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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed that my cat was "rescued"

97 replies

Newbiewife · 04/07/2019 11:36

We have a cat who loves to wander, he goes for miles but always come home when hungry,

He wandered to a local park (literally a 3 minute walk from my house) he loves kids because they play with him and stroke him because hes super friendly.

Someone saw him roaming around the park for a few hours and "rescued him".

Took him to their house and kept him in for 2 days, he hates being kept inside all the time. The house they took him to is literally 10 doors away from ours.

They scanned his microchip (he gets collars off so we cant do that) and saw the address and sent us a letter in the post to tell us.

We have been worried sick walking everywhere calling him etc and he was literally 10 doors away the whole time.

AIBU to be annoyed that the "rescuer" who admitted herself there was nothing wrong with and he looked happy and healthy took our cat in and kept him for 2 days when she could have walked 1 minute and knocked on the door?

Looking at their facebook she does this all the time. We took him to the vets (for a check up) and apparently she regularly brings in lost pets.

Its amazing that she does this for genuinely lost cats but, cats wander and id never dream of taking one that was healthy. If he was skinny or had a limp fair enough.

Also worried that because shes been feeding him non stop with chicken breast and tuna he will go back their now.

OP posts:
Nesssie · 04/07/2019 11:39

I think its so ridiculous when people take it upon themselves to grab random cats off the street.

What if they aren't microchipped - you've stolen someones cat!

Queenoftheashes · 04/07/2019 11:41

What a lunatic. This happened to my mate’s cat. She was old and skinny but that was all... someone saw her out somewhere and took it upon themselves to “rescue” her and have her put down!

GleefulGlitch · 04/07/2019 11:42

Unless the cat looks underfed/injured/dirty/is walking on a motorway why would anyone rescue a roaming cat?

TremblingFanjo · 04/07/2019 11:44

I have a cat that does a great "I'm hungry I'm starving feed me or I'll die" act. He is also on the chubby side, glossy coat, no missing limbs/ears, no obvious injuries. He also has a collar with his house number and my phone number on. The amount of people that call me from the pavement three houses away to ask if I've lost my cat is unbelievable.

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 04/07/2019 11:45

Unless the cat looks hurt/underfed why do people do this? I don’t have a cat but don’t they sort of just go out & home when they want, they don’t really need rescuing.

So weird you got a letter telling you when they lived 10 doors away, maybe she is just a crazy cat stealer.......

YesItsMeIDontCare · 04/07/2019 11:46

To be honest I would probably go absolutely batshit crazy if someone nicked my cat. And if I thought he was going to want to move in with them because they fed him chicken and tuna I would probably get quite vicious. 😳

drspouse · 04/07/2019 11:46

They sent you a letter? Bananas.

HappyHammy · 04/07/2019 11:46

Poor woman may actually be very lonely or bereaved. She could have lost a beloved cat qns takes them in to look after or for company.
I know it's annoying but maybe the vet should tell her to stop and see if she needs help. Not all strays are skinny or have limp.

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 04/07/2019 11:47

I know this was annoying for you but I am grateful people do look out for wandering cats.

One of my was found and handed in over 20 miles away. He must have got in someone’s car or van and then bolted when it next stopped. He would never have found his way home again.

Nesssie · 04/07/2019 11:49

Why does she have a microchip reader?

LizB62A · 04/07/2019 11:53

This doesn't sound right - it's easy enough to buy a chip scanner but the chip companies won't just tell her your details (DPA/GDPR and all that) ....

Did the letter come from the catnapper or the vet she took it to to be scanned?

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 04/07/2019 11:54

She probably doesn’t but took him to the vets who will scan for free. It is a two minute job.

PreseaCombatir · 04/07/2019 11:56

Can you just buy your own microchip reader then?
I mean, I supposed is obvious, you can buy what you want these days, but for some reason I just assumed that only ‘professionals’ could read them, not Joanne Bloggs off the street

Birdrib · 04/07/2019 11:56

If someone stole my cat he would make their life hell. He’s keen on slow revenge.

