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AIBU?

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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:
FoodologistGirl · 10/09/2018 18:16

We got a collar for our cat from the vets with a ‘do not feed’ written on it. He’s micro chipped too. We only found out he was going 2 streets away for food when he went missing for a couple of days so we knocked on naighbours doors with his photo. Everyone knew him as he was using gardens as shortcuts. He’s so friendly and he loves small children so was getting tipbits around the neighbourhood. It was good to meet our friendly community though. Tell your neighbour that if they keep feeding him they can pay for the expensive vet bills when he gets diabetes

SquirrelChaser · 10/09/2018 18:19

Get a cat from the local rescue and give it to them.i don’t understand why people feel the need to take cats which clearly have a home when there are so many in need of a good home.

RedneckStumpy · 10/09/2018 18:21

Leave a note stating please don’t feed the cat she is undergoing investigation for (horrible infectious disease)

Bet they don’t touch the cat again

Ninabean17 · 10/09/2018 18:25

Someone tried this with our old cat. Fed him, lured him into their house etc. Stopped when they moved, funny how "he loves coming to see us" but didn't fancy following them. Idiots.

Miladymilord · 10/09/2018 18:28

Can't you just speak to them face to face Confused?

Cardiganandcuppa · 10/09/2018 18:28

Cant you just read the thread?

searose · 10/09/2018 18:33

My cat was stolen i thought he had died and then they came to see me because the vet would not treat him as the chip told him it was not their cat. they cared enough to come and ask for a note so they could treat him. this was after he had been missing for 18 months they kept him in their house. He always liked to wonder but always came home. From the time they took him into their house he was never seen in the vicinity again. He was terminally ill then. people who do this are disgusting. I have no time for them.

cantfindname · 10/09/2018 18:33

My cat adores my neighbour but she is only home a couple weekends a month. I am very very grateful to her as he has been pining for OH and refusing food. She got him eating again for me and has literally saved his life. But she is a lovely lady, she only feeds him with my permission and if he is in her house and she hears me calling him she always brings him home. Not all cat crazy ladies are bad!

Bugjune · 10/09/2018 18:33

I stop and chat to several of the neighbourhood cats as I pass by, sometimes I even slip them a Dreamie or two. I'd never ever pick them up or take them to my house though, that's theft pure and simple!

In my defence, my old dog had to be PTS last year and it's the first time I've been petless for 16 years, so I'll take a sly stroke wherever I can get one.

Dramaqueenbee · 10/09/2018 18:35

Can’t believe people are so inconsiderate. I lost my kitty who was 18 in March this year. Many a cat comes into my garden and one looks just like my cat but younger. I have a little cry sometimes when I see it and would just love to have it come in my house for a cuddle but wouldn’t dream of encouraging it or feeding it as it’s SOMEONE ELSES CAT!! Can’t believe how many people take cats in that aren’t theirs and are obviously not strays. I would definitely be having a sensible word with this neighbour to make my feelings quite clear.

MadCow999 · 10/09/2018 18:37

Is he microchipped, make sure your details are up to date. YANBU

healthymum2018 · 10/09/2018 18:45

Hi,
I have to jump in on this having just read lots of comments. We are a nation of dog and cat lovers( I write this with a little cat curled up on my lap, three others wandering around and a little dog too … ( all rescued from overseas). We invested in special fencing, this is not a plug by the way , as I don't even l know if the company still exists but anyway I have told others about it. It is called Purrfect fence, basically you put it up around your back garden against the fence line if you have one and it works by stopping other cats from coming into your garden and prevents your cats from leaving the garden, it is spring loaded. It is brilliant because you know they are always safe, no more nights wandering around with a torch calling for them and knowing they cannot be run over by a vehicle. My cats have never gone near the front door ( it has such a good suction noise) when it opens that they initially backed away and now just don't bother . Just to show you in the photo, it is almost invisible if you have some planting ( work in progress BTW) and here's one of the boys on his tree platform( the top of the tree is netted so he cannot escape!. Hope this helps

To leave neighbour who stole my cat a note
To leave neighbour who stole my cat a note
Dramaqueenbee · 10/09/2018 18:45

Just realised after posting, your neighbours are not answering their door to you. I would keep a look out for them leaving and speak to them face to face.

emmise77 · 10/09/2018 18:49

I looked out and saw my cat eating in next doors garden, the woman had hidden it behind a plant pot, so I shouted at my cat and he basically turned his back on me😼 So she then went in the garden and I asked what he was eating she lied to me saying it was a bird 😡 it was a clear bowl of cat food she lives out for the fox!! She then told me to get him worked as he is always eating birds - he doesn’t!! This is the second time I caught her out!! She has 3 cats and a dog... you would this that would be enough... people!!!

AllTakenSoRubbishUsername · 10/09/2018 18:49

I would keep the cat in for a fortnight, with a litter tray, to make sure it knew where it lived!! And feed it something like tuna, which they go mad for - then the neighbours will not be nearly so appealing :-) Also, you could secretly put the cat pepper stuff around their gate or wherever the cat gets in, so it is further put off.

emmise77 · 10/09/2018 18:50

Wormed not worked!!

patchysmum · 10/09/2018 18:50

I would have a chat to them tomorrow, tell them the vet says your cats are healthy and suggest they rescue a cat ,there are thousands in rescues waiting for a new home

Leapfrog44 · 10/09/2018 18:55

I wouldn't stand for that. My cat is like my child!! Can you make sure he goes out in the afternoon and lock your catflap at night to keep him in? You need to try to change his routine. You can also get a collar which says 'do not feed'.

