I have stolen the neighbour's cat.

[fullofregrets]

About three years ago a little tortie cat appeared and started trying to get into the house. She would get through open windows and sometimes pounce on us in the night. Occasionally we would return and find she had been in the house all day having snuck in the front door without is noticing.
At first I wasn't sure where she was from and she was scrawny. She was also riddled with fleas so I thought she might be a stray. We didn't actively encourage her by feeding her but we didn't spray her with water or anything.

Anyway as time went on she was spending more time sat outside the house and our bedroom window crying to come in. At the time I was heavily pregnant and on mat leave so was in a lot. In the end I flea treated her primarily because I did not want my house infested with fleas and also because she was twitching and scratching. I also wormed her and at this point we started to feed her.

Subsequently I found out from a neighbour where her owners lived. Apparently they had several cats and two big dogs which is maybe why 'my' cat moved out? Since she first started appearing she has now pretty well moved in, when we go on holiday my mum comes over twice a day and feeds her and the cat now has a cat flap .

My problem is that her owner's have split up and the house has now been sold. Do you think I should go round and speak to them or offer some money for their cat? I've kind of been at some weird halfway house with her the last couple of years where she isn't really mine yet appears to live here! I actually don't think she has been back to her owner's house for over a year.
Or should I just leave it? I'm fairly sure they know she has moved in with us and they've never said anything.

I am an awful cat stealing person. I never even wanted a cat.

[WeeHelena]

I think it's pretty hard to deter a cat once it's chosen to live in your home.

I know of a cat that has moved into a house by stealth.
Mostly going in to eat the too old to care cats food and then making itself at home.
They always chuck the cat out but it always got back in.

They think it's because the cat was trapped in the house when it was under construction for about 2 weeks so think it's his/her teritory now.

[Becks4Saints]

I had a cat that adopted us 2 years ago despite having 5 of my own . Eventually I went round to the neighbours/ownera of the cat and told them I couldn't stop the cat coming in my house and what did they want to do basically.

I was told to keep him, they didn't want him, he was a pain in the arse and the man admitted to trying to run him over several times.

He is now very much loved and accepted by all my cats

[LyndaNotLinda]

I don't agree with cat-stealing generally but adopting a cat which is underfed and riddled with fleas is not cat-stealing, it's rescuing.

If people don't look after their animals, they don't deserve to keep them

[Pinkshire85]

One of my cats routinely finds other homes, twice I have see posters or had a leaflet saying "is this your cat?" With my cat pictured putting on his hungriest face. (He isn't hungry)

If I honestly thought he was miserable with us and one of his chosen homes seemed better for him I would respect his wishes....however in my case he was just after multiple dinners as he was still eating with us too!

The cats technical owners may be happy for you to keep her if they are going through difficulties. Best to put up a poster or some leaflets.

[ReginaBlitz]

Please shut up with this bullshit, the cat chose you blah blah blah. Cats will go to anyone that feeds them, you had no business flea treating or any other treatment as how do you know she hadn't been done or her owners did it after you, you could have killed her. She isn't your cat regardless how many the owner has she is theirs! Take her back I hate people that do this, stealing other people's pets its fucking weird.

[ReginaBlitz]

Oh ffs zombie thread

[honeyroar]

I wonder what the OP did in the end?!

[oliveflower]

I also have kidnapped next door's cat. It is the loveliest, friendliest little thing; it has been around for a while and had been looking shabby, however, it was really looking a mess, much worse - I was shocked when I saw it recently. It looked extremely thin and scrawny and disorientated. I stroked it a bit and it wanted to come in so I let it, and like the OP, I didn't want fleas in the house so I combed it - absolutely full of fleas and covered in a bad skin rash, psoriasis sort of thing. I asked the owner if I could let it in and he said yes. However he said not to feed it, but the poor thing was starving, so I did feed it. From combing it regularly, it has gone from looking dry and scorched to sleek and fuzzy. It's face was swollen, which I read can be an allergy to fleas. It actually asked me to comb it, coming up to the comb and purring, I think because it knew it was doing him good. He has stopped looking so cross eyed and flinching all the time and purrs a lot. I love him, and though I have let him out a bit, because he is left outside all the time, I can't resist opening my door and he just runs back in. I can't send him back now and he stayed the night yesterday (owners left him out and it was midnight on a busy road) and in the house most of today. It breaks my heart that he has been left out so much and so neglected; we live on a busy main road and he is clearly stressed form having nowhere safe and quiet to lay his little head. I don't think what I am doing is wrong, quite the opposite. I in no way have the heart to send him back to neglect - I just won't do that. Just posting to get it off my chest and to say that animals deserve to have their needs met and if so-called 'owners' aren't meeting them, then others can step in. I do worry that she will come round and say 'Where is my cat?' however, deep down, I know that she won't. She is a nice girl, just has two little children to look after and I don't think she really likes cats or has the time for him. I do, though!

