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AIBU?

Catgate

419 replies

SirSugar · 07/12/2011 09:58

This rumbles on and on, so far have done the following;

asked nicely
got cross
written letters
telephoned
offered to get them a cat (they don't want one)
kept cat indoors, except for 15 mins in morning

but they are STILL feeding mine who is greedy and if I'm not on the ball during his 15 min morning run will be let into their house and not let out until I telephone to ask them to let him out.

Apparently, they used to keep a cat and for sentimental reasons they keep his bowls and 'put a little food down' which my cat nibbles on YET they have done everything they reasonably can NOT to feed my cat

[now absolutely fucking furious emoticon]

OP posts:

Report

Sazzle41 · 09/12/2011 14:38

You've tried everything else, so ... FWIW, going onto the small claims court website, downloading the claim forms (up to £3K costs £95 but you can claim your costs on top, limit is £5K I think) filling them in and putting a 'draft' thru their door with 'this is being filed w nearest county court if you don't stop' doesn't half do the trick IME....

You can claim emotional trauma/distress, theft of your pet and causing health probs and incurring vet bills as a consequence ...

Sounds drastic but damn does it work sharpish... I had weeks of 24/7noise (torment) off a neighbour til i did this ...I should add I had no intention of actually filing a claim, it was last resort before moving .. Good luck

somedayma · 09/12/2011 16:02

I'm fucking raging on your behalf!! How dare they?!

oopslateagain · 09/12/2011 16:20

Can you only let your cat out when your DP is there - and have him lurk somewhere out of sight so when they open the door to let your cat in, he can suddenly appear and tell them to get their own fucking cat gently remind them they are not to let your cat in?

SirSugar · 09/12/2011 20:13

Actually police turned up at their house last night, not sure if it was in relation to my call so will call them back tomorrow ( fig they might be busy friday nights) and get update on the ref number they gave me.

Kept cat in today

OP posts:

SirSugar · 09/12/2011 20:14

Cinnabar - I have a lovely video of cat meowing to get out of their property

OP posts:

BalloonTwister · 10/12/2011 00:58

There is a woman across the road to me with 7 cats. When my little moggy went missing last week the nice man in the paper shop tipped off that this woman had been in, bragging that she'd "taken another stray in". Sure enough, when I banged on her door there he was. Three other local cats have gone missing lately, and two of them were also there! I did speak to the local community officer, and she is known to him (apparently she is an alcoholic and has mental health issues) but he says that there is nothing they can do, as once the cat leaves your property it is pretty much fair game if someone else decides to adopt it!

We have resorted to feeding our moggy the odd tin of tuna and a few prawns, in the hopes of bribing him to stay.

SirSugar · 10/12/2011 13:03

mActually, under law cats are the property of their owner therefore your neighbour is commiting a 'theft' of your property. Helps if you have cat microchipped and it is pedigree as you then have paperwork.

where the law is fuzzy for some is that cats are free to roam and do not fall foul of trespass law. They can wander into someones house, but as soon as the householder knowingly locks them in, they are then commiting a crime.

OP posts:

PresentsRibbonsAndMerrySantas · 10/12/2011 13:22

we have a women down the road that has stole our cat, he hardly ever comes home, i have asked her not to feed him [she denies feeding him, but she feeds everyones cat] he follows her everywhere, i have now given up in the past year he has been home less than 10 times, he is ten years old now and i have said very loudly when she has been in her garden, well she wants the cat she can have his vet bills as well, i have tried everything but she won't listen and he won't come home, i can do no more, we have one cat now and i refuse to get any more, because i know she will just do it again, the only reason binka is not there is because she don't really like people and hates strangers.

snuffaluffagus · 14/12/2011 16:53

Have you been keeping your cat in this week?

pingu2209 · 14/12/2011 17:13

By law there is no such thing as a 'cat owner', there is only a 'cat caretaker'. Seriously, this is not a wind up. Under the law of trespass, cats are unique. They are not owned as they can come and go as they please and are virtually impossible to fence in.

The benefit of this to the 'caretaker' is that the cat lives with you (whilst it pleases him/her) and you get all the pleasure of the cat but if they dig up someones flowers or poo in someone elses garden etc, you are not liable.

However, the downside is that if your cat is run over or hurt accidentally, the driver doesn't have to stop and also is not liable for vet bills etc.

In your case, if someone decides to feed your cat then you can't force them to stop. The cat could opt to live with the other people and they become its caretaker.

PigletJohn · 14/12/2011 17:16

where can we see this law?

Didn't we recently see an MPs wife prosecuted for stealing a cat from his new woman friend?