Someone actually almost killed my cat by giving her a different food. Her digestive system is really sensitive and if she is given something else suddenly, she gets sick. You need to make food changes gradually with some cats. She was vomiting constantly and didn't eat or drink for days, lost a load of weight, the vet was seriously worried. There was nothing wrong other then the house sitter suddenly giving her a different brand of cat food.

'Cat run' sounds brutal. First is to ask them not to feed her? If they're still doing it then you can consider more drastic measures

SherbrookeFosterer · 10/09/2018 18:57

The hard truth about cats is no one ever owns one.

They are feral, they just do what they like and go where they like.

Perhaps your family would be better suited to a dog?

Hidillyho · 10/09/2018 18:59

We had a gorgeous cat who loved everyone and everyone loved him. We literally had to knock on our neighbors door to get him back for a vet appointment.
It was his kindness/noseyness that killed him though as he crossed the road to get a stroke and was hit by a car. His brothers/sisters/mum was the same and oddly enough I think they all ended up dying in similar ways (I would like to add that we didn’t own them all, just the 1. It was like it was bred into them)

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 10/09/2018 19:00

I'm really hoping you aren't my parents' neighbours.

They are shameless and unapologetic cat rustlers.

OnASwissRoll · 10/09/2018 19:01

Despite having words with several of my neighbours over the years, having my cat microchipped and having a collar that said DO NOT FEED! my 7 yr old cat was stolen.

I believe he was stolen by a neighbour and her adult DD, after I yet again went round asking this neighbour to stop feeding him and keeping him locked in her house for several days, and her saying to me "well you should keep him in then, because my DGD is falling in love with your cat!"

It got a little heated when I explained my cat was an outdoor cat and he'd go mad if I made him stay in just to avoid being overfed and locked in by the neighbours. I said I wouldn't be keeping him in and I'd appreciate it if they just stopped feeding and luring him in, and maybe if her DGD loved my cat so much they should buy her one instead of trying to steal mine.

Just days later he went missing again.

I contacted vets to see if he'd been brought in, put up 'missing' posters, knocked on neighbours doors. But nothing. Nobody had seen him, including the neighbour I'd had the heated discussion with. She angrily claimed she'd hadn't had anything to do with my cat since I'd had a go at her and slammed the door on me.

He just vanished. And it wasn't like him. Unless he was being held captive by neighbours he ALWAYS came home several times a day. When he didn't come home is how I knew he was at a neighbours. But this time nobody had seen him.

After several weeks all I could imagine was that he'd died somewhere. I was heartbroken.

Then, 4 years later out of the blue I got a call from a vet.... they had my missing cat!

Apparantly a random stranger claimed she'd found him in her garden, dumped him on them and legged it. Gave no name, address or contact details. Just dumped and ran.

He weighed over 9 kilos and was desperately ill with a fatty liver and a severe kidney infection.

He'd clearly been stolen, shut away in their house to prevent him returning home and then fed for 4 yrs without any of his usual exercise until he'd become obese and ill and then dumped him at the vets.

We tried to reverse the effects, and it cost us a fortune in doing so - but he was so ill his liver couldn't recover and we had to have him pts when his kidneys started to fail.

I lost him twice. I was devastated all over again.

I can't bear to have another cat for fear of the same thing happening again, as throughout his life, before he went missing, it was a constant battle asking neighbours to not steal him...

"But you're cruel, kicking him out every day!" (I had a catflap)
"But he's just so gorgeous"
"But he's just so friendly"
"But my kids adore him"
"You should keep him in then!"
"But my DDs falling in love with him"
"Well, if he wants to come in my house..."
"But he just loves waffles/fish fingers/sausages...he helps get rid of my kids leftovers" (And other unsuitable human foods)
"He obviously prefers it at my house if he keeps coming back"

Can't do it again, even though I really miss having a feline companion Sad Now I just trawl the pics on cat adoption websites wishing, but not daring to go ahead.

I hope your cat comes home soon OP Flowers

FeckBuggerAndArse · 10/09/2018 19:02

A super friendly cat has been visiting us all summer, I asked around, took her to the vet and got her scanned (she was chipped, but phone number out of date Hmm) and asked around some more and finally discovered she was well lived and well cared for, just very friendly. I’d never forcibly ‘adopt’ someone else’s cat, it’s basically theft, as well as irresponsible to overfeed an animal.

Your neighbours are being V V U.

Aprilshowersnowastorm · 10/09/2018 19:02

Sherbrooke given that op pays food /vet micro chipping does make the dcat a property item. The theft act I mentioned up thread is very interesting reading.

MumsTheWordYouKnow · 10/09/2018 19:07

Go knock on their door in the morning and make it clear they can’t take your cat in their house, your cat has a home already and is fed and that he is just very friendly with everyone. If they want to help out when your on holiday that would be good, but no need to feed otherwise.

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