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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can you ‘steal’ a cat

41 replies

Confusedrelation · 30/10/2019 15:41

Historically an elderly relation started to feed a cat that came into their garden, and then started to tempt it into the house. The cat moved in after a while (just stoped leaving). She would stay in all day and they let her out at night. They did check with a local vet, but the cat didn’t have a chip. After about 6m I pointed out they had effectively adopted the cat (who by the way was not a stray, fat and sleek and obviously well looked after), and they should check if she was vaccinated and spayed. But they wouldn’t as she wasn’t their cat. It ended up pregnant and they dropped her into a shelter not to be seen again.

I was annoyed but bit my tongue other than my initial comment (grown up with cats, thought you shouldn’t feed others cats as they will go where there is food. Plus letting them out at night means more likely to get pregnant/ into a fight). What has happened has happened.

But I’ve just found out they’ve done it again and have a ‘new cat’. I can’t say anything as it will cause a (major)falling out. But is it ok I’m annoyed?

OP posts:
QuestionableMouse · 30/10/2019 15:44

Yes, it's wrong. The cat(s) probably have owners who are worried about them going missing.

honeyloops · 30/10/2019 15:44

YANBU, and as someone whose nightmare neighbour has done this to all 5 of the cats we've had over the years, I'd tell them to leave other people's cats alone and stop encouraging them.

Thescrewinthetuna · 30/10/2019 15:47

Yep I would be annoyed too, why are they stealing another cat?

Sayhellotothethings · 30/10/2019 15:47

I would say something to be honest. It's BS. Dropping somebody else's cat off to a shelter after you've nicked it for 6 months? Awful.

TheQueef · 30/10/2019 15:47

Just being up neutering at least.
Don't have to row, it's in cats best interest. Just be a boring twat and go on about it.

Chocolatelover45 · 30/10/2019 15:47

Well it's quite annoying to steal a cat and then refuse to look after it!

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 30/10/2019 15:48

The cat and their kittens were probably put down. It had a family who were probably sad that it went missing. I wouldn’t be able to bite my tongue about their selfishness.

Preggosaurus9 · 30/10/2019 15:49

Hang on they locked it in the house during the day?! How can that be anything except theft!

HowlinProwlin · 30/10/2019 15:54

I have come across this before, feeding the cat, luring the cat in, treating the cat as if it is their cat right up until the point the cat needs potentially expensive treatment... then suddenly it's not their cat..

My own cat was lured away by someone who did this and would return to me only when injured, and I later found out where he was living and that if he got a wound they would lock him out so they didn't have to deal with it!

Sadly after having it out with them the fourth time he came home to me with a dripping fight wound abscess, he completely vanished and I believe they sold him or gave him away somewhere despite knowing exactly where he lived and that he was chipped to me and insured by me!

So I reserve a special place in hell for cat thieving cunts.

underground76 · 30/10/2019 15:56

YANBU. You can absolutely 'steal' a cat and unless a cat is visibly skinny or in distress you should absolutely not feed it or let it into your home. It is most likely someone else's pet. And if it's feral, if it's not skinny it is feeding perfectly OK on mice, has always lived in the wild, and doesn't need more food.

To entice a cat into your home and then TAKE IT TO A SHELTER is bloody appalling. To do it twice is even worse.

2Rebecca · 30/10/2019 16:01

Yes, you don't feed other people's pets and entice them in to your house. If you want a cat go out and get one of your own.
You wouldn't do this with a dog why is it OK with a cat?

dayslikethese1 · 30/10/2019 16:10

Aaaargh I hate people who do this. Funnily enough they never wanna deal.with vets bills when the time comes Hmm Plus they increase the likelihood of the cat getting lost/run over by encouraging it away from home. Why don't these ppl just go to a shelter and get their own cat? Plenty need homes.

dayslikethese1 · 30/10/2019 16:12

They claim the cat is hungry/a stray even when clearly well fed and with collar, its BS, they know exactly what they're doing Angry

thecatneuterer · 30/10/2019 16:13

However, there are apparently more stray and feral cats in the UK than there are owned cats. If people didn't feed them for fear of 'stealing' them then they would die. But of course you need to check for a chip, put up notices etc and spay!

