A Feline Dilemma

[fortheloveofcats]

Okay, so a friend acquired a cat recently by... less than legitimate means.

Let's call the cat Mabel, who is about a year old. Mabel was owned by a young couple. Earlier this summer they decided to go on vacation. However, they didn't get anyone to take care of Mabel while they were gone, and just put her outside. They did not provide any food or water. Mabel was also not fixed. They were gone for a week.

An acquaintance of theirs found this out, and went and fetched Mabel while they were gone. Mabel was terrified and dehydrated. The acquaintance kept Mabel for a few weeks, and found her a new home with my friend. He also got her spayed (she wasn't pregnant, thank goodness!)

Mabel is now a pampered indoor lap cat, which is ideal for her. She is quite timid by nature and gets frightened easily by strange people and animals. Once she knows you she will cuddle for hours, and has a ferocious purr!

My friend recently found a Lost Cat poster, and it turns out her original owners are still looking for her. She now feels guilty and is wondering if she should contact them. I told my friend not to. I believe they gave up all rights to Mabel when they essentially abandoned her for a week. If they had done that to a child, they'd be in jail.

So, AIBU to believe Mabel is better off with my friend?

I wonder if she's microchipped too.

Surely the vet would have picked up microchip while she was being neutered?

Not necessarily goo. The vet wouldn't scan for a chip unless there was a reason to.

Ah, I stand corrected. Thanks sparkling.

It might actually be a very good idea though goo. I wonder how many cat thieves it would turn up?

'This cat you are having neutered appears to belong to someone else'

My cats have never Ben microchipped. I still care for them Very odd position to take, paula .
I also wonder how good the information about 'abandonement' is. As an aside, I can't understand anyone with free to roam indoor/outdoor cats not having a cat flap - really impractical!

I think microchipping should be mandatory, if cats do escape or go missing it can mean the difference between getting them back or not.

I just assumed they checked when you brought a new cat into the surgery.

We adopted our cats from my ex-flatmate, and when I took them to the vets for the first time to get their boosters, the vet had to ring him to make sure he consented, and they needed his permission before I could put them in my name as well.

Maybe different surgeries have different rules.

I think many people with indoor cats don't get them neutered, but I think it's important to do so. If they escape and get handed in at the vet, a microchip scan will ensure you get them back!

That's excellent goo they sound good. Maybe some would some wouldn't depending on circumstances.

I have taken a few deceased cats to the vets and although it was sad they managed to reunite the owner due to the microchip, and they weren't forever wondering where their cat was.

I'm perplexed as to how you could know the exact facts, with absolute certainty, of the neighbours leaving Mabel as you describe.

I look after my friend's cat when she goes away - I let myself in, feed him, give him a cuddle, play with him for half an hour and then leave him with some dry food for later to eat immediately and then be sick. Then we go back the next day. He's fine and a very much loved cat, and she only goes away very occasionally. But if you didn't see me arrive, and you just saw the cat when he was in the garden, maybe two days running, you'd never know.

Cardi - I don't find it 'very odd'. If a cat gets stolen, lost, climbs in a car and ends up miles away, gets hurt and ends up in a vets/sanctuary thenyou ccan be sure of getting your pet back. It takes seconds to do and costs £10 (might be free if claiming benefits). Why is that odd?

It is strange what people believe when it comes to Cats. Last April we had a stray turn up. Did all the usual(cats protection, paper collar, vet check, missing animal searches etc) and to cut a long story short we started to take responsibility for him though he hated being shut in the house.

In May (before we fully took him in) my husband and I went away for less than 24 hrs. 12 noon till 11 am the next day. Felt responsible for the cat who was used to us feeding him regularly so I paid my cousin to come feed him once in the evening and once in the morning.

My neighbour decided to post on social media how we were neglecting the poor animal....

They didnt know the arrangements we made, or the full circumstances and made their own mind up about what was going on...

Hmm.
My cats absolutely refuse to drink the nice fresh water that I provide for them they use puddles, the watering can, any receptacle apart from their drinking bowl so people could easily assume we were neglecting them.
We also arrange for people to feed them when we are away but as a P&P said if you don't see the person arriving you might think they weren't being fed.
They are also very much outdoor cats and only come in when it suits them .

They'd much rather lounge around on the neighbours shed roof, our back step, curl up under the bushes in the garden etc.
maybe we'll come back from holiday to find a "friend" has decided that our very well cared for cats are "neglected".

Tell your friend to keep the cat in good conscience.
(assuming we have full facts, which may never be the case)