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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:
CaptainHammer · 10/09/2018 11:44

My neighbours cat is lovely, super cute and friendly, I often wish he was mine. I would however, never actually pick him up and bring him in to my home or keep him in if he wandered in!!

I hope they answer the door today OP.

YoThePussy · 10/09/2018 12:00

Keep knocking OP, your NDNs are c**ts. If they don’t answer set up a shift system with your DP and knock solidly until they answer. Do they have a doorbell? Press it nonstop until they answer. Keep this up all evening for as long as it takes. Get your DC involved, let them knock as well.

Good luck.

HoleyCoMoley · 10/09/2018 12:30

Yo, I think that might be classed as harrassment, they know you want to speak to them about taking in your cat, that's why they are ignoring you, maybe just leave a note when you see they are obviously in asking them to pop in or ring you to discuss the situation.

RomanyRoots · 10/09/2018 12:44

is it something that The police would be interested in?
i mean if they have your cat for some time and you witnessed them calling him into their house.

RageAgainstTheTagine · 10/09/2018 12:49

Hoping they answered this time op. Update us soon! X

UnicornSparkles1 · 10/09/2018 13:01

I think I'd go for the note now if they're still not answering. They're obviously too scared/embarrassed to speak to you. Quick note to say that whilst you appreciate your cat is very loveable, he has X health condition which means he can't just eat any old pouch of cat food. Please refrain from feeding/catnapping in future. Invite them to knock if they'd like to discuss it further (they won't). And hopefully that will be the end of it.

Blameanamechange · 10/09/2018 13:45

Looking at this between jobs at home hoping for a good outcome.

Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 10/09/2018 13:55

The note’s been posted, I didn’t want them to start feeling harassed and realised they just weren’t going to answer, I’m definitely not that scary Wink

It was along the lines of “If you wouldn’t mind not picking HoodCat up off the street or taking him in your home as he is well looked after and has access to a catflap just likes to roam. You’re welcome to give him plenty of cuddles as he loves it but please don’t feed him as he is on an expensive vet-prescribed diet and can’t eat regular cat food for medical reasons. I did pop over to let you know but noone was home, any issues feel free to knock, thanks, HoodCat’s mum (then put my house number)”

I do hope if they don’t like that solution that they knock and don’t just carry on doing whatever they want Sad but if I see them in the street I will have a chat to see if they got the note because it’s just plain rude for them to ignore me (hopefully they’re just embarrassed and not being horrid)

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsHoodwink · 10/09/2018 13:56

But if I do spot them in the next couple of days I’ll come back to this thread and post what they say as an update Smile

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 10/09/2018 16:46

You forgot to ask them to keep an eye out for the person who keeps feeding them and making them very ill.

Aprilshowersnowastorm · 10/09/2018 16:54

Read about the theft act 1968 op.

Quote it to your local station and insist they deal with the matter.
Your dcat is indeed property and your neighbour has stolen from you.

crispysausagerolls · 10/09/2018 17:03

Good luck OP! Your note seems very sensible. We lost one of my childhood cats as we lived next door to a Masonic lodge and the man who resides there fed her lobster and salmon and other ridiculously expensive but delicious treats and she ended up there so much we felt we had no choice but to give her to him 🙁

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/09/2018 17:09

I do get that, legally, a cat is different to a dog, but ethically and morally it is equally unacceptable to take someone’s much loved pet cat as it would be to take a pet dog.

I think this is what the people who said ’they wouldn’t just pick up someone’s dog and walk off with it - so why’d do they think it is OK to do it to someone’s pet cat?’ were getting at.

margesimpson40 · 10/09/2018 17:26

Jesus fuck leave them a note .... Keep your inbred uncle fucker hands off my pussy you pair of cunts ... Nothing too aggressive

jacqroberts68 · 10/09/2018 17:34

I had a neighbour do this with my cat, he was a fat fickle cat who'd go off with anyone if you fed him. He did come home every couple of days as well as visiting all the houses he lived at. But she had the cheek to knock on my door a few weeks later and say shall I call the cat protection league because I'm pregnant and don't want him in the house? Wtf just stop feeding him you idiot grrrr.

