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

Original poster

They are stealing our cat!

58 replies

72hoursinaande · 28/12/2024 19:42

Has anyone experience of this. I have had cats all my life. We currently have two beautiful boys we rescued about three years ago. Over the last couple of months one of our boys had been disappearing for days on end. Everytime we have been worried sick.
He had an apple air tag on his collar but we swapped it for a GPS and basically discovered he had been spending all his time at a house approx 0.5 miles away. We went over and it turns out an older couple (70’s ish) have been letting him in and feeding him. We have politely asked them to stop but weeks have passed and they continue. We have spoken to them a number of times and they just don’t seem to get the message - we are at a total loss what to do.
incidentally our lovely boy is gaining weight at a rapid rate as being fed in two houses! We have explained this isn’t good for his health.
Help!

OP posts:
Circumferences · 28/12/2024 19:48

Cat thieves!
Oh no, nothing worse. They'll have an open fire and real salmon for the cat but don't need to pay vets bills or worry about going on holiday...

You'll just have to keep telling them to stop. You could report them to RSPCA? I'm sure there's something you can do.

Original poster
72hoursinaande · 28/12/2024 19:52

Argh exactly £100 per month in flea/worm/insurance and they live near a busy road - we don’t and they are encouraging him.
they have never had a cat themselves ‘they would be too worried about it’ apparently but they are happy stealing ours!

OP posts:
VegTrug · 28/12/2024 20:06

@Circumferences The RSPCA are not the animal equivalent of the police! They will only intervene when there's an animal with no shelter and no food. That's the benchmark. This is the exact opposite!

OP, when your cat comes back you need to keep him in as an indoor cat. Or get a Catio. If you insist on letting him out then this will continue 🤷🏼‍♀️ No laws are being broken, nobody can intervene

Startingagainandagain · 28/12/2024 20:06

Not that simple though.

My neighbour's cat decided that my house would be his second home as soon as I moved in.

I have my own cat so don't need to steal anyone's but this cat visits everyday, spend half of his time in my garden and take advantage of any open window or door to get into my house and eat any food my cat might have left in her bowl.

Cats have a mind of their own and often just decide that they will make themselves comfortable in other people's home, so it might not be purely this couple's fault...

Original poster
72hoursinaande · 28/12/2024 20:11

Startingagainandagain · 28/12/2024 20:06

Not that simple though.

My neighbour's cat decided that my house would be his second home as soon as I moved in.

I have my own cat so don't need to steal anyone's but this cat visits everyday, spend half of his time in my garden and take advantage of any open window or door to get into my house and eat any food my cat might have left in her bowl.

Cats have a mind of their own and often just decide that they will make themselves comfortable in other people's home, so it might not be purely this couple's fault...

nope they are clear they are letting him in, letting him sleep on their bed overnight and feeding him so it’s no accident which they have been open about

OP posts:
fivebyfivebuffy · 28/12/2024 21:26

I would go over and say he's now on a special diet and you'll be expecting them to pick up his vet bills plus flea and worm treatment
Make up that it's a huge amount of money and any small change to his diet will make him really unwell and they will be paying for it

biscuitsandbooks · 28/12/2024 23:36

Unfortunately this is one of the risks of letting your cats out to roam - no judgement as mine all go out and I know one goes to the neighbours!

The only way to prevent it is to keep him on your property.

DuckDuckG00se · 28/12/2024 23:45

Assuming you're in the UK, they could be breaking the law now. A new law was introduced not that long ago making it illegal to steal another's cat. So...you could have a solicitor write a cease & desist letter. If you attach a camera to his collar too you'd know if they continue to feed him.

Icanflyhigh · 28/12/2024 23:55

VegTrug · 28/12/2024 20:06

@Circumferences The RSPCA are not the animal equivalent of the police! They will only intervene when there's an animal with no shelter and no food. That's the benchmark. This is the exact opposite!

OP, when your cat comes back you need to keep him in as an indoor cat. Or get a Catio. If you insist on letting him out then this will continue 🤷🏼‍♀️ No laws are being broken, nobody can intervene

This.

House cat, catio, or accept that your car will continue to be a Seven belly Sid....

SeriouslyWhataMess · 29/12/2024 00:25

We had a similar situation, but with a neighbour on our own road. Our cat has allergies and they were also making him ill, which they've been told multiple times. We broke it by keeping him in for an entire winter. The neighbour actually came to talk to me and told me they missed him. I told them that I wouldn't have to keep him in if they stopped feeding him and encouraging him into their house! We let him back out in the spring, but every so often they start feeding him again, so we keep him in for a few weeks, until they ask about him and I repeat the message. We seem to have to treat them like toddlers! Drives me up the wall.

VegTrug · 29/12/2024 03:05

DuckDuckG00se · 28/12/2024 23:45

Assuming you're in the UK, they could be breaking the law now. A new law was introduced not that long ago making it illegal to steal another's cat. So...you could have a solicitor write a cease & desist letter. If you attach a camera to his collar too you'd know if they continue to feed him.

