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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
2Rebecca · 25/04/2020 16:35

Not your fault. It's just an example of the "no good deed goes unpunished" rule. If you had been less conscientious and said nothing on social media about the cat you wouldn't be getting this grief.

BuddleiaTime · 25/04/2020 16:41

This bothers me a bit in case something similar happens to us. We have cat proof fencing all round (put in by previous owner). Never had a cat in the garden but if one did get in it would never get out.

Whenever we get back from holiday I have a scout around the garden for a cat, just in case one somehow managed to get through the defences.

I wouldn't feel responsible if one died but I would hate for an owner to have a go at me.

Pinkginhelps · 25/04/2020 16:42

I'd email the vets and ask if it's a real bill. Sounds like a scam to me.

BeatrixPottersAlterEgo · 25/04/2020 16:46

My cat did exactly the same thing two years ago. Turned up on day 4,he had been in next door's big shed. He was completely fine, just whiny and a bit thinner. It wouldn't have occurred to me to take him to the vet never mind demand Mr Next Door cough up. He ate two tins of Whiskas and slept on my head for a night. Wtf were the vets even doing

CalmdownJanet · 25/04/2020 16:55

I honestly don't think you should ignore her, I would reply
"You are attempting to blackmail me and I don't appreciate it, contact me again or put anything on facebook and I will be seeing a solicitor so you will have too bills you can't afford"

Penners99 · 25/04/2020 16:55

Not your cat, not your problem.

That cat owner is a CF and IS on glue!

Musmerian · 25/04/2020 16:56

@Complexico - they won’t like it because it’s nonsense. Cats should be free to roam.

Married2019 · 25/04/2020 16:59

As a cat owner i 100% wouldnt expect you to pay if this had happened to my cat. Our previous cat got ran over and as heartbroken as i was, i couldnt blame the driver for the cat running out in to the road. It was our decision to allow the cat to be outside and not stay as a house cat (now i know that sometimes there are incidents where people have been known to drive awfully and hit a cat and not stop, this wasnt the case and the lady was not to blame at all, and was incredibly sad about the incident)

Definitely dont pay.

SpillTheTea · 25/04/2020 16:59

It's absolutely not your fault.

Wanderlust21 · 25/04/2020 17:02

She'd be getting a 'that is blackmail and blackmail is illegal. Do not contact me again, you scam-artist' from me.

WhereYouLeftIt · 25/04/2020 17:03

" I don’t know whether the invoice is genuine or not, it’s certainly got the name and logo of our local vet on it and was dated last week. No details of what the bill was actually for though, just ladies name, cats name and total due."
My vet always gave itemised bills, so I'm instantly suspicious and think she's trying it on. Cynical me would probably forward her e-mail to the vets, informing them that although their customer thinks you should pay this bill it will not be happening, so any claim on her part that you will is completely false.

Why would I do this?

  1. I don't want the vet to be strung along waiting for payment in any shape or form. (Pretty sure they'd just pursue her for payment anyway, but in case they're soft-hearted I don't want them to be taken advantage of.)
  2. If the invoice is false, it will alert the vet that they are being used in a scam and they can take whatever police action they wish. They'll have the evidence (false invoice and her email to you).
2.
BabbleBee · 25/04/2020 17:04

Agreed that’s crazy to expect you to pay.

My cat was lost for 6 weeks and had lost a third of his body weight. The vet checked him for free, we took him home and fed him little and often until he was back to his usual self. I wonder if this one was particularly dehydrated and kept in for fluids?

Durgasarrow · 25/04/2020 17:04

She should have kept her cat indoors if she did not want it to trespass on your property.

cabingirl · 25/04/2020 17:13

It's probably not even the same cat!

