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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:
SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/09/2018 06:02

Christ - I wish someone would decide to nick re-home my cats the murderous demanding little bastards . They make my life a living hel, and I have the scars to prove it.

MarieVanGoethem · 09/09/2018 06:09

Keeping Hoodwink!Cat in at night = definitely a plan (not just to stop the would-be feline-filchers, either: the vast majority of cats who're killed by cars [I think it's about 80%] are in accidents at night; if you're somewhere with foxes they can do a LOT of damage to a cat; & if you're in the UK we do seem to have an issue with a horribly twisted individual whose area of activity has spread well beyond the original Croydon & indeed outside the M25).

A cat run sounds excellent, I hope you can get it sorted easily & "accidentally" shut your perfidious petpilfering neighbour in it for a bit so Le Chat Hoodwink can enjoy the last of the warm weather in it.
Would you able to get a [big] cat-tree & some new toys to help keep Hoodwink Cat entertained when he's in overnight? If he has a good active play session in the evening & has plenty of space to run & climb indoors, he should settle better to staying in.

You're absolutely right to think your neighbour's no business doing this though. Am glad my cats chose to be housecats for various reasons, but the idea of this genuinely makes me feel sick. When I was a teenager we'd routine home invasions by kittens from somewhere nearby who were more interested in coming in for snuggles than playing outside. I'd let them stay (until almost-dusk) if it was tipping it or freezing out, because I don't think any animal should have to be outside in that weather if it can be helped. Never fed them, of course, & only let them in when they turned up, never went looking/called them when saw them etc.

Hope it all goes well. May the Stealers Of Cats tread in hairballs barefoot until the end of ages; find catsick in their shoes & pockets by putting their feet/hands in; & let any cat they touch with permission unleash their anal glands upon them...

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 09/09/2018 06:13

Agree to keep him in at night. It is safer for them too. He has obviously got used to being in at their house. I would also encourage them to go to a cat rescue place. There are so many cats which actually need to be rescued. They clearly have a cat shaped hole in their lives.

Stuckforthefourthtime · 09/09/2018 06:16

They sound crazy. Can you not block the catflap from twilight? Keeps him with you and safeguards local wildlife tremendously also.

CripsSandwiches · 09/09/2018 07:53

They sound a bit crazy to be honest. There are plenty of cats at the rescue centre if they're so desperate for a pet!

Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 09/09/2018 08:48

Thank you everyone, some new toys/tree sounds like a great idea especially after his recent loss Flowers

I wish I could even understand him looking abandoned but he’s a great big, fat, glossy coated long hair Blush The one they’ve accused of being his “skinny little friend that he brings to play” is his mother! And she’s making sure he doesn’t wander off Confused She only looks small because he’s huge Hmm

If I’m feeling brave enough I’ll be knocking today if not they’ll get a note, now you’ve said it I’ll actually recommend a rescue shelter as there’s cats desperate for homes who would love a cozy lap and bowl of food! Smile

OP posts:
Peoplemaynoticeus · 09/09/2018 08:51

My next door neighbour did this, the police visited her in the end after I snapped a photo of him in her window.

Cloudyapples · 09/09/2018 08:56

Maybe he is so big because they are feeding him too? And of course the vet has told you how bad this is for his health and that someone is feeding him something he has an allergy too etc...

JustDanceAddict · 09/09/2018 08:57

We had this and the neighbour (road that backed on to ours) took him
Permanently in the end. He used to come and visit though still, but it wasn’t the same.

Lana1234 · 09/09/2018 09:02

I have a cat like yours. He will just rock up at anyone’s and does a very good act of pretending he’s never been fed even through he is a big fat ginger boy Grin

also had a neighbour do pretty much the same (she knew he was mine) until I had some very cross words and told her I wouldn’t hesitate to take it as far as possible and if she has the space and money for cat food then there’s plenty of cats in rescues for her to pick from. She stopped anyway, doesnt acknowledge me now but that’s fine my cats not coming in throwing up whatever crap she had fed him so that’s what matters

Tara336 · 09/09/2018 09:04

My cat was stolen like this, she came in one day her cooler had been removed and replaced with another and a note inside the little name drum said “we are now looking after this cat” I removed it put a new collar on and these people just kept repeating the action. I then saw the woman who did it walking my cat on a bloody harness! Exh wouldn’t let me do anything about it though! She kept my cat and I started realise Exh was a bit of a dick

theWarOnPeace · 09/09/2018 09:10

I would have to just say to them “can you please not feed my cat at all, under any curcumstamces”, they’re being twats! My neighbour’s cat wanders over to ours especially in summer with everything open and the kids playing in the garden etc, I’ve told them he’s often over so if they’re looking for him then ask us, would never ever feed him and if he comes too far into the house I put him back to the garden end/patio so he doesn’t think it’s his house. If we’re shutting up for the evening and he’s still there well then he goes outside. It would be really messed up to try and entice him away from the family who bought him, nurture him and feed him. We really love him, and always happy when he pops over, but he’s not our cat ffs.

