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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell my sister not to pay for a dead cat?

242 replies

Pecano · 01/10/2018 18:04

My sister went away and her friend offered to look after her kitten for the weekend (my sister didn’t ask, the friend offered). The kitten is very friendly, puts up with her kids wanting to play all the time etc, and the friend has several cats (like over 10!) herself so said it wasn’t any trouble for her to look after an extra one for a few days.

On the first day, her friends partner stopped my sisters ex in the playground when collecting the DC from school and gave him the cat, stating that it had to go back as it had killed one of their cats. He said their cat was a very expensive breed and she now owed them £80.

My sisters cat has never been vicious or anything, but presumably being around lots of new cats could have led to some fighting over territory etc -apparently the friend/her partner took my sisters cat home and then promptly left for the day, returning at the end of day to find her own cat dead with a neck wound, and my sisters cat with some blood on the fur near his mouth.

Surely if introducing a new cat, you’d supervise them for a while first, or keep them in separate roles to avoid this sort of thing? Obviously they should have arranged some visits or something beforehand but it was a bit last minute and my sister assumed someone who owned several cats would know how to handle this.

AIBU in telling my sister not to pay? She doesn’t have a spare £80 and I think that if you have an expensive cat then you must have insurance surely?? I appreciate that they have lost a beloved pet but it’s not as if it was intentional!

OP posts:
Junkmail · 02/10/2018 00:27

This is utter crap. First a kitten would not be capable of killing another cat especially as the kitten was not even in its own environment and so likely would have been scared and timid. It was more likely one of the other adult cats killed the 6 month old as throwing cats together like this in an already cat-busy home is a recipe for disaster. What was she thinking? Cats do not operate like dogs who are much more likely to welcome another. Cats are territorial and compete for resources (food, litter etc) and chucking a random cat in probably caused friction between the resident cats (if the cat is even dead that is. A single picture isn’t proof and I would want a vet record of some sort). Second, an expensive cat does not cost £80. I have five cats and three of them are pedigree. They cost in the region of £500 (specialist breed) so she’s having a laugh requesting this arbitrary figure of £80. Even a cremation for the dead cat would cost more than that so she’s pulled that figure out of her ass.

I have no idea what went on here but it’s all really shady and I would tell your sister not to give her a penny and in the future don’t leave her kitten with some crazy person who knows nothing about cats (having 10 certainly does not make you an expert).

Noqont · 02/10/2018 00:42

Eh? Does your sister have a cat or a tiger? I'd let it go to court personally. Sounds like bull shit.

DarlingNikita · 02/10/2018 17:24

the average price for an expensive cat (say a Maine Coon) is about £800. Cats might fight and a weaker cat might die from its injuries but I've never known a cat kill another cat outright. The cat who is losing runs away. A kitten doesn't have the killer drive or the strength to take on and defeat a fully grown cat. Something cockeyed here.

Totally agree. Particularly about the cost. £80 is a small and a weird amount.

I have to say, though, your sister was a bit of a fool taking her cat round to another house already full of resident cats.

Angel75 · 02/10/2018 17:25

No frigging way....

WhateverHappenedToTheHeatwave · 02/10/2018 17:26

Yanbu. Your sister would be a fool to pay. I doubt this will be the last expense they hit her up for. Why does she care about fallout? There's no friendship here

MissSpoke · 02/10/2018 17:27

Let them take her to court (they won't). This happened on their watch, nothing to do with your sister. Nothing agreed in advance either (presumably) on any liability either way, therefore they can't demand anything from her.

I'd suggest your sister threaten to call the RSPCA because they are clearly negligent in looking after animals.

Trudij123 · 02/10/2018 17:31

Wow. No she should not pay - for all the reasons the others have said. !

Strongmummy · 02/10/2018 17:33

I echo previous posters in that it was incredibly silly of your sister and the friend to agree to this arrangement. If the friend wanted to help she could have visited you sister’s cat in your sister’s home.

However , I’ve never heard of a kitten killing a cat before. Plus if it were an expensive breed it would cost more than £80 to replace !!!! Plus the kitten was in the care of the friend and so it was the friend’s responsibility to ensure all cats in her home are safe.

Your sister should absolutely not pay. She’ll probably lose the friend because of it, but the friend sounds daft as a brush anyway

bellinisurge · 02/10/2018 17:35

Really unusual for a kitten to kill a cat. Sounds like a scam.

JustJayne1959 · 02/10/2018 17:36

First of all, I have never, in all my years of cat ownership (over 40) known a cat bite or fight to kill one! I find the entire events described as a little suspect to be honest.
Cats fight, especially Tom cats, they get bite wounds but never deep enough or vicious enough to do any more than just wound. I think this needs looking into, sounds like something other than that has killed both cats, infection or poison are two reasons. I certainly wouldn’t be forking out £80 to someone on their say-so.

