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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:
NotDavidTennant · 25/04/2020 18:20

I think you do owe her the money for the vet's bill. But shes owes you rent for having her cat stay in your garage for four nights. £200 per night seems a reasonable rate.

EloiseTheFirst · 25/04/2020 18:45

Those slagging off the vet need to remember that we don't know what treatment this cat had or why. The cat could've been old or had a pre existing medical condition which meant it was very ill when it returned home.

But that's not really relevant to you OP because you are under no obligation legally or morally to pay even a penny of this bill.

And don't worry - there's only one person the vet will be chasing for payment and that's the owner of the cat.

My advice is to ignore and block this woman and to report her to the Facebook page admins if she makes any online allegations against you.

Oldestchild90s · 25/04/2020 18:49

It's actually surprising how much a cat costs, i've paid over £100 for some quick treatment and over £300 for an overnight stay so a cat severely dehydrated.. who knows?

Anyway, if you did it on purpose i would expect you to pay the full amount but of course it was accidental so it really isn't your problem. As a cat owner myself i take full responsibility over all of my cats so unfortunately they cost what they cost! Sometimes it's a ridiculous amount but thats the small fortune of a price to pay for having them 😻

cactus2020 · 25/04/2020 18:51

Our cat gets around and I wouldn't expect anyone who ended up accidentally locking it in to pay this bil. You might want to reply and very clearly state that you're sorry to hear that, but the cat roaming and getting into budings unnoticed was not your responsibility so you can't help. It might close it down to clearly say no.

FixTheBone · 25/04/2020 18:53

Cats are literally Schrodinger's animal, domesticated and wild simultaneously.

For some reason the owners have no responsibility to prevent them from shitting all over your garden (unlike a dog for example), but they have enough ownership that I'm not allowed to shoot them when I catch them in the act.

TrickyKid · 25/04/2020 18:55

She's batshit. Cat owners seem to think it's ok for them to roam in other people's gardens, using them as toilets which is annoying enough. Expecting you to cover vets bills is on whole other level.
Let her share your details on FB. She'll look like an absolute idiot.

FOJN · 25/04/2020 19:04

Sorry if I'm missing the point but she's threatening to publish your "details" on face book and saw your post about the cat locked in the garage but doesn't appear to have posted about a lost cat?

The vets bill is not your responsibility. Cats disappearing and getting locked in places is a hazard of owning an outdoor cat. Do you actually have any confirmation that her cat is the one that was locked in your garage? It's possible that some CF saw your post and decided to try to get their vets bill for a totally different cat paid by someone else.

Cameron2012 · 25/04/2020 19:06

I’d probably get in there first adding her blackmail letter to her Facebook post.
I’d also post it on the local lost and found sites 😉

Wattagoose90 · 25/04/2020 19:13

Ask her for a photo of the cat and respond telling her that's not the one that's been in your garage.

Serenity45 · 25/04/2020 19:14

Hahahahahaha! No

bluebluezoo · 25/04/2020 19:17

Ask her for a photo of the cat and respond telling her that's not the one that's been in your garage

This.

heartsonacake · 25/04/2020 19:19

YADNBU.

I don’t think you should have posted on FB in the first place though, or given the lady your details. It’s just an unfortunate incident.

Mother87 · 25/04/2020 19:41

Extreme cheeky fookery - not your problem

GigiLamour · 25/04/2020 19:49

Haven't RTFT, so apologies if this point has already been made.

A healthy cat wouldn't need vet treatment after 4 days without food or water imo. Cats survive that kind of thing much better than humans would. (I googled about it when our cat was missing for days once - he had been locked in a neighbour's shed, but turned up fine.)

It won't do the cat any good, but it shouldn't put them in an £800 vet bill situation either. Unless it's a sick or very old cat, it will probably just get home, drink lots of water, scarf some food down and get on with life.

Anyway, how "incredibly weak" can it be when it ran off at top speed when you opened the garage door?!

SMarie123 · 25/04/2020 19:59

Is this fraud? Does she even have the cat? Is the receipt even genuine? It could be someone just trying to get £400 if you...?

WhoWants2Know · 25/04/2020 20:06

Is there any evidence that the woman's cat is even the same one that was in your garage? She could be some chancer that fancies having her vet's bill paid.

BubblyBarbara · 25/04/2020 20:13

I’m a cat owner and What a silly woman, YANBU you owe nothing. On the other hand it is reasonable to not have insurance as well, my DH jokes a shovel is enough insurance, it’s a Pet not a child

pawsies · 25/04/2020 20:37

Sorry I'm skint after paying for the magpie that ate slug pellets in my garden.

Makes about as much sense.

Littlebb2020 · 25/04/2020 20:39

Oh my god! She sounds crazy!!
Ignore her

PoppliosBubble · 25/04/2020 20:40

I’m pretty sure it’s the same cat - it certainly looks the same colours and had the same colour collar on.

I’m starting to think more that it might be an vet bill for an unpaid invoice and what she’s sent me is just a reminder. My cat is registered to the same vets practice. I dig out an old invoice for when my cat was neutered and it’s all itemised. That was less than a year ago so it does seem odd that hers is formatted differently. Whether it’s genuine or not is pretty irrelevant though as there’s absolutely no chance I’ll be paying!

OP posts:
DamnYankee · 25/04/2020 20:41

No way it could have cost that much! Shock

Perhaps she is a crazy cat lady and took her 20 cats to be neutered, declawed, and implanted with tracking chips? Hmm

She's an entitled tw*t of a Drama Queen. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

YouJustDoYou · 25/04/2020 20:45

What a batshit twat.

HappyHammy · 25/04/2020 20:47

What does her invoice say. Is it dated or have a vets name on it. CF.

Thefaceofboe · 25/04/2020 21:04

It’s her fault for not getting the car insured. I mean I’d be fuming if someone locked my poor baby in their shed but accidents happen. No ones to blame Hmm

Thefaceofboe · 25/04/2020 21:04

CAT