To think you don't just take random cats home?

[cadburyegg]

I'm a cat lover, and recently I've joined a few cat related Facebook groups. Big mistake.

I so often see posts where some kind hearted soul has seen a cat wandering around, and has taken it home. The latest post, last night, I couldn't help comment on. Someone found a cat near to their place of work and took it home, and has decided to keep it for themselves. The cat, from pictures they've posted, doesn't look underweight or injured. It's probably someone's pet.

But most of the comments are along the lines of
"The cat distribution system strikes again!"
"Thank you for being such a lovely person"
"She has found her forever home"

There's often a half hearted attempt to find the owner, but whenever someone suggests taking it to a vet to scan for a chip, suddenly the poster goes quiet.

I'd never just take a random cat home that I saw out and about. AIBU? I see it on the village Facebook groups too, "oh I saw this cat wandering around, does it have a home?" ??

Do people actually do this OP? I'm amazed. Do they not know, apart from it being stealing, the amount of distress that causes?
Years and years ago my beautiful calico cat disappeared. I spent the best part of 2 weeks walking round the streets every day shouting her name. I thought I'd never see her again. She was totally attached to me. Then when I'd given up hope she just suddenly appeared in the street in answer to my call. She was really distressed but she wasn't dishevelled or hungry . My then DH was always of the opinion someone had taken her and shut her in their house. She was so lovely. It seemed the only explanation, but I didn't see why anyone could do that.

If I've thought a cat is a stray I've tried to find out of it has an owner. And I've handed one such cat over to Cats protection. But I'm always wary and apart from that wee one that was obviously stray I've resisted the temptation to feed cats that turn up in my garden or at my door.
Shame on those people who steal other people's cats.

People on the Internet are insane (bar most of the lovely lot on mumsnet of course)

I've seen stuff like this too. I've even got a neighbouring cat visiting mine - he comes in and expects me to feed him alongside my cat

For a split second, I was like 'is this the cat distribution system 🥰'

Then I got a look at him - he has a collar and doesn't seem unloved, just cheeky

And so it's ended there - as much as I like his spark, he's someone else's!

Someone should shake these nutters - if you want a cat - buy one!!

No doubt this nut job will insist the cat is now an indoor cat so he can't escape back home 🥺 x

Mine is a calico as well 🥰

So glad you got her back x

We have these all the time! “It seems hungry, it wants to come in”, well yes, have you met a cat before? always accompanied by a perfectly healthy looking cat. They swoop them off to the local vets. Do vets charge to scan and check for owner details? If not I might be rather tempted if I was the local vet, nice little earner!

To be fair, ours do seem to be primarily looking for an owner, not just randomly nicking them!

See this all the time on my area and invariably it’s an American or Australian who’s rescued (or kidnapped depending on your view!) the cat. Cue onslaught from outraged Brits.

People definitely do this…at least in my area! I used to have the most gregarious tom cat that we loved so much. He was very friendly and curious and used to wander into people’s homes, but rather than just putting him out, people used to feed him and keep him overnight. I spent a long time rescuing from overly concerned folk who felt that he shouldn’t be outside or must be lost or a stray. Meanwhile our family would be worried about him and trying to find him.

He was definitely a chancer who loved the affection and extra food, however he’d just come home if folk didn’t hold onto him. Some cats do wander and roam, but it’s in their nature. Some people just seem to be pretty casual in ‘adopting’ a cat and behaving as if they now belong to them. It used to make me very angry.

I see this a lot on local fb groups. Cats wander. Let them. Don’t assume they are homeless!

America and Australia don't do outdoor cats, so if they see one, they presume it's a stray. I'd never have an outdoor cat, I can't police other peoples behaviour, but I can minimise the risk as a good owner does.

Our next door neighbours 2 cats spend most of the day lazing about in our garden and will come right up to the back door to have a nosey 😂 I'm sure if I left the door open they'd wander in! I'd never dream of feeding them or encouraging them inside. I think it's terrible that people who apparently love cats would do this knowing there may well be a distressed family missing their pet 😢

It's worst when they do it with elderly ones that end up being PTS at the vet and it turns out they have an owner, I've seen that a few times

Elderly cats look scruffy and thinner!

I got a message from our local (sensible) cat lady saying "I had a woman on the phone saying she saw a scruffy black cat sauntering across the road. I knew it was yours the minute she said sauntering"

He was elderly and just out for a stroll

It happens all the time. A friendly cat of mine was once taken into student digs behind our house, because they thought she was lost.

Every time someone on a local group posts about a cat (and this happens a lot, various cats as well) and talk about taking it in etc, I point out what's wrong with what they're planning to do. And the number of times someone comes on and posts hey that's my cat etc... seriously, people need to stop it

if the cat looked homeless? Yep in a heart beat! Thats how i ended up with my cat pheonix! she was wandering around a friend's property with a few siblings. I adopted her, and my aunt took her brother.

People post about stray cats that come to their garden daily begging for food - no Jane, it’s your neighbour up the road’s cat just mooching about. Leave it alone!

i learned neighbours were all feeding our cat (died in 2020) because he was super affectionate and had a loud meow due to hyperthyroidism. He was on daily tablets. This meant neighbours thought he was starved or food and affection. I had to put notes through doors explaining he got lots of affection and food but was elderly and please don’t feed him, although strokes and ear scratches welcome.

This is why I'm glad mine aren't friendly, they wouldn't let a random stroke them never mind pick them up and carry them off

Fb is crazy around here when it comes to cats just being cats

Better than then being run over or killing wildlife, it may be natural for wild cats to do this but not domesticated ones

Yes, my local FB groups are the same. In fact MN is the same too over at the litter tray

I have a female rescue, she has various allergies and overgrooms, she is treated, well looked after and happy otherwise but always looks a bit disheveled. She spends most of her time indoors but on the odd sunny day when she wants to explore outdoors I'm always concerned someone will take her in.