Happygummibear · 10/09/2018 17:37

Get one one of those camera collars then you can monitor them him

Strongmummy · 10/09/2018 17:42

Speak to them face to face and tell them to stop feeding him and taking him in. A note isn’t strong enough.

Oddcat · 10/09/2018 17:51

I think the trouble with these sort of people is that they are just barking mad , they won't respond to a note and probably won't care about expensive diets either, if they did , they wouldn't be stealing other people's pets in the first place .

Mooster62 · 10/09/2018 17:55

I had the same problem with a neighbour who decided that my long haired cat needed a trim... I told her that I would call the police and report her for criminal damage (as cats are considered property in law) if she touched him again. She then kept him in her house when he was injured and only returned him 3 days later after I had a search party out saying that he seemed under the weather. He spent 4 days at the vet and I had a £700 bill for an infection that was completely uneccessary just because she wanted him in her house. I was so angry I could hardly speak but let her know exactly what would happen to her if she went near him ever again. I now lock him in every evening to prevent capnapping and as he is 13 he doesn't seem to mind too much. Why can't people get their own pets!

Leontine · 10/09/2018 17:58

Would it be possible to keep him in at night? He doesn’t have to be a house cat and can come and go as he pleases during the day. Perhaps give them less ammunition?

MadameOvary · 10/09/2018 18:01

We have a visiting cat. He likes to make himself at home and will curl up on the bed and sleep for hours. My DD adores him and so do I but his house is across the street and when he wants out, he gets out. I also made sure his owners were ok with his visits to our house.

Oddcat · 10/09/2018 18:03

Mooster that's awful and just what I was getting at - these sort of people don't actually care about the animal or the people they've stolen them from , they just think they've got the right to take them . There's no reasoning with them tbh.

starbarmummy · 10/09/2018 18:05

This happened to my best friend and her kids were gutted :-( I hope that the note works and think it was nicely worded. In the mean time, I would definitely try and keep your cat in overnight - they are safer from cars that way as well, I think I am right in saying more cats get run over at night as the roads are less busy so they are more likely to go by them. Also keeping them in overnight helps the local bird populations as they are most active at dawn so more vulnerable to cat attacks then. We always kept our cats in overnight and they get into a routine of it. But then we had one go missing for months so have now got katzecure fencing and they raised the levels of our walls, but not sure if they could do that if you've got a picket fence. Or this company does both fencing and enclosures so you can price up both options if it's of interest protectapet.com/cat-enclosures/ Good luck, I hope your neighbour starts behaving themselves either way, you ANBU, it is out of order to shut in someone's cat that they know full well has an owner!

Dillydallyer · 10/09/2018 18:11

I hope they stop it now!!

OJZJ · 10/09/2018 18:16

Mrshoodwink have you ever heard the story of Six dinner Sid....
he lived at number one Aristotle street. He also lived at number two,three,four,five and number six........
He had to earn his dinners because he lived in six different houses with six different owners and had six different names.
His owners didn't speak to each other so he got away with it until he had to visit the vets six different times... When they found out and stopped his meals he moved into number one Pythagoras place and number two,three, four, five and six where everyone was friendly and nobody minded him eating six meals a day.....Grin
I leave my doors open all day when in unless it's really cold and as a result a beast of a flea ridden critter comes in and clears my cats plate but in all fairness my siamese has recently gained two kilos (big cat- he can stretch and reach on top of the worktops when you're prepping foodHmm) since the arrival of our neighbours and I have been told off by the vet! But if he doesn't like the sachet we're feeding him he flicks his tail and stalks out the house only to return half an hour later licking his lips!!! And as people say you never own a cat

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