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

[PoppliosBubble]

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.

Send her the cleaning bill for the mess in your garage.

Send her the link to this thread!

Tell her you'll knock that amount off the trespassing and illegal squatting bill that her cat has incurred.......

Absolutely not your problem. I would wonder if it’s genuine to be honest - cats survive very well without water because they need very little. My cat disappeared for a month a few years ago. Came home very skinny but I imagine he was locked somewhere. The cat shouldn’t have been in that much of a state after 4 days. They catch insects and spiders to eat, they’re very resourceful. Besides, she should have insurance.

I wonder who is the 1% that voted YABU

if she lives close to you I agree with the comments that she could have put something on facebook saying the cat was lost and ask people to check garages and sheds - or even knocked on peoples doors .

You owe her nothing.

Do not pay her vet's bill!
Why take it to a vet and agree to treatment if she knew she couldn't afford it? Surely she would have asked for an estimate of costs before agreeing to treatment?
She is absolutely trying to take advantage of you, and must see you as a soft touch. As for trying to threaten and blackmail you into paying her, what a nasty piece of work she is.

I also want to know who voted YABU! They probably pressed the wrong button.

@SusieOwl4
Well, she couldn't go knocking on doors could she? Or do lost cats mean social distancing can be ignored?

She could have posted online, but going door to door would have been totally out of order given the current situation.

I'm a cat owner and lover and there's no way you are responsible for this! Assuming you're not intentionally luring cats to your garage or something, it's an accident! It happens.

I personally do check before I shut the garage door because I don't want any animal to be trapped, whether that's a domestic cat or a wild rabbit, fox or anything else we have round here. And I also don't want them to ruin my bikes

@wastinglife You're wrong. The longest a cat can survive without water (if it's not getting it from food) is 3 to 4 days. Often they can survive longer by licking condensation off windows or drinking out of toilets or something but, just like people, with no water at all they die very quickly.

Not Your responsibility. You were kind enough to enquire after the cats health. I would be quite surprised the cat had all that treatment. One of mine got shut up for 4 days and was hungry but none the worse. Another got shut in for a fortnight when we are on holiday and only had toilet water. He also was fine. I think this is a total try on and a very skanky reply to your concern

Reply saying that 1) yous re not responsible for the bill 2) if she does as she has threatened/ continues making threats you will report her to the police for extortion. 3) if she disagrees, she's welcome to go to the police/ speak to a lawyer but they will tell her exactly the same.

Poor kitty. She should be grateful that you found it before it died. One of mine got locked in a neighbours garage, when she’d left for a two week holiday. I discovered it 3 days later, but was able to put a certain through a broken pain for him to climb out. I then apologised to my neighbour, when she got back, in case he made a mess. She apologised to me for missing him when she locked up and were still friends. Because were grownups. She should be bloody grateful.

Tell her the cat shit all over your antique painting, that you had left in your garage for reframing and although the painting cost much more than £800, in the name of good neighbourly relationships, you’re happy to let it go. 😁

Or tell her that you posted in good faith because you were so glad the kitty had been discovered before it died and that’s as far as it goes.

Legally she is not responsible for any damage her cat does to your property (unlike with a dog)

and you are not responsible for any damage your property does to her cat

@NoMorePoliticsPlease
Where was your current supposed to be when you were on holiday? You didnt just shut it in and leave I assume?

She's blackmailing/trying to extort money out of you. I'd send her threatening message to FB and also to the admin of the local page. And yy, response would be 'This reads as a threat to extort money out of me when I am at no fault, responsibility or obligation, the animal is your responsibility and you chose to let it roam at large.'

Cat owner.

Nope not your responsibility.

This is the sort of thing I pay pet insurance for

You are not being unreasonable.

Cat owner's need to cat proof their gardens so they remain on their property at all times. Their pets, their responsibilities (many won't like this comment).

Definitely not your responsibility.

As an aside, what kind of insurance can you get for a fiver? I pay £45 for my young healthy cats!

She is bonkers. The response on here is unanimous which hardly ever happens.

Gosh, I'd send a message back telling her to do one. You showed you cared about the cat, I'd have just let it out tbh.
She saw you coming

She's definitely trying it on. It's also possible she's a scam artist who doesn't have a cat and the one that escaped your garage is now happy and healthy at home having had some food and water. 4 days is not really going to do much harm to a cat unless it has a pre-existing condition.

I'd block her and ignore.

I would tell her you are considering informing the police of her attempt to blackmail you.

Ungrateful woman.