SharonasCorona · 25/04/2020 17:21

I messaged the lady my email and asked her to let me know how cat was doing

Why should she? Confused Don't get me wrong, I don't think you should pay her a penny. But why put the onus on her to contact you and tell her how the cat is doing? Bloody well message her yourself in a few days, she's dealing with a sick cat!

user1471447863 · 25/04/2020 17:21

@Musmerian - "Cats should be free to roam".
You might think so but many do not. That they are is just a historic quirk of law that is well overdue for change. Cats are an unnecessary lifestyle accessory and should be treated like other necessary lifestyle accessories.
They are yours, they should not inconvenience others - i.e. they should not be shitting in others gardens spreading diseases.
You should also be in control of them at all times.
Cats can live very happily as house/garden confined animals. Just like dogs are. You can take them for a walk on a lead if you really want to - just like dogs. This is how cats are happily kept in many other countries.
@Complexico - you were right.

Complexico · 25/04/2020 17:24

@user1471447863

Oh I know, I am right. It's just cat owners (not all) who think their "presciouses" should be able to negatively impact on other people's space, as well as wildlife.

crispysausagerolls · 25/04/2020 17:41

@user1471447863

Thank you! It irritates me so fucking much that cats are allowed to just come into my garden, rile up my dog and crap everywhere. I dislike them - I don’t want them in my space!!!!!

WiddlinDiddlin · 25/04/2020 17:43

No way..

Vets give itemised bills if you ask, most do as standard, mine did as I have in the past, mortifyingly, had to ask a few friends for help with an unexpected bill and you simply DON'T ask for help like that without details of exactly what folk are paying for!

£800 is a shocking sum unless she took it to an out of hours vets in the middle of the night....even a normal daytime vet you'd be looking at a couple of hundred quid for overnight hospitalization and iv fluids, maybe £350 if you chuck in some blood tests too.

She's clearly not got any insurance, and has never even looked into it as if she had, she'd know that insurance covers injury vet bills regardless of HOW those vet bills were incurred.

Bottom line is, if you don't want to pay for vet bills as a result of accident/injury, don't have a cat thats allowed outside.

I'd contact the vet ... 'Hello nice vet, I do apologise if you are waiting for me to pay for xyz cat, as I won't be paying and do not understand why being accidentally shut in the garage for a few days has resulted in a bill this large'...

I bet they reveal that the bill is for more than simply fluids and hospitalization.. she's had her cat gold plated, spayed, new tyres all round and shiny new brake discs on it... alloys n all!

BacklashStarts · 25/04/2020 17:50

Ah please email her back about blackmail/extortion. I suspect she’s lying and has made the invoice herself as I’ve never had a non-itemised invoice from a vet.

I8toys · 25/04/2020 17:52

YANBU - every pet owner should have insurance before they are allowed to take an animal home. Enough with the cat hate though. Give it a rest for one feckin day.

BelfryBat · 25/04/2020 17:53

Absolutely not your problem and I say this as a cat owner to whom this once happened. Cats are notorious for getting locked in sheds at this time of year. If her cat was missing she should have been posting on facebook and putting posters out. Four days isn't all the long either - my cat was missing for eight days and turned up a bit skinny but otherwise ok.

Shayisgreat · 25/04/2020 17:58

I'm with everyone else here - the cheek of her!

TroysMammy · 25/04/2020 18:05

I don't believe a cat missing for 4 days equals a vet bill of £800. There is a story in the Swindon Advertiser of a cat locked in a charity shop for 2 weeks, a vet check found he'd lost 1/3 of his weight but was otherwise healthy. This CF is having you on.

Unworthie · 25/04/2020 18:10

Hmmm

Thinking on this and the itemised thing.
My dog injured herself a couple of years ago. I took her to an out of hours emergency vet, follow ups were with our regular vet.
Dog insured. I paid the excess on both bills as soon as they arrived. Both vets happy to wait for insurance after seeing documents.
First bill that arrived from both practices were itemised.
Follow up bills that were sent to me until the insurance paid up (2 months) were not itemised. They just had my name, on letterhead bill temple with something like "Amount outstanding in relation to treatment of UnworthieDog £XXX and had the date the invoice was sent, not the date of treatment.

So I'm thinking this could be an outstanding bill incurred from before the cat got locked in your garage and she's seriously trying it on.

If you do contact the vet and they will tell you anything - they might not because of confidentiality - and they confirm the cat was treated, ask when.