People are too accepting of cat theft

[PuttingOnTheKitsch]

This was inspired by a social media post in which someone noticed their cat living in a neighbour's house, and loads of comments agreed that it had happened to them too.

A cat doesn't move into a house unless it is being fed. If you started feeding and keeping a neighbour's dog, people wouldn't be making cheesy comments about the Dog Distribution Service; they would call you a thief, and rightly so.

So why is it ok to do this to a cat, especially when you know it has an owner and you know that it is well-looked after?

We acquired a cat ten years ago. She came to our garden every day, we didn’t feed her at first as she looked absolutely fine, and then she just stopped leaving the garden so we knew she wasn’t going home (wherever that was!)

We gave her something to eat and took her to the vet for a chip check, she wasn’t chipped and turned out to be quite matted so we got that sorted. Put posters up, asked neighbours, posted on Facebook and nobody claimed her. We agreed to take care of her until someone came forward as we didn’t want to take her to a shelter. Anyway, she’s asleep on my lap right now (and chipped in my name) because she was never claimed! Always had outdoor access so could have gone ‘home’ any time she chose to, but our best guess is that she’d got into a delivery van at some point.

If people won’t chip their cats, how do they expect to get them back when they go missing?! And what was the alternative for my girl if we didn’t ‘steal’ her? Put her in a shelter?!

Some people are being obtuse.

If a cat is suffering and their owner cannot be traced then clearly someone else needs to step I to look after them.

There is a clear difference between strays with no chip and a neighbour's clearly well-looked after cat.

My OP is about the latter not the former.

Secondly, I posted in The Litter Tray to avoid tedious cat-haters complaining about cats being let outside.

It always goes the same way @PuttingOnTheKitsch - for a forum of cat lovers, posters on here can be very odd about them expressing normal cat behaviours, lol.

Agree, my boy disappeared in January. He was a bit of a philanderer, liked old ladies lol. He was chipped, insured. I believe he's been 'adopted', it will be when he needs vets treatment, whoever has him, will get in touch!

My mother just didn't want to pay (or have somebody from a rescue see the absolute state the house was in). And she liked ginger cats.

So she encouraged them into the house with treats, prawns, fresh mince and the like - and then wouldn't let them go again, claiming 'oh, he didn't like their dog that they got/the children were too much for him/he likes me better/they were killing him by putting a collar on him she took them off so she could then say it was a stray /they weren't feeding him properly' (pan out to an absolute behemoth of a ginge)

Bloody hoarder in multiple ways, one of which was in nicking other people's pets.

Secondly, I posted in The Litter Tray to avoid tedious cat-haters complaining about cats being let outside

I don't hate cats, I hate the hypocrisy of cat owners who want it both ways.

my childhood cat kept going to a neighbour’s house because they fed him roast chicken. We wondered why he was gaining so much weight.

If you’re worried about a cat put a paper collar on it or take it to the vet for a scan. Don’t feed someone else’s cat, for all you know it may have an allergy.

@PuttingOnTheKitsch I completely agree with you. If anyone tried to steal my cat they’d know about it!

I get what people are saying about you having no control over what your cat does when they roam - and I agree - other people feeding them is a risk you take.

But that doesn't mean you have to agree with it. Whether other people like it or not, roaming cats do have owners and you shouldn't actively go out of your way to feed them and encourage them into your house.

There's a difference (imo anyway) between a cat chancing their luck and eating your cat's food, and a cat who is actively being tempted into someone's house by a person who is choosing to give them tuna or whatever.

I've given up, in the battle of wills between me and this cat, cat won.
His owners know were he is, I've spoken to them about him. They don't want to keep him shut in because they say it's cruel, I agree, he wouldn't be happy locked in. There are no concerns about his welfare, he's well looked after in his real home and I wish he'd just go back there.

New law today about the theft of cats and dogs. I wonder how the law would deal with this sort of cat 'theft'? You have a cat, he just prefers the house down the road.

I have a neighbours cat visit regularly. They have 6 cats, this one is the okest (very old) and can no longer get in and out through their window so is left out a lot if tge time. They have several unnuetered males. I think he comes here for peace.

He left a large wet patch of worms behind once. He's nit being looked after, and he comes in via my catflap. I don't dissuade him tbf.

If cats are kept in they can't be stolen, can't kill birds or other wildlife and can't get run over or go into properties where they are not wanted

I thought the Cat Distribution System was about strays. All those Instagram etc reels include people picking up cats they come across in the street not regularly feeding them at home.

People shouldn't be feeding other people's pets but at the same time I've also seen cats going into other houses and nicking their food.

That's why I keep mine indoors, with a cat proofed garden. No roaming, no problems.

I'm sure many people disagree partly because they have cats in small houses with no garden and so 'need' to let them roam, but these are the risks they take.

It's infuriating.
Person stealing cats just act dumb.

A post on Olton residents Facebook posted 'his cat' lost

Previously, The cat would turn up to his house and eat his cats food.
He found the owner.
This random man told the original owner the cat was happier at his and talked the owner into signing over the cat to him!

Bold as brass making this announcement.

Fast forward, Anyway 'missing' cat has come home smelling of perfume and with lip stick on and he tells people the cat already has a loving home it's not a stray

Honestly the cheek infuriated me.
😲😲

So moral of the story.. if your cat goes missing it's more than likely it's been feed elsewhere and held hostage by a nutcase

Mine too he always acts like he hasn't been fed for days , sure he forgets he's just eaten.

These people are the reason my cat is a indoor cat.

Well you say that yet many cats are constantly not home, constantly at other neighbours doors and not leaving despite rain etc.

Dont let your cat roam. Problem solved.

As we are often told, cats are wild animals and are allowed to roam. The legal basis of dog ownership is entirely different. If you want the same protection for cats you need to campaign for it and get cat owners to take responsibility.