PigletJohn · 14/12/2011 17:26

Cristine Hemming cat theft case

PopcornMouseInAReindeerJumper · 21/12/2011 16:33

How goes catgate, OP?

candytuft63 · 21/12/2011 16:48

I was wondering as well, Pop. My cat has moved (voluntarily) up the road to the big house with trees, huge garden, oh and they own a restaurant. Not daft that cat. Would be hopping furious had she been basically stolen though. The laws surrounding cats and ownership is notoriously a grey area. The new "owners" love her to bits and I felt that she wanted to retire in relative luxury...wish I could !

sashh · 22/12/2011 03:39

Sorry I had to laugh at this and in particular the mad camping couple.

Until I recently aquired a stray I used to let neighbour's cat in, well my back door opens onto the garden so she used to let herself in. But I can honestly say I NEVER fed her, I didn't think it was fair to the owners.

Now kitty is in residence kitty from next door is not happy and has told her owners off in no uncertain terms and I feel really bad.

I thought I was just letting her get away from her two daughters who also live next door.

I really don't know what to say, they are not going to stop letting him in. Maybe take some of his food round there so at least he is getting cat food not ham and chicken.

Send the cat to live with someone else for a few days, tell them he is at the vets because he has eaten something he is allergic to and he may die.

Ask the vet about a gastric band?

ContraryMartha · 22/12/2011 06:56

Any updates SirSugar?

Rosduk · 22/12/2011 07:26

Get one of the cat alarms and stick it in/near their garden! If they are old they wont hear it and they work amazingly well. We had terrible problems with 3 cats pooing in our gardens so we put one out the front and one out the back now they don't even come near!

scrappydoodah · 22/12/2011 08:24

My best friend has done this to her neighbour's two cats. Effectively stolen them. Tells me proudly how they prefer her house, and reports every time they stay at hers all nights as well as during the day.

Makes me fume, as she just cannot see how wrong this is. The cats' owner has spoken to her about it as well, but no joy. They sound the same.

CurlyBoy · 22/12/2011 10:35

Yet another thread about problems arising from letting your cat out. I am constantly amazed by these and wonder why the hell people let them out to roam free in the first place! Our two cats have never roamed free and are perfectly happy. The go into our back yard when we are out there and come in when we call them. They won't ever be catnapped, run over, poisoned (either intentionally or unintentionally), or kill another animal. This notion that cats MUST be allowed out to run free is ridiculous. There is a reason why they are called domesticated animals!

fergoose · 22/12/2011 10:53

Curlyboy - I think as long as you are not putting your cat in danger, ie on a main road, it is a cruelty to keep them indoors. I have always been a cat owner and I would never dream of keeping them cooped up like they are in a cage. It isn't the owner who is at fault here for letting a cat be outdoors, it is neighbours who in my opinion are stealing.

CurlyBoy · 22/12/2011 11:36

Fergoose - I agree the neighbours are "stealing" but I absolutely do not believe it is cruel to keep them indoors. My cats are not cooped up, they have the run of all three floors of our house and they get out to the back yard when we are out there. Due to our tall fence they cannot escape. I have had cats most of my life as well and have never let them out. When I lived in the US, no one let their cats out. There are strict animal control laws and the same rules that apply to dog owners apply to cat owners. No leash, no pet out side.

lollopybear · 22/12/2011 12:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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SirSugar · 26/12/2011 14:09

Missed this when updates were requested. Haven't let the cat out for three weeks so rang neighbour this morning and said, its been fed, I have to let it out and can i kindly request that they do not let it in, or feed it.

Got drawn into nutty conversation for half an hour going round in circles ( including mum speaking, who gave us the cat ). I was told to keep cat off their property, yet they put food down, look after my cat properly, come round for drinks to discuss, they have never known such behaviour from neighbours, they feed everyones cats - not their problem if my cat eats it, they give him milk, if I was a christian I would respect them, I was intruding upon them and so the madness went on

I really tried to remain calm then lost it and asked him if he could spell narcissistic personality disorder, that his poor dead cat he now wears on his head ( BAD WIG ) and I will call in social services to find out why he locks his wife up as well as my cat.

I did say, don't feed it and I won't bother you

Its not going well

Cat is still indoors

OP posts:

RandomMess · 26/12/2011 14:23

Mad as hatters the pair of them!

MissHonkover · 26/12/2011 14:47

This thread is fabulous! Sorry OP, I know it's driving you barmy, but it's a very entertaining read. Did it make you feel any better that they're feeding lots of other cats? At least it's not a vendetta against you personally.

Baffled as to how anyone can claim there is an innocent motive behind feeding someone else's cat, surely everyone knows cats don't care where they live or who they live with, they'll go where the food is.

My cat's really annoying, wish one of my neighbours would start feeding her.

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