Our very friendly cat went missing a couple of weeks ago for four days. On the same morning that I had started printing out posters and calling around the council etc an elderly couple popped around to say that my cat was at their house.
We had a conversation where it seemed a bit like they were accusing me of neglecting him (saying he's underweight - he's not, and he's only one month post annual check-up) and of being terrible for shutting him out all day whilst I'm at work (which they admitted was pure speculation, and again is not true as I work from home...), and for letting him out at night (surely this is my choice?)
The conversation ended with me saying that I had no problems with them making a fuss of him if he popped over to visit, but to not feed him (he's a pedigree cat with a very sensitive stomach and is on a special diet. I knew that someone had been feeding him at one point because he'd had an upset stomach on a few occasions), and not to lock him in their house. They openly admitted that they'd been shutting him into their house at night and that he'd then spent all evening yowling to be let out.
They obviously went home and let him out, at which point he returned to us. He ate loads, slept for >12hrs (which suggests that he does not find being shut in their house as idyllic as they seem to believe), and spent days clinging to me like a baby.
He has been out a few times since in the last couple of weeks, but not for long, and has always come home.
Fast forward to yesterday when he failed to return home. I've just returned from said neighbours house and he is there again, shut inside.
The neighbour claims that they do keep putting him out but then letting him back in again. They also say that they're not feeding him (which means he's not eating anything), and are asking if it's usual that he's drinking so much, or is it because he's hungry (how would I know, I've never starved him??!!)
I asked for the neighbour to let him out, and she said that she would. I also explained that he was very distressed after returning from their house last time, and asked them not to keep letting him in the house. That was over an hour ago and there is no sign of him. He has a very loud collar so I'd expect to be able to hear him if he was in fact out.
The neighbours say that they are concerned about the cat, but by keeping him in their house so that they can cuddle him they are denying him access to food and his home. I'm sure that they are a well meaning couple, but I don't see how they're helping matters.
Does anyone have any ideas re: what are my actual rights here and what can I do if they don't return him/release him? It seems really unfair to have to keep him in just because they seem to think that they know "best" iyswim?
Apologies for the epic post, and thanks if you made it this far.