To think you can't steal a cat?

[brasty]

This is in reference to a conversation with a friend. As long as the cat has access to outside, I don't think anyone can steal your cat. Your cat may decide though to live elsewhere, because of better food, because it is quieter, or some other preference.

I know legally cats are property. But in practice, cats who are allowed out choose where they spend their time.

I have a friend who’s cat was stolen by a neighbors. He would keep her inside and they had to get the police involved to get her back. She needed a special diet and he wouldn’t refused to give it to her. They had to rehome her in the end to keep her away from him. They were devastated.

You shouldn't feed cats which you have not purchased/ adopted from a rescue.

I’ve stolen two cats in the last four years.

One from a neighbour who threw it out and didn’t bother feeding it or getting veterinary treatment for it’s obvious skin sores....bleeding in places. I. Fact the cat was in such a state I thought it was a stray...it was thin too.

After asking around (including neighbour) and everyone denying ownership I took it to the PDSA for health check. They weighed her and she was just 2.5kg....seriously underfed. Her sores were a severe flea allergy and she needed antibiotics and steroids to treat them as they were so severe.

Eventually the neighbour told me the cat was hers but asked if I wanted it as she didn’t have time. That was four years ago....said cat is now 4.2kg, haas clear skin thanks to monthly flea treatment and is snuggled up on a fleece on the back of the sofa.

Cat number two was one of a pair who ran into peoples homes and ate voraciously. At first it was funny,...the biggest cat was known as “Six dinner Sid” locally and we just assumed he was a thief. Cat number two joined him a few months later....from the same house and also voraciously hungry. They never went indoors and were left out during firework night two years ago and also on cold and freezing nights.

The RSPCA eventually got involved but while they were investigating the neighbours did a bunk....literally left owing god knows how much rent. They left both cats behind. My niece has one and a local cat rescue rehomed the other...

Two cats stolen....both neglected to various degrees with owners who couldn’t give a stuff for them.

That said...

I wouldn’t ever just feed a cat. I’m not one to take other peoples pets and the two cases above are fairly unique over my 50year lifetime.

We have a neighbour who actively steals cats.

Feeding "strays" that you know aren't strays Tuna and chicken and encouraging them into your house with treats is stealing cats imo.

My cats go into another neighbours house. She pets them, they lie in front of her open fire and then they come home when they are hungry. That's fine.

Other neighbour is not fine. She didn't dare feed mine now after the set-to we had after my old boy had multiple vet visits over his sudden loss of appetite

Cats do not choose where they live when your next door neighbour decides to take your cat to Cornwall with them when they move house (from London)! This is what happened to us and we found out two years later.

I don't think cats are property, actually. Dogs are, but cats aren't.

How are you supposed to stop a cat wandering into your house and eating your cat's food if your cat doesn't object?

I can't stand people who just randomly feed other people's cats.

My old boy used to get fed by two other people and their excuse was "he miaows like he's starving". Yeah, because he knows you'll feed him! He was a seriously fat cat with no off switch. You are killing him. And it's my house he comes back too to vomit and have the shits when he eats too much.

There's no need to feed and obviously looked after cat. None.

Cats will and do steal other cats food.You do not have to purposely feed them.

I hope everyone agrees with you. I have 3 cats and they're all a pain in the arse. They're outside a lot but so far I think I'm the only one who feeds the blinking things (joke)

If you start feeding a cat that obviously isn’t a stray then you’re not exactly helping matters are you? The cat will keep coming back because your provide food.

I don’t think people should feed cats they don’t know, the only exception would be if it were obviously a stray that was underweight/scraggy looking but even then it might be an idea to take it to the vets to see if it has an owner who can be traced.

We have a 7mo cat who doesn’t wear a collar (collars are actually not recommended for cats) but he is chipped. I would be pissed off if I found out someone else was feeding him, he has a perfectly healthy and balanced diet at home, if someone else started feeding him and I didn’t know then he could easily end up over weight. A family member started feeding a cat who lives a few doors down. That cat is now fat. it’s so easily done and the health problems can be serious not to mention expensive.

The moral of the story is don’t feed strange cats and you won’t ‘accidentally’ steal them.

Exactly Bertrand

Either a cat has a legal owner who is responsible for its care and vet bills, or its a stray. The legal owner is the person who bought the animal.
People who have their cats micro chipped must be tearing their hair out.

We don't allow cats that don't belong to us in our house. That means they can't access our cats' food.
People can and do entice cats into their houses. They also assume a cat hanging around has no home.
I pay for food and vet bills. I pay for medication and ensure vaccinations etc done. They're my cats.
We have visiting cats. They are never fed and not allowed in the house.
Have you been accused of cat stealing OP?

Funny how these owners are powerless to control them when they are shitting in my garden, but if one wanders in for some sunning in a windowsill or the like, I am now somehow responsible for repatriation of this cat??

Yup. My neighbour has my cat.

I've tried to get him back a dozen times but as soon as he escapes he is back at neighbours.

Little bugger. (Cat, not neighbour)

They are never fed and not allowed in the house.

How do you keep them out? My visitor is like a ninja, he quite often appears sleeping in a corner somewhere despite no one actually seeing him come in.

Cats exercise an almost unshakeable decision-making power about where they want to live, and with whom!!

I'm fed up of people complaining that they had a baby/got a dog/radically changed the amount of bustle in their house and their neighbours just happened to steal their cat at the same time! The cat has voluntarily decamped because it doesn't like your house any more, because you made a decision it hates!.

BertrandRussell Tue 31-Oct-17 13:54:33

I don't think cats are property, actually. Dogs are, but cats aren't.

Actually, my understanding is that cats are property. A quick Google threw up that they are regarded as "chattel".

treaclesoda as long as you don't feed him he'll go home.

I don't know anyone who minds their cat visiting other houses. It's the feeding them that causes them not to return home.

My mother stole the neighbours cat. Don’t think the neighbour cared too much in the end. Gave it to her when he moved. He had dogs and horses. I was pretty shocked when she started feeding the cat. It did adopt her though, used to come over and jump all over her way before the feeding started. So the cat knew what it wanted... and got it.

My neighbour tried to steal our cat. It was a very upsetting time for us. He's very friendly and a bit of a six dinner Sid. They felt that he must just prefer them and he preferred their food so he had a right to choose them over us. In the end I barged over and took him back. I kept him in after that until the neighbours got themselves a kitten. My cat just ignores them now, thank goodness! He is very much loved and well taken care of but he does have health issues, he has feline herpes and prone to bladder crystals. It's a shitty thing to do to someone. I was heart broken over the whole thing.

Wolfiefan They come through the cat flap.
Yes some people entice cats. But I suspect they are not the majority.

My parents had a cat. A neighbours cat kept coming in and stealing their cats food and toys. When the neighbours moved, they took the cat with them. The cat kept running back to my parents. After the 3rd time my parents phoned the ex neighbours to collect their cat, the ex neighbours suggested my parents kept the cat.

A work colleague has had a cat for 7 years. It regularly disappears for a few days or longer, although it always comes back. They have no idea where it goes.

You can not own a cat.

One of our cats went to live round the corner. We tried keeping him in for ages but as soon as he was allowed out he went straight back to them. We have respected his wishes, and we rarely see him now. They did take him to the vet and pay the bill, until,I got him back. If it happens again I will let them keep him and change the microchip details.

Our other 2 cats get fed by the people over the road. They only feed our cats - I've seen them chase away other cats that try to eat the food they put out. They don't let them in their house though. I have no idea why they feed them, they know they are ours. It's not like they look like they are starving! Still, it means it costs us less in cat food, so I'm not too bothered!