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:
HappyHammy · 25/04/2020 14:03

If you posted on a legit lost and found page I doubt they will want a ranting threat from her

Unworthie · 25/04/2020 14:03

If she'd been so worried about the cat she'd posted on Facebook asking people to check garages, put up posters etc then..... Nope she still wouldn't really have a point.

My cat once got locked in someone's house and caused some damage. I was relieved to have the cat back, but mortified and of course paid for the damage in full and although I tried, and kept the cat in, she wasn't an indoor cat. Now lives the life of Riley on a farm.

Her cat, her problem.

Babdoc · 25/04/2020 14:03

If she can’t afford vet bills she should have gone to the PDSA and had her cat treated free of charge.
Or at least checked her insurance cover and the potential price with her vet first.
I can’t see any way in which you could be deemed liable for her expenses.

TheGirlWithAPrince · 25/04/2020 14:03

If i saw her post on fb i would laugh so hard.

Its not your problem

Tomoveornotomove2 · 25/04/2020 14:04

This is why cats are indoor pets only, she could have gone looking for her animal 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’d ignore

Windyatthebeach · 25/04/2020 14:04

She is bonkers.
Ignore. Any messages on fb report her...

timetest · 25/04/2020 14:04

She’s nuts if she thinks you are in any way responsible. Her threatening to put details on Facebook sounds like blackmail to me.

Meirou90 · 25/04/2020 14:05

Part of being a cat owner is accepting that there may be a chance of the cat getting stuck in a shed or garage. I’d never place blame on the person unless done deliberately, and wouldn’t except them to be financially culpable.

DiscoDown · 25/04/2020 14:06

One of my cats went missing and was locked in a garage, I'd put out posters with my number on etc. When a neighbour phoned me to tell me he'd see her shoot out the garage I was just grateful I knew she was okay tbh! She was missing for 3 days, had a minor injury so went to the vet but wasn't kept in! I wouldn't have dreamed of blaming the neighbour or charging him, cats hide sometimes.

Soubriquet · 25/04/2020 14:07

Really not your problem

I agree with the above post telling her you will report her to the police for blackmail and extortion if she posts your details

LilacTree1 · 25/04/2020 14:07

Yanbu

I wonder if she’s even telling the truth.

Longdistance · 25/04/2020 14:07

Stupid cat, stupid owner. Fancy not having pet insurance. That’s her problem. It’s not like you deliberately locked the cat in the shed 🙄

EveryLifeHasASoundtrack · 25/04/2020 14:08

She trying her luck, just ignore her.

This happened to our cat. We had posted leaflets to say our cat was lost and asking people to check their sheds and garages. We were very grateful when a man called saying they’d found our cat in their garage. We bought the family a box of chocolates and offered to clear up any mess she had caused. We didn’t try to charge them for the vet fees. She’s a CF.

Itwasntme1 · 25/04/2020 14:09

Absolutely agree with everyone here.

I am a cat owner. I have insurance - wouldn’t contemplate owning a pet without it.

So her way, I would not expect you to pay for simply closing your garage door. How on earth could you have known the poor cat was inside.

It’s a story with a happy ending. Could have been much worse. Not your fault, and you have no financial liability here.

Oh and my insurance would defiantly cover this. She doesn’t have insurance.

Hanfulofdust · 25/04/2020 14:10

If I'd lost my cat I'd expect neighbours to be kind and check their sheds if I put up notices. No way in hell would I expect them to foot the bill if my cat got stuck in their shed by accident. That's madness. Could it actually just be a fraudster trying their luck?

Feawen · 25/04/2020 14:10

If you only caught a glimpse, it might not even be the same cat, and this lady has just latched on to you as someone who might pay her bill following your fb post. I absolutely wouldn’t consider paying anything in these circumstances, while I’d feel bad for the animal involved. You weren’t at fault in the first place, even if this is the same cat, which I don’t see how anyone can tell.

NewPapaGuinea · 25/04/2020 14:11

I’d sarcastically reply saying if you’d thought it would cost her money she wouldn’t have let it out mentioned anything

Imboredinthehouse · 25/04/2020 14:11

she doesn’t have insurance against someone locking her cat in their shed for nearly a week

What she’s means is she doesn’t have any insurance at all which makes her an irresponsible pet owner.
I have a cat. YANBU.

Jokie · 25/04/2020 14:11

Not your Circus, not your monkeys. She's trying her luck. She could be trying it on just to get you to pay so the furlough story could be made up too.

Ohtherewearethen · 25/04/2020 14:13

I would email back asking her when she's going to come round and clean up all the cat pee and poo and get rid of the stink.
She's a right cheeky mare. You are in no way responsible for the suspiciously high vet's bill!

Excited101 · 25/04/2020 14:14

Do not pay a penny.

yumyumh · 25/04/2020 14:15

Not your problem or responsibility at all, please do not give this awful woman a penny of your money.

If she cared about her cat so much why did she let 4 days go by without searching for it, or at least knocking on local people's doors asking if they'd seen anything/ ask them to check garages and sheds!! It's not hard and so many people do it. And also her fault for not having insurance.

You also don't know how many of these problems the cat has before hand and she's just trying to get someone else to pay her vet bill. Or if it's even a genuine bill, could easily be forged and attached to an email.

Maybe call the vet practice and discuss it with them, (their info must be on the bill) check it's genuine and they really charged her £800 and if they can offer any advice in this situation. They must get people blaming others for their pets problems all the time.

Let her post on the group, then you can point out then you can publicly point out what a neglectful pet owner and scammer she is for not bothering about her cat for 4 days and claiming £800 worth of vet bills from you (that could not have accumulated just over the time the cat was in your garage).

Isitweekendyet · 25/04/2020 14:15

If you can't to afford to insure your pet, you can't afford them full stop.

If not; she shouldn't let it roam when she can't afford the vet care.... what's wrong with it to cost £800?!

Absolutely none of your business how much the vet bills cost and none of your responsibility... she's a fucking lunatic.

Respond and say if she posts any information you will be contacting the police and then block and ignore.

What's wrong with some people?!

GoodbyeToCare · 25/04/2020 14:15

This happened to our cat a year or so ago. She was fine for over a week and reappeared very thin and clearly dehydrated. My vet looked her over, told us lots of TLC and charged me £10. On a Saturday. Your lady is a CF of the highest order.

ScarfLadysBag · 25/04/2020 14:16

Wow, she's insane and the cheekiest of fuckers!

Swipe left for the next trending thread