To want people to leave my cat alone

[MrsHoodwink]

Due to mental health issues I am generally a tad paranoid, and can’t decide if IABU and over-paranoid or if people really are CF with my cat

I have a beautiful huge ginger tom that’s very gorgeous and very friendly, will go up to anyone for a tickle. I love when people get joy from stroking him and don’t really want to keep him as a house cat but I’m recently terrified he’s going to “go missing”.

Today is the 3rd time in a couple of weeks I’ve had to pop my head out the window and ask people to put him down because they’ve picked him up and started walking off

Is that a “normal” thing to do? I wouldn’t say anything to those stroking him, some girls even sat on my drive for 15mins and I said nothing until they physically picked him up and started leaving

Am I being a crazy cat lady I genuinely am hurt at the thought of him being shut in someone else’s house because they’ve fallen for his charms and “Puss In Boots” eyes

I think it's unlikely they were actually trying to steal him but I know what you mean I often stop to stroke cats but wouldn't actually walk off with one!

I stop and stroke cats all the time but I've never picked them up before and I'd definitely never pick up a cat and start walking off.

I wouldn't pick up a strange cat! Who are these lunatics? Quick stroke if the cat's really friendly but that's it.

If it’s kids then they are more than likely just treating it like a baby and playing a game with it. Not that that makes it ok as the cat obviously isn’t a toy.
Adults I would suspect of catnapping.

I felt guilty when I started reading your post because I can't resist stroking cats, but picking them up? No, that's cheeky fuckery.

How odd! You're not unreasonable at all. I'll always stop to have a stroke if the cat will let me, but have never even considered picking one up never mind walking away with it. That would freak me out a bit too if someone did that to mine.

CF at its finest OP! We have cats and yes, people do stop and stroke but to pick up the cat and walk off? Very odd. Maybe keep your cat inside and supervise garden visits for a while? It'll hopefully stop people doing this.

I'd stroke, but not pick up a strange cat. Apart from anything else, many cats hate being picked up!

Does he have a collar on? Does he look owned?

No. Picking them up crosses a line and I wouldn't be happy either. We have the same problem, ours will talk to anyone. She also likes climbing into people's cars.

Which is a point, actually. I don't mind people picking her up if they are removing her from a car.

Odd, I'd definitely stop to give him many tickles, but wouldn't pick him up or try to lead him away that's odd.

One of the times was young girls, I’d say about 15yrs old? There’s a chance they just wanted to ‘baby’ him but as I say they were sat on my drive for quite a while cuddling there wasn’t much need to remove him from it

The other time someone beckoned him down the street by “chh chh chh”ing him then picked him up and the third time there was two women and one said to the other “oh my isn’t she so thin under all that fur must not be being looked after” which is absolutely absurd because he’s huge My NDN was in shock that anyone could suggest he wasn’t looked after, must’ve been to justify something to themselves

I wouldn't be particularly happy about someone picking up my cat like that in a public place. If I saw someone do that with one of mine, I'd probably ask them to stop! I'm probably being overprotective, but I do worry about my cats allowing strangers to pick them up and 'kittynap' them.

I have three cats plus a couple of regular visitors to my garden.

I'm affectionate with my visitor cats but I don't pick them up and I never feed them or invite them into the house.

The only exception to my 'no picking up cats that aren't mine' rule was an old next door neighbours cat. I had a friendly relationship with my neighbour and a very close relationship with her cat (he was my gardening buddy and would actively invite me to pick him up for a cuddle). I did, however, make it clear to my neighbour that I had boundaries and no matter how much the cat loved me, he would never be fed by me and never be allowed into my house! Happy cats and humans all round...

I always stroke cats, but walking away with one is cheeky!

He pulls collars off but I try to keep up with them, has a microchip and is long haired with groomed/glossy coat so visibly looked after and on top of that he sits on my drive all day and that’s where everyone stops to pet him (which he loves and I think I adorable) he walks up to the gate for the tickles

It is extremely odd to pick up a cat & walk away with it, very odd indeed.
If someone picked up a dog & walked off with it, I would assume they were attempting to steal it. I stroke animals all the time but would NEVER walk away with one. Keep a watchful eye on your ginger boy.
You are not over reacting hun.

Picking him up is not right. I was always afraid mine was going to be taken because he was so friendly, and in fact someone did try to take him in, his ID tag was removed from his collar (collar because he was new and we were semi rural), replaced it, next one went, replaced again, then the collars started going too. I resolved it by building him an outdoor run and making him an indoor cat, then found out who had been trying to steal him when they finally got their own identical cat.

I would keep him safe, if you can cat proof your property, build him a run, or see if he will take to being an indoor cat. People do walk off with cats when they take a fancy to them, Mr. Cheeky in Brighton was an example of this, he was taken off the street, kept in a house and when found he ran out into the road and was killed.

Haha, you’d hate me, I always pick up friendly cats for a cuddle. I’m a crazy cat lady and I just can’t resost snuggling the cuteness. I’d never walk off with one though. I have loads of cats, one ginger, four grey and various others. Strangers often call my cats over, pet them, pick them up. I’m not remotely concerned that someone will steal them. Plus if they are chipped (as mine are) if they got stolen and you put out an alert, chances are you would get them back xx

I would not mind people stroking my cat or even children picking her up (although good bloody luck to them with that as she HATES being picked up but anyway..!), however, picking up and walking off with her would piss me off no end. I would definitely suspect catnapping and be giving them a telling off! Yanbu.

I do remember picking one up! But he kept jumping up and so obviously wanted me to. I didn’t walk away with him!

Picking up is crossing a line I think.
My cat is quite friendly and will suck up to anyone if she thinks they might have ham.
Hates being picked up though, good luck to anyone who tries.

Does he have a lookalike nearby?

Years ago I had a dog and there was a very similar looking dog a few streets away whose owners let him roam.
I had phone calls on 3 seperate occasions from different people thinking my dog had got out, they’d tried to catch this dog thinking it was mine. One old neighbour managed to get him in her car 😂

Put a sign up saying ' please don't take my car.