JustJayne1959 · 02/10/2018 17:37

My thoughts exactly!

HappyBumbleBee · 02/10/2018 17:40

Friends partner is now messaging my sister saying if she doesn’t pay they’re going to take her to court

Tell them to go to court. The friend took and accepted responsibility of your sisters cat and is therefore the only one liable for any costs. Not your sister.
Also there is no way I believe a 6 month old cat killed a fully grown adult cat. It would still have alot of its baby teeth for starters!

And another thing.... I have 3 cats. If I was going to mind someone else's cat for a week (which we did do a few months ago) I sure as hell wouldn't just throw said cat into the mix with mine and go off out for the day! Completely irresponsible and they clearly weren't too worried about your sisters or their own BELOVED cats!
Please tell your sister do not pay this money!
#bloodisboiling

Carahfaye · 02/10/2018 17:42

I think whichever cat killed your friends cat is wasn't her kitten!..Firstly if it had been in a fight there would have been very obvious her signs/injuries on the kitten too apart from blood on its mouth,which quite frankly I think was shoved into the bloody wound of the dead cat.!
Also the kitten would have cleaned itself up by the time woman had got back because it would have had plenty of time if the cat was noticeably dead by the time she got home,It wouldn't have just sat there waiting with blood all over its mouth conveniently for the woman to take a picture as evidence..Its all bloody rubbish!!

RestingBitchFaced · 02/10/2018 17:42

Says it all that the friend is not replying to messages. Obviously the boyfriend trying to make some money, do not give them a penny! Bloody cheek

Stepmum3 · 02/10/2018 17:44

I would give them £80. That’s how much they value the friendship. I would then never contact them again, really is a cheap out.

Xx

Mitch1x · 02/10/2018 17:45

I also totally agree that there's a rabbit off somewhere!! A kitten would likely come off the worst in a territory of 10 cats!!! 10 cats Ffks!!! I think someone is looking for an easy payday, do not be fooled!!! Yes iis awful they lost a cat and a cat lost theiron life but I don't believe your kitten was to blame. Some people will do anything for money., 😢😢😡😡 keep in mind not everyone is trustworthy or have the same morals. I think they're trying to scam your sister.

DrPeppersPhD · 02/10/2018 17:47

A full grown cat might have been able to take down another cat, but not a kitten. Tell her not to pay.

caringcarer · 02/10/2018 17:50

We have a six month old kitten and do not believe they would be able to kill an adult cat, especially as adult cat was in her own home. I would tell person with none cats to take her to court with evidence that her cat died due to another cat attacking it and that a six month old kitten was strong enough to kill an adult cat.

Bekabeech · 02/10/2018 17:52

Your sister is better off without this friend!
It sounds like rubbish to me.

bmbonanza · 02/10/2018 17:53

No your sister shouldnt pay, but if she cant look after a cat better than to have a 'last minute' arrangement and leave it with someone totally unsuitable then she clearly isnt responsible enough to have a cat

Dahelle · 02/10/2018 17:58

If my cat had been killed by your cat I would be sad not demanding money. Money won’t bring it back. They have 9 other cats to care for as well, they won’t be catless. It’s so unlikely that the kitten killed the cat anyway. Poor kitten must have been terrified at the other house.

Oliversmumsarmy · 02/10/2018 18:08

I would give them £80. That’s how much they value the friendship. I would then never contact them again, really is a cheap out

Absolutely no way give them any money.

More likely if she pays them a penny she won't hear the end of it as in their eyes they will see it as an admission of guilt and then she probably will be hit for the big money to replace the cat.

If they take your dsis to court I hope they have had an autopsy done on the cat to shoe what the cat died of.

If not then either your dsis has some super strength killer kitten or there are a pair of scam artists at large

I know which one my monies on.

I would reply to the threat of court action with a bring it on.

ToftyAC · 02/10/2018 18:09

I’ve had cats all my life (over 40 years). 6 month old kittens are pretty small (unless a Maine Coon). Never have I known a kitten of that age to be able to take down and actually kill a full grown adult cat. I smell BS and she has no proof it was the kitten. I’d tell her to stuff her £80

Anniegetyourgun · 02/10/2018 18:10

A single wound to the throat?

VAMPIRE KITTEN ALERT!!!

Tell your sister to invest in several strings of garlic, and at all costs do not let the cat into the bedroom at night.

glivupa · 02/10/2018 18:12

What complete nonsense. I'd call the rspca and show them the photo of the dead cat and tell them the ridiculous story. Save the texts they sent. It's possible your sisters ex friend and/or partner killed the cat in attempt to get money off your sister. It's possible they have done it before and may again. Notify the rspca of the cat killing scammers. Their ludicrous story will hold no weight.