This is absolute nonsense! There is no ‘cat stealing law’ ffs 🤦🏼‍♀️ 🤣

Monty27 · 29/12/2024 03:21

Cats are their own bosses. I asked a neighbour to please stop feeding our cat. I even gave her tea and biscuits. She said she would. Her garden backed onto ours and I could see our cat happily lying on an upstairs window sill looking down and I gave up as the woman was a bit fragile mentally, obviously. I'd hide from her when I was out gardening.
I heard 3rd party many years later the cat died. Just a couple of days the bugger caught me unawares in the garden to tell me the cat had died and thanked me for allowing 14 years of my cat!!
Madness.
I know she gave the cat a great life.

Wbeezer · 29/12/2024 03:50

VegTrug · 29/12/2024 03:05

This is absolute nonsense! There is no ‘cat stealing law’ ffs 🤦🏼‍♀️ 🤣

Show quote history

There is now, as of this year, the pet abduction act 2024. It's an offence to steal a cat or dog in England, Wales and NI.

EmpressaurusKitty · 29/12/2024 06:28

SeriouslyWhataMess · 29/12/2024 00:25

We had a similar situation, but with a neighbour on our own road. Our cat has allergies and they were also making him ill, which they've been told multiple times. We broke it by keeping him in for an entire winter. The neighbour actually came to talk to me and told me they missed him. I told them that I wouldn't have to keep him in if they stopped feeding him and encouraging him into their house! We let him back out in the spring, but every so often they start feeding him again, so we keep him in for a few weeks, until they ask about him and I repeat the message. We seem to have to treat them like toddlers! Drives me up the wall.

What if you sent a solicitors letter, saying that if they carried on making him ill you’d take them to small claims court for the vet bills?

nomoresnacks · 29/12/2024 06:50

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/16/section/2

nomoresnacks · 29/12/2024 06:50

I can't see the police round our way trying to enforce that !

CatOnAHotRadiator · 29/12/2024 06:53

Wbeezer · 29/12/2024 03:50

There is now, as of this year, the pet abduction act 2024. It's an offence to steal a cat or dog in England, Wales and NI.

Show quote history

I had missed this news! Who knew it covered cats too. Potential sentence of up to 5 years in prison (though more likely a fine I would guess). I wonder if anyone has been convicted yet.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/16/section/2

OP this happened with a cat we adopted. He loved a neighbour down the street. We ended up speaking to them and they took on responsibility for vet and I transferred the microchip etc in the end. But the relationship there was good and our cat clearly loved being there as he spent more time there than with us. Sounds like unless you’re willing to share he needs to be an indoor cat for a bit.

wastingtimeonhere · 29/12/2024 07:37

Mine disappeared a year ago. He was a bit of a six dinner sid, but one day, he just didn't return.
One of the neighbours has form for taking cats and 'rehoming' them! I can't prove it, though.
He is chipped, was insured, and vet registered.

derbiee · 29/12/2024 07:41

Circumferences · 28/12/2024 19:48

Cat thieves!
Oh no, nothing worse. They'll have an open fire and real salmon for the cat but don't need to pay vets bills or worry about going on holiday...

You'll just have to keep telling them to stop. You could report them to RSPCA? I'm sure there's something you can do.

No the rspca is not there for that, keep them in and they can't disappear

biscuitsandbooks · 29/12/2024 08:23

DuckDuckG00se · 28/12/2024 23:45

Assuming you're in the UK, they could be breaking the law now. A new law was introduced not that long ago making it illegal to steal another's cat. So...you could have a solicitor write a cease & desist letter. If you attach a camera to his collar too you'd know if they continue to feed him.

It's been illegal for a long time now (under the Theft Act 1968) - it's just now covered by a new act which gives the police more power to investigate and act, with stricter fines in place for those who are caught.

However it's still not illegal to allow someone's cat into your home or to feed them, or let them kip by your fire or on your sofa.

Ultimately if you let your cat out to roam without supervision then you can't control what they do or where they go. I know full well one of mine goes elsewhere as he comes home smelling of perfume looking rather smug occasionally 😂

DuckDuckG00se · 29/12/2024 15:41

However it's still not illegal to allow someone's cat into your home or to feed them, or let them kip by your fire or on your sofa

True, but it's a usual way to go about stealing someone else's pet cat.

Original poster
72hoursinaande · 29/12/2024 16:09

we printed out RSPCA advice around not feeding someone else’s cat I think we may have finally convinced them that they aren’t actually being ‘kind’. Dcat has now wobbled in and gone to sleep on the bed for the first time in weeks - hopefully it has not stopped and we can get him back to eating what he should be!

OP posts:
Original poster
72hoursinaande · 29/12/2024 16:10

They do clearly need a cat though - I wish they would adopt one of the many who needs a home!

OP posts:
Globules · 29/12/2024 16:16

I had this last year with an elderly neighbour about 500m away. She insisted my boy was a girl and even put a pink collar on him! She didn't have a cat flap, and was actively calling him into her house.

I confronted her when I saw him trying to get out of her porch door and told her to expect a civil complaint from my solicitor and I'd see her in court.

I was speaking out of my backside, but it did the trick!

biscuitsandbooks · 29/12/2024 16:18

DuckDuckG00se · 29/12/2024 15:41

However it's still not illegal to allow someone's cat into your home or to feed them, or let them kip by your fire or on your sofa

True, but it's a usual way to go about stealing someone else's pet cat.

Yep, I don't disagree - I just think the law isn't going to do what people hope it will. After all, if a cat is out roaming, they can essentially do as they please.