Retrieving a stolen cat

[ValerieCupcake]

My friend's cat has been missing from home for about 6 weeks. Well I say missing, she knows where he is. He had been going to a woman's house on the next road who had been feeding him. My friend has been round but the woman won't answer the door.

The cat has been going round of his own accord because of being fed. What is actually possible? The woman won't answer the door. Can the vet intervene, if they can prove it is their cat through microchipping? Or RSPCA? I don't know how to advise her.

A cat is your 'property' (I know the cat would disagree!) so this is theft, but goodness knows whether the police would entertain it.

Is the cat coming home at all?

This is such a common problem. Cats often have a second home and even more than that, where they know they can go for a feed and a stroke. However, are you saying that she's actually shut the cat in the house and won't let it out?
It's really a police matter as the cat is property. But cats are somewhat of a quandary. They can't be controlled like dogs so the police are often loathe to call them property. Plus as soon as the police hear animal, they say to call the RSPCA. But if you did get a kind officer who went round, (a) would she open the door to them; and (b) she's likely to say that she does let the cat out and it won't go home. Which could very well be true.
It's not an RSPCA issue really because it's not animal welfare. But, like the police, you might find an inspector who'll call round. But they have no power to seize in this situation so it would only be for a chat and the responses would probably be very similar to those they might give to the police.
I guess they could write a letter to sue her for the return if the cat.
Ultimately, if they did get the cat back, would it then become an indoor cat? Because if not, as soon as they let it out, it'll disappear back to the other woman's house.

As above, it's theft. I had this happen many years ago & the police were actually really helpful & went round & hD a word with her. Followed by her making malicious reports to the RSPCA who came round 🙄. Police read her the riot act after that & we had no more problems.

Definitely worth reporting it on 10, hopefully you're in an area where they can take it seriously

Unless she is physically locking your cat in her home she's not actually stolen the cat, it's just chosen to eat and stay at her house.

It's a pretty common occurance for cats to choose somewhere else to live and there isn't much that can be done, even if she returns the cat what's stopping it going back?

Police now acknowledge this as theft. Ring the non emergency number tonight op.. Dig out the chip paperwork..

If friend has proof of ownership ie: vet bills/vaccination cards etc I'd encourage her to report it online to the police as stolen property. 🐾

Thank you all. I have told her to ring 101 and get the vaccination and chip paperwork together. They are moving house in a week or two so I hope she will retrieve the cat, keep it in and then not let it out until they move.

I could not believe what one friend said on the group WhatsApp about this. Another friend said to the cat owner that it was terrible that people kept cats that didn't belong to them. The friend said this.

It’s not that simple Vicki. Tommy will obviously keep running back to this lady he’s with. But the lady should let [the cat owner, her husband and the boys] see him from time to time.

IT'S NOT HER FRIGGIN' CAT!