CiderBrains · 09/09/2018 09:12

Put some posters up in the street saying "Missing Cat" with his photo and your contact details. Write "much loved family pet!"

They might see it and realise you know the cat is going missing and you are worried! Or get the kids to knock on doors in the street with his photo saying have you seen our cat sob sob!

Juells · 09/09/2018 09:18

GIMME ME CAT BACK!

The cheek!

StoorieHoose · 09/09/2018 09:18

I don’t really like cats but I can’t understand why people are so passive when other people nick their cat! I would have been banging on that neighbours door last night to get my cat back and I’m sure as hell would have let the person who nicked my cat walk about with it in a harness

shockedballoon · 09/09/2018 09:19

I dreaded this happening with DCat as he's super friendly and v handsome, however he genuinely does have food allergies and any food other than Royal Canin Sensitivity Control gives him foul smelling yellowy diarrhoea. If kept in he will distribute this in every corner of the house. Consequently i think he's pretty safe!

Juells · 09/09/2018 09:22

A cousin was invited to a Christmas do in a street a bit away from where she lived. When they arrived they saw their cat ensconced, and said "That's our cat Tiddles" and the other family said "No, that's our cat Puss". He just went from house to house daily, to a set routine. Both families thought he was a stray that they'd adopted.

MissMysticFalls · 09/09/2018 09:25

The Cats Protection has a couple of questions about this on their FAQ page - scroll down to the one about a neighbour feeding your cat or them claiming it as their own.
www.cats.org.uk/cat-care/cat-care-faqs Maybe they have some more advice if you call them?

The police can actually get involved if it gets too far

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/06/cat-thieves-warned-against-feeding-neighbours-pets-pensioner/

Tara336 · 09/09/2018 09:27

@StoorieHoose I wasn’t passive when I saw that I went to charge over and have words and exh grabbed me and said don’t! He went to school with the guy who’s GF stole my cat. He did go and speak to them and tell them I was really upset and wanted my cat back. They said as I hadn’t put missing posters up they thought she was a stray! She wasn’t missing though she had been coming home and I’d been taking off the collers they kept putting on her and replacing it with mine. The final straw was when she actually had the brass neck to put a note through the door asking for cats vetinary history!! EXh again told me to leave it as the cat just kept going back to them and was going stir crazy when I did keep her in.

Mrsmadevans · 09/09/2018 09:27

'He just went from house to house daily, to a set routine. Both families thought he was a stray that they'd adopted.'
Exactly what has happened here several times over with multiple cats believe it or not. It seems they are opportunistic little devils Grin

megletthesecond · 09/09/2018 09:28

Yanbu.
My neighbour has a lovely cat who goes into everyones houses. It seems a couple of houses are trying to claim him Angry. She's already had words with one of them.

I'll tell her to try the "expensive medication or he wees all over the house" line.

Tinklewinkle · 09/09/2018 09:29

I’d go round and have words.

I had similar with a neighbour trying to take my elderly cat.

Neighbour decided we weren’t looking after the cat properly and she was being neglected

Cat was 18 so a bit thin and raggedy and had to have a particular food or she’d get a dodgy tummy, but pretty healthy otherwise

She used to like snoozing in a flower bed in my front garden and neighbour would regularly try and pick her up and take her home.

I spoke to her several times about it, but she totally ignored me - until 1 day I properly lost my rag and threatened her with vet bills and the police if she continued

She used to post regularly on our local lost pets Facebook page about this poor neglected cat and how worried she was about it, how abusive I was and ask for ways she could take cat away from me. Most people told her cat was fine, just old and to leave her the heck alone

We lost cat 6 months ago so now neighbour has moved onto another neighbour’s perfectly healthy cat

Hortonlovesahoo · 09/09/2018 09:35

We've had the opposite issue previously with cats "adopting" our house as their home. I'm allergic to cats and spent weeks with the windows and doors closed in summer to try and deter them.

I'd definitely be direct with them, they might not understand nicer more passive methods

ShackUp · 09/09/2018 09:38

Our former neighbour stole our cat.

These people are insane, and won't leave cats alone until they're fully theirs. I tried everything (collars with messages on etc.).

You could move house? It's the only way to stop them.

AnneElliott · 09/09/2018 09:39

You need to be assertive op! It's your cat. I'm glad my one who goes out the front is an unfriendly bugger. She slaps people that try and stroke her Blush no chance of anyone running off with her!

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