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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave neighbour who stole my cat a note

256 replies

MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 00:35

Ok “stole” is a strong word but they are trying to coax my boy to live with them and were just caught by my ex picking the cat up and taking it in their house

It’s a very friendly cat but is like that with everyone that walks past, they told my ex he even has a food bowl in their house Angry He said they started calling of him as soon as they got out their car

Now I know cats chose their homes but I don’t think you should take them on purpose Blush

I wanted to knock but it’s past midnight, aibu to post a note saying he has food allergies and to please leave him alone? They were concerned about him being out at night but I have a catflap he’s just hunting/wandering Hmm They also called my other cat “skinny” but she’s perfect weight Blush

OP posts:
Malibucyprus · 09/09/2018 00:38

YANBU at all! I’d skin someone alive if they tried to steal my cat!!

dontticklethetoad · 09/09/2018 00:38

I wouldn't knock now, but it definitely warrants a note. Do you have children that you can use as a sob story? Eg "little Tarquin will be devastated if Tiddles doesn't come home" or words to that effect?
We are about to get cats and I am terrified this is going to happen to us.

TrudeauGirl · 09/09/2018 00:40

Leave a note for sure, that's your car and you sound like you're looking after him just fine! I'm an animal lover but i'd never try and lure somone elses cat to live with me, especially if I knew he had an owner. That's just weird Confused

Duchessgummybuns · 09/09/2018 00:43

You could leave a note but in my experience cat stealers are a new realm of crazy so I doubt it’ll do any good.. My cat came home eventually, one day I opened my front door and in she came. The only thing that would actually stop them is keeping your poor boy indoors sorry to say.

I moved my cat to live with my mum in the end, mum’s neighbours are less nutty.

Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 00:46

Yes I have two kids under the age of 6 and they adore him, the problem is everyone adores him Sad I’ve tried keeping him as a housecat but he was miserable, I’m now looking into building a cat run asap

His sister was hit by a car a few weeks back and the thought of losing another is unbearable

OP posts:
Pebblespony · 09/09/2018 00:48

Be nice about it and say the vet says he needs to lose weight as he's in danger of getting diabetes and being fed in two houses is causing a major problem. Cat won't be too long in abandoning a house where he doesn't get fed.

SlartiAardvark · 09/09/2018 00:49

Keep it in your house and catproof your garden - simple!

No-one has ever stolen my dog.......

AfterSchoolWorry · 09/09/2018 00:50

A note is a bit weak. I'd speak to them. Why can't they get their own cat 🐈 Angry

zzzzz · 09/09/2018 00:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 00:55

I feel like they’ve made up in their heads that the cats aren’t looked after to justify what they’re doing Confused

My garden doesn’t have a high enough fence to cat-proof (it’s short picket) but I am certainly going to get a run installed, will be enquiring on Monday

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 00:58

Also what’s really got to me is they complained he’s “always out at night” but it’s his choice due to the cat flap

But they don’t have a cat flap coz they don’t have cats? So they are actually locking him in?!

OP posts:
Wobblybitts · 09/09/2018 00:59

Keep him in at night for a start. No good reason to be out wandering and hunting. We keeps ours in, one less thing to worry about imo.

Wobblybitts · 09/09/2018 01:00

Ps sorry to hear about your other kitty 🙁

heartsease68 · 09/09/2018 01:01

We have just had exactly the same problem! We tied a laminated message to her collar :) It said Please Do Not Feed Me, I Have an Owner Close By. They ignored it so my husband went around every house in the neighbourhood bemoaning my devastated 6 year old. Eventually an elderly gentleman said she had been eating the bread for his birds earlier. She was found sunning herself in the garden. Would never have found her otherwise.

Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 01:02

Good idea I can lock the cat flap so when he’s in I’ll lock it behind him at night Smile Thank you, she was hit when someone beckoned her across a the main road Sad hope it wasn’t the same people

OP posts:
AshenFaced · 09/09/2018 01:06

Don't say food allergies. Say kidney or bladder condition. He's only allowed a particular very expensive prescription food, or he gets very ill and starts weeing all over the house...

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 09/09/2018 01:09

This is one of the reasons my cats are house cats.

Definitely speak to them - it's really not OK!

Italiangreyhound · 09/09/2018 01:21

I'd go with AshenFaced "Say kidney or bladder condition. He's only allowed a particular very expensive prescription food, or he gets very ill and starts weeing all over the house..."

AcrossthePond55 · 09/09/2018 01:23

Microchip him. Tell the neighbours he's chipped and will be reported as stolen if he goes missing.

Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 01:31

I’m gonna go with the kidney/bladder approach thank you! He actually only wees outside using the cat flap so if they are locking him in he must be doing secret wees in their house Grin

He’s fully microchipped thankfully, I’ve just been looking at those gps collars as well

OP posts:
caoraich · 09/09/2018 01:38

Agree with Ashenfaced. Also we built a cat run off the back of our house (different issue, cat hating rather than stealing neighbours) but it's been great and they love it. We did it ourselves after researching online. Look up "catio" for inspiration. Very happy to send you pics and idea of what materials we needed and the cost!

NarcolepticOuchMouse · 09/09/2018 02:11

Maybe I'm a bit hot headed but I'd be knocking on that door now. Especially after losing one, that would be my go to reason of wanting the other home. I'd be very angry with them for locking my cat up like a prisoner.

Dontgiveamonkeys1350 · 09/09/2018 05:20

I would throw the word expensive around as well. Expensive tablets... expensive food. And if the cat continues to eat the wrong food they will need an expensive operation. That should stop them.

TwoBlueShoes · 09/09/2018 05:33

Oh, god. I'm in a similar situation with my crazy neighbor.

I've tried keeping him in, but he gets really stressed and starts peeing on the beds.

The neighbor seems to feel that because when he feeds our cat, he eats the food that this means that I'm not feeding the cat properly.

I've decided to tell the neighbor that the cat is ill, that he can only have special food and that when he doesn't come home and get his medication that he's getting very ill. I'm also going to mention that the vet said that if he doesn't improve he'll need an operation that will cost thousands of pounds and who's going to pay that cost? And that if he doesn't get better soon, he'll mostly likely die, Hopefully that will put the shitters up crazy neighbor.

FurryDice · 09/09/2018 06:00

You know, it can be really hard to tell sometimes. Years ago I used to see the most beautiful ginger cat about and he looked so plump and well cared for. Then I saw him again a little while after not seeing him and he was skin and bone to the extent I was in tears and phoned the rspca. I truly thought he’d been abandoned.

Turned out he had a terrible kidney disease hence his weight loss but to see him you’d automatically think he was in trouble and not being looked after.

But then I’ve also seen cats with supposed ‘owners’ and nothing medcally wrong with them who are half starved.

In short, it’s so hard to tell. It really is.