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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
IndridCold · 16/04/2013 15:29

This is one of the most bizarre threads I've ever seen on MN! There are thousands of cats needing good homes, why on earth would anyone steal their neighbours's cat? They must be completely bonkers.

Have you got photos of your cats to show the police? I'm pleased they seem to be taking it seriously, really hope you get her back.

PeerieMootie · 16/04/2013 15:36

Just so horrified about this, makes me furious at the nerve of some people

Hope the police turning up tonight scares be-jesus out of them and you're tucked up tonight with both cats back home.

tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 15:43

Yeah they'll have a shock tonight when they hear a knock and find a copper waiting! Hopefully we'll be reunited tonight - I'm feeling hopeful!! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed! Smile

OP posts:
tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 15:44

And thank you maryz for the link, I'll check it out!

OP posts:
SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 16/04/2013 15:47

www.mycatfence.co.uk/choosing.php for if you get your cat(s) back.

ClutchingPearls · 16/04/2013 16:00

Good luck OP.
I'm shocked how they have picked a cat at random and passed it off as theirs.

D0oinMeCleanin · 16/04/2013 16:03

My cat has a few homes, but no-one has ever locked him in, he's quite a faithful cat and always comes back to me in the end, although there are times when he is missing for weeks on end, we only worry now if he's gone more than a month or two.

We once had a little girl knock our door with a picture of him asking if we'd seen her missing cat. That was a difficult conversation Sad He'd spent the summer in her garden and at least half the week on the foot of her bed and the other half he'd come home to us/visit his other homes, but when the winter came, he reverted to being an indoor cat again and stopped visiting her. They thought they'd adopted a well fed, well groomed, stray. He's chipped, so they didn't go to much effort to find us, but they never kept him locked up.

I don't understand why people 'find' cats and think it's okay just to keep them. They don't do it as often with dogs Confused

msrisotto · 16/04/2013 16:16

This is so bizarre! so your cat has been living as an indoor cat for nearly a year - how can you stop this happening again? Hopefully they'll be scared off by the PCSO?? Definitely mention your other missing cat too.

InLoveWithDavidTennant · 16/04/2013 16:16

hope you get both your cats back

soaccidentprone · 16/04/2013 16:20

the cat across the road decided he wanted to live with us after they had a baby. I took him back hundreds of times, but if they hadn't locked their cat flap he would just come straight back out and appear in our house 2 minutes later. we didn't feed him - he just used to go home to eat then come straight back again. we even locked the cat flap but he just sat and waited until it unlocked, or nipped in the front door when one of us was opening the door. in the end I had to admire his tenacity.

this went on for a year. they have now moved (nothing to do with cats, to do with work). our house was really quiet without him, so we ended up getting cat 3, who's a rescue cat.

about 20 years ago my favourite cat ever disappeared one day. she was only 4. I was heartbroken.

I hope you get your cat(s) back, though you'll probably have to keep them indoors for a few weeks and bribe them with posh cat food.

tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 16:36

We actually think she'll have to be locked in for the next few weeks and fed sirloin steak!!!! Grin

OP posts:
bootsycollins · 16/04/2013 18:01

I'm rooting for you here Tilly Thanks

wibblyjelly · 16/04/2013 18:07

Hope you get her back, Tilly. Will you be able to remove their microchip, and replace it with your own one?

Sparklingbrook · 16/04/2013 18:08

They can just change the details on the microchip, So name and address will be changed on the database.

petitdonkey · 16/04/2013 18:18

I'm marking my place to read what happens!!

My sister once went around to her neighbours and saw that they had a framed photo of her cat on their sideboard, they had been feeding him despite the fact that they knew he belonged to DSis - when she moved house they came over and begged her to leave him with her and finally got shirty and said 'well he will find his way back to us' - he didn't. Shock

(This is why people refer to 'mad cat people')

snooter · 16/04/2013 18:18

This whole thing is unbelievable! The cheek!

TrinityRhino · 16/04/2013 18:24

this is disgusting behavior
I cant believe anyone would do it

when I was a kid, a gorgeous cat started cmoing into our porch and mum fed it a couple of times then wprried that we shouldn't

we asked around about whos it was as it was coming more and more regularly

turned out it was a farm cat and the farmer told us we could just have it as it had obviously chosen us

but this is entirely different

MeerkatMerkin · 16/04/2013 18:36

I hope you get her back! The same thing happened to me when I was a child of 9. We had a beautiful grey cat that we had had since he was a kitten - he was one of a litter my grandmother's cat had. One day he disappeared and we didn't see him for months then we started seeing him around and saw him being taken in by the woman in a house a few doors down. We went round and explained but she was adamant that this cat was theirs. She brought him out and everything but as we were only kids she patronised us. We never got him back. I feel angry when I think about it.

FairPhyllis · 16/04/2013 18:47

I am on tenterhooks. Will the long arm of the law deliver?

YellowDinosaur · 16/04/2013 18:49

No need for sirloin steak - our cats would do anything for tuna!

Fingers crossed you get her back tonight and hopefully the boy cat too...

tillytrotter11 · 16/04/2013 18:51

Still no sign of the CPSO. Getting quite pissed off now. [Sad] Saw the old bag walking down her path the same time as me and she just stuck her nose in the air and ignored me.

OP posts:
Manchesterhistorygirl · 16/04/2013 18:59

Only just seen this thread! Absolutely bonkers!

I hope you get your cat(s) back! And your neighbours are loons of the highest order.

ZebraOwl · 16/04/2013 19:02

Am on edge of my, er, bed, wanting to know the outcome of police visit to catnappers. Do hope it ends well for OP & the kitties...

Lilka · 16/04/2013 19:07

How bonkers and infuriating. Horrid for you and your poor kids. If someone had kidnapped my darling cat I would have done my nut

Hope the PCSO turns up soon

ChippingInLovesSpring · 16/04/2013 19:09

It's early yet... hopefully they'll turn up.

If they don't, keep ringing.

I'd have no problem breaking in when they're out to get & MY cats back, no problem at all

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