[ghostyslovesheep]

IT'S A FLIPPING MASSIVE CATTY FILLED ZOMBIE THREAD PEOPLE

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE - FFS

AND NO FUCKING PARAGRAPHS

[ghostyslovesheep]

zombie cat says NOOOOOOOOOO

[thiswould]

I always wonder ho on earth these get dragged up. Do you do a search for 'I'm a cat thief'

[oliveflower]

My problem is that the neighbours want him. I can hear some of you saying 'Of course they want him, he's their cat' I just find it hard to comprehend getting a cat then treating it appallingly, and it is sad that that is what they are doing, with no respect for the animal itself. I find it really heartbreaking. If they didn't want him, I would just take him in, problem solved, but she left me a note saying 'Have you seen our cat?' so I had to let him go back there.
I can look after him little by little. The thing is, also, that I miss him: I really love that little cat. I have read about cats choosing their owners and he runs into my house and hates being put out and won't go anywhere near his owner if he can help it. I feel he has chosen me and I have let him down :(

[TipBoov]

how many times is this thread going to be dragged up?!

[Mariadell]

Cat napper fully stop

[Mariadell]

Keep making yourself feel better by slating the owners . You steal property that's not yours . Try a rescue centre !

[FlissMumsnet]

As many of you have noticed...this is indeed a ZOMBIE thread. Feel free to post, if you wish but you may find a warmer welcome if you begin a new thread

[MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours]

ZOMBIE CAT ALERT

[inkzooka]

I suppose it's different because our cat is well looked after, but since we got the dog (and despite our efforts we don't get along - the cat is a bit of an arse honestly :D) he's been at our neighbours more and more. He was never a people cat, though. When we got him he'd not been properly socialised and never really let us get close to him. He still doesn't.

Problem is, as soon as he was allowed outside the neighbours were luring him over with food! They did this with our last cat, too! They pay half his vet bills but it really pisses me off.

I would say find her owners and ask about her. She's not your cat, whether she's "chosen" you or not - you fed her after all.

[inkzooka]

oh whoops, I didn't read past the first page :D

[cakesandphotos]

My mum once found a tiny kitten on her bed at about 11pm in the middle of winter. We found out where he came from and she went round where she was told to just "chuck him back out, he never comes in our house anyway" We had him about 3 weeks and then he vanished. About a year later a big tom cat started coming in looking quite poorly. Looked like the same cat. After a few days we took him to the vet where they said he was riddled with worms and fleas and had a damaged eye. We neutered him and the vet removed one of his eyes. He never left us after that. We eventually moved about 15 miles away and he came too.

Cats respond to kindness. If he was covered in fleas and full of worms, he wasn't being looked after. You're looking after him. I wouldn't feel guilty.

[Iwantamarshmallow]

Legally if the cat is chipped by the owner you have stolen their property. If the owner doesn't chip the cat legally the cat has the right to move on. Howver how do u know they wont take the cat off the street when they move on. I would talk to them, it's the polite thing to do otherwise you can't expect them to leave the cat when they move.

[Mariadell]

My baby had nappy rash . Am I a bad mum ...same thing. Someone's cat.. Someone's baby all the same . Sure realised its s old thread will not post here again

[Mariadell]

Better chip my baby then

[Mariadell]

Read this . Tut shame on you cat nappers.....

The law regarding theft of owned pets
The Theft Act of 1968 covers companion animals, and if your cat or dog is stolen then you have the same legal rights of recourse as you would if anything else you owned was illegally taken. In an instance where an animal is lost or strays, the pet is still considered to be the property of the original owner, and anyone who finds a lost pet must make reasonable endeavours to do everything possible to locate the original owner and return their pet to them before any provision for permanent re-homing can occur. The Criminal Damage Act of 1971 also considers it an offence in contravention of this act if any person deliberately harms or kills an animal belonging to another person. This is in addition to the Animal Welfare Act clauses as stated above.

[DeathByMascara]

Is this how @CatThiefKeith got her username??