Whathappenedtooursummer · 04/07/2019 11:57

We found a kitten far too small to be out imo. Kept him overnight with notices on local groups. Neighbours across the St came at 8am for him!! He had escaped and would have been squashed no doubt. They were very grateful!! Souped my dc up with sweets and treats!! Your neighbour was a bit overzealous if your cat was an adult!

Nesssie · 04/07/2019 11:58

But a vets should not give out the owners details.

Anyone can have a reader but you need a login/pin number to access the owner information and that is usually only given to vets/rescues/councils.

Original poster
Newbiewife · 04/07/2019 12:01

@lizB62A the letter was handwritten from the lady who had the cat.

Her profile picture on facebook says something along the lines of XXX pet chip reading service available, book an appointment.

I hadn't even thought about how weird it is that they just gave her that data!!

OP posts:
Cliveybaby · 04/07/2019 12:01

This drives me nuts! My two cats also both do an excellent "I'm so sad and hungry and nobody loves me" impression, and since they're both naturally small they get away with it.
They now have collars with their name and address on, and I have a cat-proof garden that they can't get out of!

PodgeBod · 04/07/2019 12:01

Some people are absolutely bonkers about other people's cats. We had a lovely friendly tabby growing up and 2 separate neighbours tried to lure him away and keep him (a couple of years apart). If he has been fed well he will keep going back there.

InsertFunnyUsername · 04/07/2019 12:02

Unless an animal is injured i couldn't imagine picking up random cats thinking "oh hes lost" best get him to vets. Too much time on their hands.

YANBU

MrsRussell · 04/07/2019 12:07

@PodgeBod yes previous neighbours actually stole my cat, we moved house and their garden was still her patch so she kept going back. (About 300 yards across the fields, so not an unreasonable territory for her.) She stopped coming home, we knocked on after seeing her IN THEIR HOUSE, they said she kept letting herself in. (Really? And you don't put her out?)
They eventually moved house. They took her with them. KNOWING that she was my cat.
I hope she shit all over the inside of their car, the thieving cat-napping bastards.

Lana1234 · 04/07/2019 12:09

You wouldn’t believe the trouble I’ve had over the years with my big fat friendly ginger cat who loves pretending he has never been fed in his life. I think 3 separate neighbours have tried to “rescue” him and taken him in to theirs and locked him up. He absolutely hates being inside too. They know not to do it now since I spoke to them like 🤣 Sending you a letter is very bizarre!

FloatingthroughSpace · 04/07/2019 12:10

This happened to us. We went out for the day and our very old, hyperthyroid cat was taken from our front garden. We searched for her for several days and put up pictures and eventually someone told me that a local rescue centre had "rescued" her. She was allergic to chicken and on a special food, and didn't get her thyroid meds. I was fuming. How dare they assume a skinny, friendly, purry cat is mistreated and just take it away, no note or anything?

trackingmedown · 04/07/2019 12:12

presumably she isn’t being given the data, she is buying it and then has a business reading the chips for other people. It must be in the small print when you have the animal chipped that people with access to the appropriate readers and data base will be able to see and use your info.

Riv · 04/07/2019 12:12

I’ve been adopted by a lovely roaming cat. I found the owner a street away just across a large park with no roads between. It had been visiting houses and claiming that it hadn’t been fed “for year and years and years” ( loud persistent miaows) some of the houses were miles away and over a very busy main road. The cat would eventually return home, sometimes after several days looking skinny and tired.
We love cats but don’t have any pets. The owner gave me some of the cats regular dried food and asked me to feed it a little every so often and maybe give it a couple of dreamies now and again, which I do. I also promised not to let the cat into my house (DH is asthmatic so that wasn’t hard)
It works well because the cat now just seems to wander around the park or play in my yard during the day, and returns home when the said owner gets in from work.
It works well for us.