Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

To consider stealing this cat?

55 replies

BibiBlocksbergv2 · 04/11/2014 23:25

Awful title and horrible to even think it, i know. I feel i've got myself thoroughly trapped and no one in RL to talk/reason it out with, especially not real cat lovers so apologies if this gets long and thanks in advance.

I moved to a shared house six months ago with my own cat. I was told before moving that housemates cat was an outdoor cat and by choice did not come in to the house.

Once i had moved in i discovered that resident cat was basically neglected, not allowed into the house and fed a handful of dry biscuits once a day. Cat was skinny, fur matted and knotted (long haired) incredibly shy but starving hungry (so would come near to back door with coaxing for bowl of wet food)

I slowly managed to gain the cats trust and now he is like any other pampered puss, sleeps in my bed, plays, plenty of love and food, toys, grooming etc.

When questioned, housemates reason for neglecting his cat is that he is allergic to long hair but did not want to re-home him as he would miss seeing the cat. The allergy has turned out to be non existent now cat is in the house and hm has been happy to turn all responsibility and expenses for his cat over to me (i have done gladly, just to illustrate the situation further)

Housemate is driving me mad for various reasons and for my own sanity i want to move asap.

Trouble is, HM won't let me take his cat on permanently (have even offered to pay him) but i know the minute i go his cat will be returned to the life of being neglected again.

Hard to describe but the attitude seems to be one of a toddler like 'no, mine' with no consideration for the animal just so long as hm controls his fate iyswim.

What the heck do i do? If i just take the cat its theft of property like any other, i could leave cat behind for a few weeks (neighbour knows situation and would keep an eye on him)

Apart from that being crap for the cat though, it will still be obvious where he is likely to be if he goes missing a short while after i go.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, i feel stuck between a rock and a hard place with no way out other than to stay until cat dies of old age (he's only 3 bless him :))

OP posts:
ReadyToBreak · 05/11/2014 00:38

P.s. I'm on your side, I'd be tempted to do the same.

thecatneuterer · 05/11/2014 00:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

trackrBird · 05/11/2014 00:48

Take the cat, for its own safety.
As to who owns the cat, I think hm has been happy to turn all responsibility and expenses for his cat over to me puts ownership in your court, regardless of what Mr HM has put on the chip. That's my 2p worth anyway.

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 05/11/2014 01:04

My immediate thought was 'disappear the cat pronto'.

Yes, you'll have to feign upset and worry for a while but you'll manage that; just keep reminding yourself of the state it was in when you arrived.

HM is a prize twat, if he wants to look at a cat he should get one of those fake, real looking ones, ugh!

Oh, and give him a bar of that oatmealy, knobbly soap as a leaving present and roll it in chilli flakes.

Have no fear that you are doing the right thing Flowers

Fucker! (him, not you)

Viviennemary · 05/11/2014 01:18

When I read your title I didn't approve but now I've read your post I think you should take the cat with you. It's not technically right but it's morally right.

Original poster
BibiBlocksbergv2 · 05/11/2014 10:56

“Oh, and give him a bar of that oatmealy, knobbly soap as a leaving present and roll it in chilli flakes” – that did genuinely make me laugh BewitchedBotheredandBewildered, just what the dr ordered :)

When I wrote hm had agreed to my caring for and feeding his cat that was not official i.e discussed in any way.

I just went ahead and did it and he has never protested nor offered to cover any of the food costs.

Basically he’s happy to look at ‘his’ cat and occasionally scratch him behind the ears but beyond that he is an inconvenience to him yet he doesn’t want anyone else to have him either.

Told me he ‘tolerates’ the cat(s) after he’d had a few drinks one night. When someone tells you who they are eh……

Really nice to be able to think about this in a clearer way now, thank you all again

OP posts:
JanetWeb2812 · 05/11/2014 11:16

Well besides the theft charge the Old Bill might have you all up on conspiracy to kittynap ;-)

Does Mumsnet have a prison-visits forum?

Original poster
BibiBlocksbergv2 · 05/11/2014 11:31

Conspiracy to kittynap, that's a point!

There must be some talented bakers on this site who can supply a load of cakes with files baked in??

Perhaps I had better ask for this thread to be deleted to save all the kind posters being implicated Grin

OP posts:
RubbishMantra · 05/11/2014 15:13

You can change ownership details with microchips.