AlletrixLeStrange · 30/10/2019 16:13

Some b**stard has done this to my cat. He basically has a second home now, about 2 miles drive from mine (less across the fields where he obviously goes). I go up at least every other day to try and get him, 3 times now up to a month before I could get him back. It's heartbreaking, he's obviously being fed by the look of him when I get him back. He's chipped and neutered, wears a collar with name, address and phone number on which has always been removed by the time I find him (he never managed to remove one himself in the years before he started disappearing). He's gone again now, been gone for a week so far with no retrieval luck, it's heartbreaking when he's not here. Also, he's missed his vaccinations twice now because he's been gone which makes me very cross Angry please say something, that's somebody else's pet Sad

AfterSomeAdvice1234 · 30/10/2019 16:18

They are being outrageous and you absolutely have to call them out!!! If the cat comes round they can pet it/have a cuddle but they CANNOT feed it. At all. So unfair on the cat and their poor owner.

CoolcoolcoolcoolcoolNoDoubt · 30/10/2019 16:24

They dumped it at a shelter once it became too much trouble.. and yet there's someone out there wondering where their pet is. That's so sad Sad

Ellisandra · 30/10/2019 16:26

Don’t understand your question.
Why would you ask if it’s OK to be annoyed?
Why wouldn’t you be annoyed?!

Original poster
Confusedrelation · 30/10/2019 16:28

@Preggosaurus9 no the cat wasn’t locked in, relative is retired and in the house, they used to let her out if she asked but like many cats she stayed in the lovely warm house in the day and liked to go out to hunt at night (ours aren’t allowed out at night to stop fights etc).

Thanks all I haven’t had a chance to read them but I will. Relative is a ‘delicate’ person to deal with. To be fair I have only heard from another relative, who knew I said something last time, and I haven’t had a chance to find out if it’s a boy or girl. I’m just upset it’s happening again. I’m going to have to rock the Apple cart again aren’t I :((

OP posts:
Original poster
Confusedrelation · 30/10/2019 16:31

Ellisandra... as other relations told me off last time for saying anything as ‘it’s different for a cat’ ... which I did argue against! If someone did it to one of my cats I’d be gutted

OP posts:
poorchurchmouse · 30/10/2019 16:31

I have the opposite problem- I really worry about our neighbours’ cat but don’t want to appear to be stealing him! He’s very old and skeletally thin, and they leave him shut out while they’re at work. DH keeps finding him shivering on our doorstep (more sheltered than theirs) and has taken to letting him in for a few minutes to get warm.

Original poster
Confusedrelation · 30/10/2019 16:31

And to those of you this has happened to I’m so sorry

OP posts:
slipperywhensparticus · 30/10/2019 16:36

My neighbours cat moved in she wasnt bothered for a good couple of years so I took care of her vet visits and everything after about 4/5 years she was moving she wanted the cat ...I shut her in no way was I going to let a careless owner take a cat back when she was settled down etc this neighbour had cats until they were no longer kittens passed them on a dog she sold then moaned 12 months later her son wanted "his" dog back she was fickle

lazylinguist · 30/10/2019 16:38

Someone did this with our cat years ago. They claimed that she wouldn't be coming and accepting food from them if she was being properly fed and looked after by us (utter bollocks - she was a well-fed and much loved cat). In the end, dh had a proper go at them and told them to stop feeding her, so they did. Problem solved.

RedSheep73 · 30/10/2019 16:41

My in laws did something similar, cat spent all his time at theirs but nominally belonged somewhere else. Although they did eventually start taking him to the vets. I think it's wrong, but equally the original owner is wrong for not making the cat happy and for not putting a stop to it.

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