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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not pay vets bill

73 replies

Toastandstrawberryjam · 07/01/2014 16:01

Posted this in pets but wanted a quick answer?

Just answered door to a neighbour (who I've never met before) who has accused my cat of attacking his before Christmas and handed me the bill for the vets treatment. It's not a huge amount but how do I know it was my cat for sure?

AIBU to refuse to pay?

OP posts:

Iamavapernow · 07/01/2014 16:04

Yanbu.

When you take on a pet YOU as the owner become responsible for it's health and vet bills.

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 07/01/2014 16:05

YANBU - how does he know it was your cat and surely if he had seen it he would have been over before now.

Tell him to do one!

MadMumToThree · 07/01/2014 16:05

I'd have thought that is the risk of being a cat owner - as they are free to wander you have no real idea of what they are doing or who they are fighting with.

YANBU to refuse to pay bill. They should have insurance.

greenfolder · 07/01/2014 16:06

nope,cats free to roam. you are not required to control it.

ErrolTheDragon · 07/01/2014 16:07

YANBU. It's in the nature of cats to fight. Whether it was your cat or not I doubt it was a one-sided interaction.

phantomnamechanger · 07/01/2014 16:08

ask him for DNA or CCTV evidence that your cat was the assailant!!

Original poster

Toastandstrawberryjam · 07/01/2014 16:08

I'm worried this will start a precedent. He says his cat is always coming home with injuries and now he has caught my cat in the act so knows it's him!

My cat is always in fights too, it's annoying but I've never considered tracking down the owner! Mine doesn't wear a collar so this man has obviously followed him to see where he lives!!

OP posts:

PrimroseLodge · 07/01/2014 16:09

Yanbu. If there's nothing to prove that your cat attacked his he is bu to give you the bill.

Iam - when I took on my dog I did not take on the expectation that I would be paying for emergency surgery to save her life after a collie attacked her when she was six months old. Sometimes the other owner is responsible.

phantomnamechanger · 07/01/2014 16:10

if he's that bothered about the repeated fights, he'd keep the cat indoors!

Original poster

Toastandstrawberryjam · 07/01/2014 16:10

I've taken my cat to the vets a fair few times last year with bite injuries. All of which the vet has said are in places that show he didn't instigate the fight. Not that I'm protecting him but how the heck do I stop this happening?? It's not like I can give the cat a good talking to about playing nicely!

OP posts:

Voerendaal · 07/01/2014 16:11

Do not pay the bill. It is his cat and he is responsible for its welfare. Cats are classed as wild animals in that you cannot be held responsible for its actions outside of the home. Also he can't prove it was your cat.

ErrolTheDragon · 07/01/2014 16:12

He says his cat is always coming home with injuries

Which surely means his cat is a scrapper too - most cats don't incur frequent injuries. They do the puffing up and yowling and it doesn't come to much.

TheWitTank · 07/01/2014 16:12

YANBU-could be absolute bollocks for all you know. Surely that's the risk you take with a free roaming pet anyway-they may encounter other animals/dangers and get injured. Did he give you any further info about how it happened and what the injuries were?

Original poster

Toastandstrawberryjam · 07/01/2014 16:14

Just said that my "big ferocious cat" attacked his. Apparently his cat then had an infected paw after almost losing a claw.

The thing is I am at heart a nice kind person, but when I literally am struggling to my front door with two kids and assorted school bags and some man starts having a go, it doesn't put me in the best mood!

OP posts:

putthehamsterbackinitscage · 07/01/2014 16:15

I would refuse to accept the bill - his cat goes out - he has to expect to pick up his own vet bills....

primrose - appreciate for dogs it can be very different but with cats if you let them out, you have to accept what happens.... they go where they please and do what they please, and if that includes fighting, so be it...

FTRsGotAShinyNewNN · 07/01/2014 16:15

Unless he has any evidence I would be telling him to do one, if he is concerned for his pets safety he should keep it indoors

NinjaBunny · 07/01/2014 16:16

Nope.

You don't even know who started the fight.

My cat got beaten up. I took him to the vet and paid the bill. Wouldn't dream of asking someone else to pay.

Don't like it; keep it indoors.

Quoteunquote · 07/01/2014 16:17

If it was your dog and it wasn't on your land then yes you pay,

But cats you don't have to, they are wild animals.

You have to report it if you run a dog over and kill it, but not a cat.

TheWitTank · 07/01/2014 16:19

Ridiculous-the cat lost a claw which to me indicates that it wasn't a one way street on the fighting front. If he wants to completely protect his cat, then he needs to keep it inside and not let it free roam. You can't stop two free roaming animals from mating (unless neutered off course!), fighting, shitting on people's gardens, running in the road...

SashaOfSiberia · 07/01/2014 16:27

No do not pay. As a life long cat owner, who is currently slave to 3, one of which has had some bad fight injuries that have been a total saga over the past few months, I say do not pay.

I would simply tell them that you think you should both stick to paying for your own cats. I would point out that you have been covering the costs our cats recent injuries for X amount (which I might inflate for dramatic effect) and if he's saying that it's his cats yours has been fighting with then why hasn't he contributed to those costs? I'd then say if its such an issue he should take out pet insurance or keep the cat in.

One of mine had a squirrel bite recently, who do I bill? Lord Toad?

wowfudge · 07/01/2014 16:32

Bonkers - possibly different if there is proof, but even so.... Just as Sasha says: stick to paying for your own cats.

chirpchirp · 07/01/2014 16:37

YANBU Even if he does somehow produce proof it was your cat I still wouldn't pay the bill. Cats are effectively wild animals, if neither one is willing to back down, they are going to fight. He took his cat to the vet, his vet invoiced him, down to him to pay it.

Original poster

Toastandstrawberryjam · 07/01/2014 16:40

Would my best bet be a very polite letter pointing out it is not my responsibility to pay and that I have paid out x amount over last year for my cat's fight related injuries but have not passed these costs onto him.

OP posts:

Hoppinggreen · 07/01/2014 16:41

You are not legally responsible for any damage a cat causes ( unlike dogs)
Our neighbour ( who we are good friends with) Cat caused 100's of pounds worth of injuries to our cat until we actually had to send him to live with my in laws for his own good.
Also, another neighbours cat has broken our cats flap 3 times trying to get in.
I wouldn't dream of asking them for money, who knows what damage my cats have caused?

HenriettaMaria · 07/01/2014 16:41

FFS.

When any of my cats have injuries, I take them to the vet, get them treated and pay the bill.

I've obviously been doing it wrong all this time. What I should have been doing is finding a random cat owner, accusing their cat of causing the injury and getting them to foot the bill.

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