The other, I also lost a while back. Today I get a phonecall. The people that have been feeding him have taken him to my vet, who has scanned him, found my chip and rung me.
What do I do now? I thought he was dead. Apparently they want to keep him. The vetinary nurse asked if I wanted the number of the people that have him. I said I’d think about it because I think, right now, I’d probably kill them :crying:
If they have taken the cat to the vets and have created a outstanding sum of money with the vet then as they are assumed to be caring for the cat at the time, then they are liable for the bill as it will be in their name not the cat. Also if you want the cat back then you are entitled to it, as after all tis your cat! Should the people refuse to give you the cat back then your course of action would be to inform the police that you have reasonable ground to suspect that they have your cat (Evidence is the vet calling you and telling you the chip number) and you would like it back - assuming you do.
I dont know if I want him back, now. The less I have, the less I have to lose. He is obviously happy where he is, or he’d have come back more often before now of his own accord. Mark said he had seen him one morning because he had broken our catflap at 4am one morning trying to get in. But that is the only time in about a year that he has done it. He couldnt get in because he no longer had his collar on (the collar has an infra red key that activates the flap). He had clearly remembered the house. The whole thing really shook my other cat up because she is no longer used to him and he can seem quite intimidating (bit of a dopey loaf - bull in a china shop type!).
Take him back and give them a mouthful about why they started feeding him etc and get them to pay the bill - I would kill anyone who would try and take my little Asbo away
Hmm, thing is - what’s best for the cat? You give the impression that you’d rather not have him back as it upsets t’other mog, and, if he doesn’t want to be your cat any more then he’s always going to be disappearing back to the neighbours.
I get all the theft stuff and the don’t feed other cat’s stuff too, I have a cat that I really like and I’d be well pssd if I thought he’d been stolen, by whatever means.
I’d suggest talking to the neighbour, they might not be as ‘guilty’ as you imagine, and if the cat’s happier with them are you going to increase yours (and his? ) stress by taking him back?
Cats do tend to go where they want, a neighbour fed a cat as he was hanging around a lot, the owners were non too happy and locked him in anyway after a couple of months he has re-appeared and the owners have said she can have him as he obviously likes it there a lot more than his home !
Yes I’m angry, but they should have checked it all out at the start. Ive been through all the emotions of losing him and thinking he is dead already. I think theyre irresponsible and I would like to see them punished. But I am not going to use the cats to do that. I just want them both to be happy. But I also dont want to send them the message that feeding other peoples’ cats is ok.
I think I might start a leaflet campaign in the area making people aware that if they start feeding animals, they will return to the feeder and not the owner. It probably sounds really stupid but I feel really strongly about it. Sounds all a bit fluffy, I know, but I also know that if I am given their telephone number or address, I am not sure how I would treat them.
I would get the cat back, how dare they!! They wouldnt like to lose a pet, if they found him they should have got him scanned to try and trace the owner in the first place, get them to pay the vet bill if you can but get the cat back.
get him back, even if you rehome him. Its principle, or they are getting away with it. I had a neighbour who did this to me once, you can tell i’m still a wee bit bit bitter!! lol
Blimey, this is turning into a real dilemma. Problem is, if you have him back you know he’s gonna go where he’s been fed lately.
However. cats do live for the moment, they haven’t the greatest memories ( well mine doesn’t ).
If you take him back you’re going to have to keep him indoors quite a while to get him used to being at yours and fed by you, it’ll take a little time but you can ‘naturalise’ him this way, same sort of thing you’d do if you moved house.
There’s always the chance he’ll do the Frank Bough though, as we don’t choose cats, they choose us! Thing is he is yours so you might as well give it a try providing it doesn’t stress you, t’other mog or him?
Take him back and turn him into an indoor cat - mine is an indoor cat and she is really happy about it, I put her outside when its nice but she gets worried when I am not there and wants to come in.
