Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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:
Bubblewings · 25/04/2020 21:07

She has given you written proof of her intended blackmail - just reply “fine, put what you want on FB and I will of course be copying your email on there too”.

SMarie123 · 26/04/2020 09:23

Op it does make a difference if it is fraud/ extortion. That is a crime. All well and good that you don't want to part with the money but what if you were vulnerable/ scared and did. This should be sent to the police or joe Lycett?!

Idontwantthis · 26/04/2020 09:51

Poor cat. Not your fault tho!

WiddlinDiddlin · 27/04/2020 14:13

I am very bored and dying to find out whether this woman has tried to sting you for a vet bill for something entirely unrelated, or whether it's not even her cat....

Do update OP, please?

CHIRIBAYA · 27/04/2020 14:29

so unreasonable that I did actually laugh but not funny for you I know. I think you have behaved very kindly and responsibly and as a cat owner myself wouldn't dream of asking for money; I would be eternally grateful that you helped to reunite me with my moggy. Let her go ahead and post on FB, she will be revealing herself as unhinged and unpleasant.

BumbleBeee69 · 27/04/2020 14:37

I'm so invested in this Thread.... stay strong OP.. she's AT IT Flowers

CoraPirbright · 27/04/2020 15:04

I wouldn’t be able to resist calling your vet and asking them about this bill. Sounds highly unlikely that it is genuine....

CoraPirbright · 27/04/2020 15:06

Then if she does go on Fb to complain about you, you can let her have it both barrels in public!! “Having contacted the vet in question, this invoice is fabricated and, as such, I have forwarded this lady’s details to the police and will be pursuing her for attempted extortion”. Ha!

saraclara · 27/04/2020 15:16

Jeeeze. I had to take my car to the emergency vet on Christmas Day, spent 45 minutes there, had blood taken (so tests to pay for), an antibiotic injection and some expensive drugs to bring home, and it only came to about £150.

hellsbellsmelons · 27/04/2020 15:22

I had to take my car to the emergency vet on Christmas Day
That did make me LOL!

OP - she's friggin' mad.
Glad you are now ignoring.
£800 my arse!!!!

saraclara · 27/04/2020 15:29

I had to take my car to the emergency vet on Christmas Day

Oops! I really should check before pressing send!

Icanflyhigh · 27/04/2020 15:32

Definitely not up to you to pay at all.

Figgygal · 27/04/2020 15:34

No way op
Ignore her and her threats

GlitterNails · 27/04/2020 15:36

I just had this exact situation happen - but on day one I was knocking on doors, etc asking people to check garages, and she was found after a few hours.

It's no one's fault - it's just a horrible situation that happens sometimes because cats are both daft and curious!

volatility · 27/04/2020 15:36

£800!! Don’t think so.
Just ignore but keep an eye on the local Facebook page. If she posts anything just write “I’m the garage owner. This lady has tried to blackmail me for this money. I contacted the local vets and there is no record of the cat being treated. There are no records anywhere that this money has been paid. The police have been informed. I’ve spoken to a solicitor who has assured me that any vets bills relating to her animal would not be my responsibility. There was no malice on my part. This person is a con artist. Please remove this post admin”

HavelockVetinari · 27/04/2020 15:41

OP - please do email the vet practice about this. If it's for unrelated treatment then what she's doing is fraud, and is a criminal offence. If the vet practice writes back that the treatment wasn't recent or related to being in the garage, then please contact the police. She shouldn't get away with attempted extortion and fraud.

ButDoYouAvocado · 27/04/2020 15:52

My vet has always itemised bills for me too. I don’t think it’s genuine.

WiddlinDiddlin · 27/04/2020 16:01

Yeah my vets itemise bills...but as someone pointed out up thread, a reminder invoice where an itemised bill has already been sent out previously, would NOT be itemised...

So its highly likely thats what this is, a reminder for a previous bill that hasn't yet been paid, for treatment wholly unrelated to the garage trapping incident.

BiscuitBean · 27/04/2020 16:01

I used to be a vet receptionist so supplied invoices/ bills all the time. If she’d asked for a headed invoice at our practice it would have been itemised. Follow up letters sent to her for outstanding balances wouldn’t be.

It would be fairly easy to rack up an £800 bill though to be fair, if the cat had pre-existing issues, or perhaps had an injury, and that’s why it had hidden in your garage. Doesn’t sound like it though, she just owes them money and is trying her luck.

I’m a cat owner myself, strictly indoors and supervised garden access only. She’s nuts; not your responsibility at all and should just be grateful to have the cat back!

Notwatchingtvtoday · 27/04/2020 16:06

Sounds very strange to me

notapizzaeater · 27/04/2020 16:15

We have line by line itemised bills complete with dosage of anything they gave. Bloody woman is bat shut crazy !

Our cat got locked in a garage for 2 days - it was her own stupid fault !

Buxx · 27/04/2020 16:23

It is a fake bill. If she posts on Facebook say you believe this to be an attempt at extortion and you have contacted the Police and will be contacting the Vets. That should shut her up and scare her shitless so she doesn't try it again.

Fluffybutter · 27/04/2020 16:33

This happened to my cat last year , we don’t know for definite he was locked in a garage but was definitely locked in somewhere as the weather had been grim but he was spotless (he has large white patches) smelt musty and was very weak.
He was missing for 2 weeks and I’d just about given up.
We posted leaflets to ask people to check garages /sheds , put up posters and used social media but by day 10 I was convinced he wasn’t coming home as he wasn’t friendly enough to go to anyone else as he’s very skittish.
No way on earth would we have expected anyone to cover vet bills other than us unless you could prove it was maliciously done .
Cats are notoriously nosey and always try and get in our garage if we are pottering about in there .
She’s got a cheek

Fluffybutter · 27/04/2020 16:38

Oh and £800 for a few days ?
Vet said our cat was fine and he was locked in for 14 days !!
No charge other than consultation fee

TimeWastingButFun · 27/04/2020 16:55

If she was that short of money why didn't she go to the PDSA or something instead of racking up an £800 bill? It's really not your fault.