This would mean finding the notification letter from the chip company. This has all the info you need (chip number, etc.) to fill out the change of address form, which you download off their website. The letter will also tell you which company supplied the chip, most likely Petlog.

Then again, he may be notified by email, and that would alert him. So not something to do until you and kitty have moved out.

Grr, people like him make me so angry, can't be arsed to feed or look after his cat, but microchips it to mark it as his property. Because he likes "looking" at it! Angry

Well done OP, for deciding to save him from a life of neglect.

thecatneuterer · 05/11/2014 18:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
BibiBlocksbergv2 · 05/11/2014 21:49

Ah, that's something i hadn't thought of catneuterer. He was vaccinated back in April this year so i'd be reluctant to get another load put into his little system right now.

Mmh, grab and run on moving day and deny everything baldrick it is then i think.

Brass Monkeys where i am tonight, cat is asleep in my lap, chin to ceiling, paws waving in the air, just lovely :) Can't get my head around anyone leaving any pet out in the cold night after night for two years running :(

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 05/11/2014 21:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Itsfab · 05/11/2014 21:58

How about you leave the cat where he is then if the HM does not look after him properly then consider further action?

catsofa · 05/11/2014 21:58

If you could steal the chip and vaccination documents... Do you know where they might be kept? Have a rummage while HM is out?

LouiseBrooks · 05/11/2014 22:08

Take him. I wouldn't think twice.

But be sneaky, move him to a cattery a week before you leave.

steppemum · 05/11/2014 22:15

did you take him for his vaccinations?

If so, the vet should have your details, and you can ask for a copy of vaccination record.

PinkSparklyElephant · 05/11/2014 22:21

Please take him with you. I can't bear to think of him being left with HM.

thecatneuterer · 05/11/2014 22:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Drania · 05/11/2014 22:55

Re: the chip showing HM's details, get a collar that has your last name and telephone number on it. That way, if the cat does go for a wander and is picked up by a stranger after you've liberated him, they'll be more likely to call your number than get the chip scanned.

Original poster
BibiBlocksbergv2 · 06/11/2014 00:09

Vaccinations were done as a job lot by hm along with neutering and chipping.

The next door neighbour told me she'd threatened to report hm over the state of the cat so whether it was too many eyes on him once i got here as well i don't know. Was very odd how he was suddenly whipped to the vet for the full once over.

i just remembered, cat was never taken back for post op check up or next lot of vaccine shots, makes me wonder if that part was a fabrication. Would fit as hm is as tight as anything and lies frequently.

Maybe cat is not chipped either in that case.....

Anyway, i could go on for days but I won't :)

Definitely won't leave kitty behind, we've developed a lovely bond now.

I feel it would be almost more cruel to abandon him again now, back to a lonely life in a shed than if i'd never taken on his care at all.

OP posts:
catsofa · 06/11/2014 01:08

It's possible that if you took cat to the same vet he went to before, and sort of hinted at your plans, they might be able to give you some useful advice. Perhaps they made notes at the previous visit about the general health of the cat at the time? They could certainly check for a chip for definite, and check vaccination records.

I wonder if you could make it seem that HM was your partner (since you currently share the same address) and had always owned the cat jointly? And perhaps that you're about to move because you've split up, so ownership of the cat is now genuinely disputed. There may well be a note of concern on the vets records from the time HM took him about the state of him and the lack of knowledge of the person who brought him in, which would help you.

VeryStressedMum · 06/11/2014 01:24

Don't give your HM your new address or he'll know where to find the cat!

PfftTheMagicDraco · 06/11/2014 07:11

Are you sure the cat has been neutered? Seems odd that the HM would take such a malnourished cat to the vet. And in that state, would they operate on him/vax him etc?

Itsfab · 06/11/2014 07:29

Maybe you think it is dreadful advice, thecatneuturer but telling someone to steal isn't exactly great. The HM might be caring more for the cat now that he has been got into a better state.

LouiseBrooks · 06/11/2014 10:38

Itsfab why would he bother now when he didn't before? Animal abusers don't change. Anyone who leaves their cat outside all the time is cruel. This isn't "stealing", it's rescuing the poor animal.

OP - just take it. Get your post forwarded by the post office and don't leave an address. This cat is yours now in every true sense - you feed it, look after it, etc and I agree it would be cruel to leave him behind.