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AIBU?

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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:
MulticolourMophead · 04/07/2019 12:15

If this lady is getting owner information by using a chip reader herself, I'd be worried about the safety of that information. I thought there were restrictions on who could have the data.

jennymanara · 04/07/2019 12:16

This is crazy. I had a friend who wanted to "rescue" a cat we saw outside. I told her to leave the cat alone. It looked very healthy and well fed and just wanted petted.

batvixen123 · 04/07/2019 12:17

One of my neighbours did that to my cat years ago. He was sunbathing in her garden so she took him in, fed him mashed up salmon (!) and kept him until I turned up on her door, as I was knocking on every house in the street the trying to find him.

Her excuse was that he "seemed under fed".

He's a Cornish Rex, so not much fluff but he's really not skinny. For a Cornie he's a chubby little git. She kept feeding him whenever he went back there too. It was a relief when we moved house.

Fairyjuice · 04/07/2019 12:27

My cat was once lifted literally from my front gateway once as someone had spotted him a few days in a row just sitting there. Yeah, because it's his bloody house FFS Hmm Had to go through hoops to get him back. Posted on a local FB page asking people not to do it again and I got slammed for having a cat without a collar Hmm

TrickyD · 04/07/2019 12:31

DS2's cat disappeared. Notices and photos on lampposts etc, weeping kids. Phone call from the vet a few weeks later. "Rescuer" had taken him there because he was getting so fat. Vet said overfeeding, but checked his microchip, rang DS, and kept cat until DS picked him up.

DS was told the address of the "rescuer " went round and asked him not to feed the cat as it would encourage him to wander.

Rescuer very indignant and said to my DGD, 13, "You're a teenager you don't want a cat" . Cheeky so and so.

ASundayWellSpent · 04/07/2019 12:32

We worry about this with ours! He wanders so far, but hates other people's houses so can't imagine how he would react to being "rescued". Is microchipped but loses collars (they need to have the quick release clasp as he's a tree climber), and although he is the very picture of sleek black health, I worry about this all the time!

Pinkmalinky · 04/07/2019 12:32

I’m shocked she sent a letter to a house ten doors away instead of just returning your cat directly to you when she realised how close by you lived.

Sobeyondthehills · 04/07/2019 12:36

My cat was almost taken. He was lying in a field screaming blue fucking murder. He only has 3 legs and I swear puts the limp on more when he thinks he is going to get more attention.

I was at the other end of the field, refusing to pick him up and carry him home. A woman walked past and stopped, started chatting to him and then picked him up and kept walking with him.

I asked her what she was doing and she said he was her cat and she always waited for her there.

I pointed out he was a he, and we could always take him to the vets to get the chip checked and if she still wanted to argue she could pay the massive vet bill we had for him losing a leg.

waddlemyway · 04/07/2019 12:38

Show her this!
www.boredpanda.com/gps-tracker-cat-movement-map-lithgow-central-tablelands-local-land-services/
I can't remember where I originally saw this, it was a few years ago now, but you just reminded me of it. Most cats will get quite a bit further than 3minutes down then road.

yourestandingonmyneck · 04/07/2019 12:39

A letter through the post??!! What the hell?! Surely your house would be closer than the post box?? Even then, why on earth someone would put a letter through the post to be sent 10 doors away is just crazy.

Other than that she sounds like she has good intentions, just a bit overzealous.

I would ask her why she posted the letter though. If she had just knocked on your door you could have got your car back a day sooner and saved him a day of stress.

LauderSyme · 04/07/2019 12:43

Birdrib Grin

catwithnohat · 04/07/2019 12:46

Having had a cat stolen (beautiful little chocolate boy who was far too friendly for his own good) and a couple who were wanderers, who were knocked down, although I might be miffed at the woman's antics I'd also be very grateful.

CatNinja · 04/07/2019 12:48

Cats protection do these paper collars. If anyone finds a cat they worry might be a stray, the advice is to put your number on one of these and try to get in touch with the owner. Cats wander so unless you have good evidence that it needs help, leave it to find its way home.

www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/COM_1032_Lost_and_found_collar_print_out_AW.pdf

Sarahjconnor · 04/07/2019 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DontDribbleOnTheCarpet · 04/07/2019 12:49

It sounds like she is trying to attract attention to her business (perhaps she has only just realised that almost nobody wouldn't just take a stray to the vet to be scanned). I'm slightly surprised that she hasn't invoiced you yet!

CatG85 · 04/07/2019 12:49

Very odd! I can't believe she has access to all the data for one but to post a letter instead of just walking down and bringing your cat back is so strange.

cantfindname · 04/07/2019 12:51

I have a lovely neighbour who I (luckily) get on very well with. I say luckily because she shares my cat! He adores her and will spend his days in her house. She never feeds him but does occasionally give him treats. I even have a key to her back garden so if he goes missing I can search for him. He comes home for his meals and stays with me at nights.. it actually works very well. There is one other neighbour he 'visits' but he is keener on her than she is on him ;)

I, too, would be furious with anyone who took him and locked him in (as would my neighbour)

IwantedtobeEmmaPeel · 04/07/2019 12:53

That's terrible. There do seem to be a lot of mad cat women in the UK who make it their mission to kidnap perfectly healthy cats because they convince themselves the cat needs rescuing. There is something about cats that brings out the barmy in (mainly) women. For that reason I am team dog.

YesQueen · 04/07/2019 12:55

I have a chip scanner but only so I can scan deceased cats and retrieve them. I did scan one with a severe limp to check it wasn't a random stray

YesQueen · 04/07/2019 12:57

Oh and if something is wandering/skinny then I feed, as advised by rescues. Better fed than dead because some people will ignore and ignore and cats die of starvation because nobody wanted to feed them
Fat cats, ones with collars or after 6 meals can bugger off though GrinGrin

Missproportionate · 04/07/2019 12:58

Yanbu.

This happens to us last week - except they took him to the local vet and they called me! He was literally 100 yards away on the park. As with the OP he goes up to all manner of people (some of them quite unsavoury) and meows at them - and also asks for food (bottomless legs). He loses collars within a week.

A few months ago someone posted about my ‘poor hungry cat’ on a local Facebook group, you really wouldn’t believe the number of people telling her to take him to the vet - or volunteering to have him themselves!! Hmm absolutely astonishing.

I did let rip on the FB post when I found out though. Quite satisfying.

Unfortunately he is so adventurous and is clearly a pedigree that i fear for his safety long term Sad.

Can’t keep him in though - he’s be desperately unhappy.

Oldraver · 04/07/2019 12:59

Many years ago I had a cat that a neighbour at the back catnapped and kept in. He missed appointments at the vets and anti-biotics after an op because of them

Thatsashame · 04/07/2019 12:59

My neighbour stole my cat when i was about 5 years old. She used to feed her and then never let her out of her house. This was pre chip days. She changed the collar and that was that. She then died so we tried to get our cat back but the family said she's not yours and took her. My mum was devastated

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 04/07/2019 13:00

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.

You don't steal other people's cats though. If someone took mine I wouldn't care about their situation, I would go mad!

Justaboy · 04/07/2019 13:01

There do seem to be a lot of mad cat women in the UK

Well i suspect in her own way she meant well, far better to be mad in that direction than rather maltreat animals and abuse them. I expect over time she may well have done good in re uniting lost cats with their owners:)

Owners?, sorry cats aren't owned are they;?..

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