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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I’m not responsible for someone else’s cat, am I?

267 replies

PoppliosBubble · 25/04/2020 13:51

On Monday I was in the garden and heard a noise in the garage. I opened the garage and a cat shot out and disappeared up the road. I knew the garage hadn’t been opened since the previous Thursday so the cat had been stuck in there for 4 days without food or drink 🙁.

I posted the above on our local FB page with a brief description of the cat, asking if anyone had lost one. A lady replied saying her cat had turned up at hers incredibly weak, she’d taken it to the vet who had given fluids and was keeping it overnight. I messaged the lady my email and asked her to let me know how cat was doing, that I was really sorry and that it was only due to lockdown that the garage hadn’t been opened in so long etc.

This morning she emailed me to say cat was home, seemed much better but that she was keeping him in from now on. The cat had to stay at the vets for two days and the cost was nearly £800, vets bill attached to the email. I think this is a bit odd but reply ‘glad to hear cat is better. I’ll keep an eye out for him once he’s out and about again. Hopefully your insurance will cover the fees and you didn’t have to pay too much of an excess.’

She’s just replying say she doesn’t have insurance against someone locking her cat in their shed for nearly a week. She’s been furloughed and absolutely cannot afford to pay this bill at the moment. She thought that I’d offer to at least pay half of the bill after the harm I’d caused her cat but as I haven’t she’ll ask me outright or be posting my details on the local FB telling everyone what I’ve done. The same FB page that I posted on saying I’d found a cat in my garage in the first place.

This isn’t my fault is it? I have a cat and if someone accidentally shut it in a shed/ garage them I’d consider that my responsibility as I’m the one that allows my cat out. I’m just ignore the email as I’d quite like to see what she posts online.

OP posts:
SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 25/04/2020 13:52

Not your problem.

thecatneuterer · 25/04/2020 13:53

She is batshit. Ignore her.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 25/04/2020 13:54

What??? She's insane.

Choice4567 · 25/04/2020 13:54

Not your problem. It was an unfortunate accident. If she does post on FaceBook I can’t imagine it will go well for her

Womenwotlunch · 25/04/2020 13:55

She is definitely bat shit

RichTwoTurkeyFriend · 25/04/2020 13:55

Absolutely not your responsibility, and she is being a cheeky fucker even asking.
I’d be telling her that if she says anything on FB you’ll be pointing out that as a responsible pet owner she shouldn’t be letting her cat roam and should have adequate insurance.

Mistystar99 · 25/04/2020 13:55

Only mistake you made was putting it up on FB in the first place!

Mouthfulofquiz · 25/04/2020 13:56

This is utterly ridiculous!! Not your fault at all. She should have insurance. The trouble is, people on Facebook seem to go crazy about missing cats, but my advice would be to not reply any further and be prepared to ride out a minor Facebook storm. Hopefully other people on the page would stand up for you, I certainly would if this was on my local page.
I haven’t opened my garage since last Saturday as I haven’t had any need to. I’m not bloody doing that to check for cats on top of everything else.

ThisTooShallPassHopefully · 25/04/2020 13:56

Yanbu.
I'm a cat owner and would no way feel the garage owner would owe me a penny in this situation.

In your shoes, if I was having a good day, and got that response I might consider giving her some leeway due to the furloughing etc, but I wouldnt feel any sense of duty to contribute to the vets bill.

To be honest, if I was the cat owner, I'd think how nice you were to be concerned enough to post in the first place and ask for an update on the cats wellbeing.

vodkaredbullgirl · 25/04/2020 13:56

Not your problem that cat was in the garage.

STAYTHEFUCKHOME · 25/04/2020 13:56

I would email her back directly asking “Are you trying to extort money out of me?”

That’ll shut her up.

Gtugccbjb · 25/04/2020 13:56

Lol. Tell her you’re taking her cat to small claims court for trespassing

MarieQueenofScots · 25/04/2020 13:56

Absolutely not your problem. Ignore her.

Morechocmorechoc · 25/04/2020 13:57

Yep cat owner, she has no right to ask, she should have insurance. What happens if hit by a car for example, that's thousands if the cat lives. You may want to point that out to her.

EdersonsSmileyTattoo · 25/04/2020 13:57

She’s crackers! Not a chance I’d be paying that, she’s a chancer and a CF!

ellendegeneres · 25/04/2020 13:57

Did she post any missing cat adverts asking people to check sheds/ garages either online or locally? That’s what I’d have done if either of mine were missing.
She has a responsibility to have her animals insured, if she can’t afford the measly amount of insurance she shouldn’t have pets. I say that as an animal owner who has extensive insurance to cover all possible issues.

Can’t imagine mine going missing, doing nothing about it and then expecting someone to pay for something that’s completely not their fault. Jesus it’s not like you saw it go in, locked it in for kicks. The only way she knows it’s you is because you cared enough to put a post online. Which is more than she cared unless she did post about it being missing.

HappyHammy · 25/04/2020 13:57

Her cat is her responsibility not yours. Do not reply. Let her post on fb then report it for harrassment.

WorraLiberty · 25/04/2020 13:58

YANBU but what does she mean by 'your details'?

Cornettoninja · 25/04/2020 13:58

She’s bonkers. I do feel for her in that this is a really crap time for unexpected bills but she needs to talk to the vet about her payment options.

I also don’t believe the insurance story she’s peddling you, I think she just hasn’t got any.

Polkadotties · 25/04/2020 13:58

She’s crazy. Ignore her

YesItsMeIDontCare · 25/04/2020 13:59

I absolutely adore cats. I have always had cats. I prefer cats to people. I'm also broke.

I still think she's taking the piss.

Pinkblueberry · 25/04/2020 13:59

She is the definition of bat shit and CF. Are we all supposed to check our garages at night to make sure there are no cats in there Confused It’s the risk you run if you have a cat that roams outside. Let her post on FB, it won’t go down well for her.

vanillandhoney · 25/04/2020 14:01

She shouldn't have a pet if she can't afford the insurance or vet bills that come with it.

ElizaCrouch · 25/04/2020 14:01

Tell her that if she continues to try and black mail you /attempt to extort money from you, then you will be contacting the police. Thank her for providing you with all her details so that you can pass this information over to them.

MashedPotatoBrainz · 25/04/2020 14:02

She took her cat to the vets because it's been locked in for 5 days and the vet kept in for 2 days? Someone is taking the piss.

My cat got locked in somewhere for 10 weeks and came home looking like an extra from the walking dead. The vet said not to waste my money on an appointment, this happens with cats, nothing to worry about, just drop by and pick up some 'recovery' food to fatten her up again.

My other idiot cat keeps getting locked in at a nearby care home. When they ring me up to say he's trapped in the courtyard again , I'm just grateful to have him back. Longest he's been trapped without food before being noticed is 12 days. He doesn't even get the recovery food, just his body weight in dreamies.