Neighbour adopting (stealing?) cat - do I leave alone

[MyrtlethePurpleTurtle]

First time I've posted on this board as I don't have a cat - but here goes.

So there's a cute young cat in our area - without a collar but seemingly healthy and well cared for and friendly (shiny coat, unafraid, rubbing against your legs and curiously sauntering in and out of people's homes).

Young cat seems particularly attracted to one of my neighbours - who I've found out is buying cat food & treats & toys for the cat (she told me) which sort of explains why. I've said to her she shouldn't be doing this as this may stop cat returning to owner.

The cat doesn't have a collar and as neighbour is disabled, I offered a) to put up posters locally with cat's picture on, b) put a paper collar on with a note to contact her, c) wangle into a cat carrier and take to vet for chipping check
d) (an not on social media but suggested local Facebook).

Anyhow, she's now saying the cat is a stray or feral and was starving and so she's taking him in. Because what else was she supposed to do?

Do I just leave well alone now as I've given some advice and suggestions? The cat will be well looked after but I just feel sorry for the real owners of this delightful cat.

Honestly, anyone that doesn’t neuter their male cats doesn’t deserve to have a cat anyway. The rescues are rife with unwanted kittens at the moment, it’s an absolute travesty.

we used to have a little, perfectly healthy, ginge, who was constantly ‘rescued’ on account of his size. 5 times we had to go and pick him up from different vets that some Good Samaritan had taken him to 😂 it was irritating, but I’d rather that than nobody cared.

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle put a request out on a local cat group, someone will have a scanner and can come scan the cat. It’s definitely not fair for your neighbour to trap this cat.

Whenever I see a cat, I stop and say hello
Oh, I'm so glad it's not just me!

Paper collar!

You may not need to go to the hassle of getting a chip scanner.

paper collars are downloadable via the PDSA - print and attach with a message on - and the cat will hopefully head home and the owner see the collar and contact you.

if that fails then scanning can be the next step.

Like this…

I do agree that male cats should be neutered but equally if the females were neutered it wouldn’t be an issue.

Thank you for all the feedback - I'll mull over

I think cats choose where they live. 7 dinner Sid springs to mind....

This sort of may be what it comes down to - ie whether I prioritise my friendship and good relationship with the neighbour or prioritise the welfare of the cat and its owners

We’ve got a diva cat. She’s beautiful. And a complete flirt and tries to get everyone in the neighbourhood to adopt her/let her in their home etc.

one neighbour did then start letting her in their home regularly and we even saw her sitting in their window. In the end my DC put up posters around the estate asking people not to feed her she’s a well fed fraud and on a special diet.

ours is very clearly not a stray, she’s clean sleek and well looked after. Doubt the neighbours would have stolen her had she looked like a flea bitten bedraggled stray. She doesn’t wear a collar either. But she is chipped.

catch her and take her to the vets they’ll scan her and check to see if she is chipped.

OP point out to your neighbour, kindly, that idea she is going to take this “stray” on, she will also be taking responsibility for its well being, ie flea and worm treatment, vets bills etc. If the cat already has a home who are dealing with flea treatments then it would be unwise to double these up, however, if it is not treated she will soon be over run with them, so either way it would be a good idea to do the scan to see if there is an owner. And to check that the cat is neutered, more responsibility.

What will your neighbour do if the cat gets into a fight and ends up with an abscess or other injury? Mine came home limping the other week, a bite on the top of his leg, started on pain killers ( he was in agony) and antibiotics asap ( £112) but still had to go back a few days later as it swelled up enormously and had to be drained (£34). So ten days of medication morning and night, plus the bills, plus an outdoors is my happy place cat confined to the house.

She can’t take on the affection without also taking on the responsibility.

I always speak to them very politely, and tell them what a pretty or handsome cat they are. Very often they answer me. There's a Maine Coon up our road - he's magnificent, and I am especially careful to be polite to him.

OK - I've spoken again with the neighbour. Actually we sat outside on her doorstep stroking the cat.

I said it was a lovely cat - well fed, glossy and healthy - and clearly not feral. And that I could quite see how she was taken with the cat.

She said the cat was lost and therefore she had to feed her otherwise what would happen to the cat. I said it would probably just go home! And that if she was so worried it was lost, I'd help her with posters, chip check etc. Essentially a re-run of the conversation in my first post. But this time I also mentioned how the owners might feel, including children if a family pet. And. I mentioned a few things on this thread, including 'six dinners Sid' - which made her laugh.

Anyhow, the upshot of this is that she said she'll stop feeding the cat.

Well done OP, maybe point her in the direction of a rehoming charity, sounds as though there might be a cat in need with her name on it !

I once took a ‘destitute’ cat hanging around my front porch to the vets, only to be told it was my next door neighbour’s cat.

🤭