one scene has a pair of Gestapo officers searching the residence where the refugees are hiding because someone else broke in. The refugees' cat ends up knocking a plate from a table and arouses suspicion, but then resolves it as well by meowing, causing the officers to think that the cat is the only living thing around.

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Not to be confused with CatScare (used in suspense or horror movies).\\

* In ''FinalFantasyVI'' during Sabin's scenario, when you select to "hit it" to open a chest in an imperial camp. You attract a nearby guard and hide, but is dismissed by a "meow".

[[caption-width-right:350:Hint: [[CaptainObvious The hero is hiding at the right.]]]]

* ''TheLooneyTunes'': One appears in the copy room of the Spargle company to distract Daffy when he is chasing Bugs in "Off Duty Cop".

* The scene in ''{{Predator}}'' when Dutch gets covered with mud, making the predator unable to detect him in infrared. The predator still closes in on him, then gets distracted by a rat.

* ''DrNo''. JamesBond, Honey Rider and Quarrel are hiding underwater in a river with Dr. No's guards searching for them using German Shepherds. The dogs are clearly [[TheyHaveTheScent on the protagonists' scent]] ("They're onto something!"), the guards draw nearer and then...a flock of birds bursts out of cover, the guards figure that they're what the dogs were after, and leave.

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