Its not a black and white situation though is it?
I would hate to discourage somebody from rescuing a geniunely in need cat.

I wouldnt (cat hating dog here!) but my best friend has done this several times. First was a deaf white cat we saw regularly in the neighbourhood who def had no owner and was at serious risk of being run over.
The second was a youngster who was constantly covered in oil from cars and fleas. She ended up taking him coz he really needed to see a vet.
In each case she asked around for owners and checked for microchips.

She has also had several strays give birth in her outhouse and adopted several cats whose owners have moved out and left the cat behind.
She also does have several visitors who come in for a meal or a nap and then bog off home again! She knows who they all belong to and doesnt try to keep them.

She spends most of her wages on spaying/neutering strays, rehoming (or keeping) kittens, flea treatments, vet visits for various infections or wounds (often on stray cats that live rough in the garden). Any stray can either come in the house or sleep and eat in one of the garden shelters.
Im glad there are people like her out there.

I have 4 cats. One of them is frequently kidnapped because “we thought he was lost”, “I thought he was a stray” (he has a collar & tag & microchip), “he’s just so lovely”, “he won’t let us not feed him treats!” “we only let him in during the day”. I’ve been asked “if my husband says we can, can we keep him?!”

I even had one post on facebook asking if anyone knew who this cat belonged to he was clearly starved of affection due to the fact he’s so friendly! 🙄. So you can video him sitting on your knee getting fuss but can’t ring the number on his tag!!!

Its honestly infuriating and causes so many issues and he stops coming home.

He recently had diarrhoea all over the neighbours bed, they keep feeding him loads of treats and shutting him in so he never wanted to leave so when they kicked him out at night after I’ve spent hours trying to get him for his tea and give up he keeps them up scrapping with other cats in their garden. I can honestly say my first thought was “ha, serves you right!” Funnily since mentioning he's on a medical diet and that he’s going to end up very ill if he isn’t eating his prescribed food he’s suddenly back to being home regular as clockwork, they’ve clearly stopped!

Like a lot of quiet residential streets, ours is full of cats just wandering about, minding their own business. They all have homes, they just like being out and about.

Are the mad catnappers people who don't understand outdoor cats are a common thing in the UK?

My SIL did this! She loves cats. Found one near her flat (not injured or malnourished) and decided it would be better off with her. Then moved across the city with the cat shortly after. She was already living with her husband-to-be who is allergic to cats but showed zero consideration towards him because cat trumps all. So he's on daily antihistamines because he's living with a cat.

You should see her desperate posts on social media whenever the cat goes missing for a day 🙃 Presumably because she's worried he might have gone back to his actual owners 🙈 Not that she'd ever admit to that.

It's all incredibly absurd.

I can confirm people do this. I currently have one of my cats home after being awol for months as other neighbours feed and house him. He's covered in matts. So I've somehow got to get him to a groomer tomorrow to be shaved!!! When he can go out again I am messaging the neighbours I know feed him to tell them to stop and I have some collars, which I hate using, from amazon with DO NOT FEED on them.

He has a loving home here but because everyone feeds him and let's him in he just hasn't been home!

I have an old man too who is looks worse for wear some days, but he's totally OK and content. Thankfully he's not quite so friendly so no one has tried to nab him when he goes out for his daily stroll

I may be the crazy people you speak of - so this is from my perspective

I think it depends on the cat and area, we have a huge feral population here.
We had one wander in - we had him scanned, no chip, unneutured. Contacted cat rescue - they advertised no-one came forward. He's now chipped and neutered and living with us (11 years)
We had a ginger tom arrive, posters everywhere for missing ginger cat, call them and he wasn't there's. Back to the vets, no chip, unneutured. We neutered him but he was a free spirit and didn't like our busy household so moved in 10 doors up, the man he moved in with had just lost his wife and desperately lonely - proof of cat distribution system!!
Last year we took on 2 genuine feral kittens, took over 5 months to get them tame, both neutered and living with us.
Then a few weeks ago a small kitten was in the middle of the road not moving away from cars, we saw it a couple more times so attempted to catch it. She had anaemia from a severe flea infestation, worms, ear mites and cat flu. No chip and unneutured, estimate is 4 months old. She had to have emergency treatment and it was unsure if she'd survive (2 weeks on and she's got a way to go but passed serious risk)
Her bill alone is close to £300 and that's before we've neutered and vaccinated.

Every cat we've taken in needs testing for feline aids and leukemia that's £90
A female spay is £190 (includes chip)
Vaccinations £75
Flea and wormer plus consult (weighing , checking chip, general health) is £50
Plus whatever else they need. In the case of the latest kitten flea and wormer, antibiotics, decongestant powder and ear mite drops. As well as the cost of flea bombs for the house, PPE when handling due to the flu and cross contamination risk
If anything taking cats in with no clue on their health costs an absolute fortune in both time, love and money

We advertise the cats, have the initial check up on health, then quarantine and wait 2 weeks before doing anything else, if after all that I'm ever in a situation I've mistakenly got someone else's cat and I've had it chipped and vaccinated against their will I don't care because it's irresponsible if them.
Strays don't have to stay here, but they don't leave unneutured when they may fight and add to the feral cat population

Those cats obviously look like they need help though. None of mine do. They are probably on the more overweight end of the scale thanks to neighbours and their treats.

One of mine was out in the rain once, cue a Facebook post asking if he had owners because he was out in the rain and wet.. he could have come home at any point or even found shelter!