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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect next door neighbours to give me my cat back?!?!?!

329 replies

tillytrotter11 · 14/04/2013 17:50

I am absolutely fuming and doing my nut! This is the first nice day of the year and I've just noticed my 11 year old cat, which went missing 11 months ago, in my next door neighbour's garden. The next door neighbour was sitting outside with her patio doors open and my cat was sitting next to her. Me and my daughters were in shock as we have searched for her and asked around and had even put posters up but had little luck and therefore we assumed that she had died. We kept calling the cat and she instantly recognised us but the woman just sat their ignoring us. We finally got the woman's attention and when we said "excuse me that's our cat" and asked for her back, she blatantly refused as she said she had "taken her to the vet and had her micro chipped". She then brought her husband out, who spoke to us like we were a bunch of idiots. He told us "she was an indoor cat" after we had showed them a load of photographs of her and then they stormed back inside.

It's very obvious that the cat had been shut all this time and the reason we have spotted her now is because it's a very nice day and they have let her roam in the garden.

Where do we stand and AIBU to expect them to return our much loved cat back to us? Thanks for any advice!! Sad

OP posts:
YellowDinosaur · 16/04/2013 09:47

They are cheeky bastards. Hope you get your cat back today.

We adopted a cat (well he adopted us really) who kept coming into our flat and helping himself to our cats food. He clearly belonged to someone else since he was well cared for and had a collar so whenever we saw him we put him out but he'd be straight back in in minutes. And to be honest unless we were going to sit by the cat flap there wasn't an awful lot we could do about it. We certainly didn't shut him in though. Had we known who his owners were we'd have gone and talked to then but his collar only had his name on.

Fastfoward several months and we found out from a neighbour who his owners were and that they had just moved away, while their cat was still coming to us. We went to the local vet and asked them to check if they had any further contract details for his owners and to check if he was micro chipped now we knew their old address. They didn't.

So we waited several Weeks and once they had not been to collect him we presumed him to be ours and got him chipped and insured and vaccinated etc. At this point I would have fought his original owners coming and trying to claim him back. I would have been able to prove I'd tried my best to find them by my trip to the vet and the time lag from then until we started paying for things for him.

However I think this is totally different to your situation. They have deliberately shut your cat in to keep her, knowing that you were looking for her. They are utter bastards.

LaVolcan · 16/04/2013 10:00

My parents had a situation like yours YellowDinosaur in that the neighbours had moved away but the cat kept coming back. In the end the original owners said that my parents might as well keep him because he clearly preferred the old location. That's how cats are. This situation is different.

Passmethecrisps · 16/04/2013 10:01

So. Your cat goes missing. Devastated, you post flyers with pictures of said kitty. They claim that LostKitty is in their garden for 3 months and the fuckers at no point ring your doorbell to say where she is. What a load of bollocks. They knowingly kept your cat in their house.

My gob is well and truelly smacked.

C'mon coppers!

Velve · 16/04/2013 10:04

Shock Just seen this. I can't believe that audacity of some folk. I have no words, I'm just very Angry on your behalf. You poor kitty being locked in their house!! Grrrr. And their concer over how much money they've spent on her!?! Hmm
I really hope the police will help you.

ophelia275 · 16/04/2013 10:43

This has probably been asked already but did your cat have a collar with your name/address on it? If not, perhaps they thought it was a stray. I have to say, that is what I would think as most owners would put a collar on or chip a beloved pet and they might not have noticed the missing posters. Some people are oblivious of their environment and don't read such notices.

ophelia275 · 16/04/2013 10:44

PS. I hope you get your cat back!

Original poster
tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 10:47

The police didn't seem to think our neighbour's have a leg to stand on. He knocked on their door but there was no answer as they were at work so he's sending a CPSO round tonight and is hopeful we'll get her back!

We didn't mention out other little cat because we're going to wait and see if we see him about.

Thank you for all your supportive messages!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 10:48

No, she didn't have a collar on because I personally think they are dangerous.

OP posts:
Original poster
tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 10:49

And there was a poster of her on the lamp post outside their house!!!

OP posts:
DeepRedBetty · 16/04/2013 10:50

Not sure about collar and tag ophelia but OP did say upthread she'd not had the cat chipped. But loads of evidence to prove ownership.

DeepRedCat no longer has a name tag on her collar, she is a mistress of the art of losing collars and we can't afford to keep getting new ones engraved. She is chipped though.

flaminghoopsaloohlah · 16/04/2013 10:50

I'd mention the other cat to the CPSO - if he's there too, well it's doubly incriminating. Good luck!!

DeepRedBetty · 16/04/2013 10:50

xposted

YellowDinosaur · 16/04/2013 10:51

All sounds good but I think you're mad not to mention your other cat. I just can't imagine why you wouldn't mention it if he went missing at the same time. Still your call and I hope you get them both back

Pickles101 · 16/04/2013 10:51

Good luck OP, fingers crossed for tonight.

Pickles101 · 16/04/2013 10:51

BTW I would definitely mention the other cat too.

cumfy · 16/04/2013 11:00

You've "lost" another cat ?

They'll have that too, I suspect. You should tell plod, before they go round.

And their letter is damming evidence too, keep it.

EauRouge · 16/04/2013 11:04

Why the fuck would someone steal a family pet when there are so many cats in shelters waiting for a home? :( Bastards. I hope you get both your cats back!

cumfy · 16/04/2013 11:09

I do hope this goes to court and the police don't just give them a caution.

SoupDragon · 16/04/2013 11:10

I write my cats' names/contact details on their collar with a Sharpie - no expense spared!

zzzzz · 16/04/2013 11:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 11:31

Yeah, I think I will mention the other cat and show a picture of him to them before they go round because it will probably be wandering around their house!!

The policeman said their was no evidence of theft(!) but it's looking good for us because they admitted in the letter it's not their cat.

OP posts:
QueenStromba · 16/04/2013 11:34

I really hope you get both of your cats back tonight - I can't believe the nerve of some people.

cumfy · 16/04/2013 11:40

Basically police know you will be so overjoyed to have them back that you won't really care about prosecutions.

They just don't want to do the paperwork.

Original poster
tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 11:41

I know! These people make me sick! Uprooting two cats from loving homes to be trapped in a house with two strange nutters! Angry

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