Help! Neighbour trying to steal my cat!!

tankgirl1

hm71 wrote: »

I have an elderly neighbour who was telling me what a beautiful cat I had etc... well I was getting worried about my baby as she wasn't eating at home, fussy little minx at the best of times but she would not eat- well saw elderly neighbour again who said " your cat eats well she loves salmon & steak" I was a little perturbed as I of course was concerned that she wasn't eating but who would when you have steak & salmon on the menu...I asked her very nicely not to continue or could hubby & I sit on the doorstep with our knife & fork & get steak & salmon as I had made an appointment at the vets as I was concerned about her not eating. The old dear hasn't fed her since but I easily could have lost my little one there. Hell I wanted to move in there if they eat that well!!!!

lol! :rotfl::T

Lady_M_2

I am so glad you wrote this post because I have just found out where my British Short Hair has been disappearing too also...at a neighbours house who has been feeding it and letting it stay in the house and I am infuriated too!

Thinking of going over there to ask for half the money I paid for him, half the vet bills for his annual vaccinations, and half toward the monthly insurance premiums!

People are so bloody rude!

Going to calm down though first before I approach them....breathe breathe count to 10 and breathe!

One day I had an appointment at the vets for his booster but he was nowhere to be seen and I had to cancel the appointment. When I eventually did get here they told me he was overweight...I wondered why? How? Now I know!!

Anyway, I'll let you know how I get on.

Good luck with your naughty kitty ;-)

suekjw

My pedigree cat got nabbed by a neighbour too! They reckoned they weren't feeding her (yeah right). In the end I said they should have her but they have all the bills too. I couldn't cope with the stress of her keep going missing and not knowing where she was (well, knowing but not for sure!). We had her for 10 years but the two-faced madam dropped us for the first person to offer better food. It's true, you don't own a cat, they own you!

mumhug

I think its awful my cats are part of my family and i wouldnt expect someone to take my children into their house and feed them. If a cat wants to live elsewhere then it will wander of but if it doesnt get fed it wont bother going there for long!!!!!!!!! These cat nabbing people are theives end of story.
Must of been a very hard decision for you suekjw.

hm71_2

My cat has not been well lately- old dear asked if she was ok as she hadn't seen her... I took the opportunity to big it up a bit & said how the vet had put her on an incrdible strict diet due to medication and that I hoped no-one else would feel the need to feed her as it could have terrible effects needless to say my baby has been staying firmly at home.

Lady_M_2

Ok so off I stormed to confront the neighbour who has been feeding my cat.....


I was greeted by an elderly man and his co-habiting elderly sister (?) who were harmless enough (oh this is going to be harder than I thought now) and very fond of my cat!

I remain calm and start explaining that the cat belongs to me... and it's very nice of them to care for him... but honestly he really doesn't need any more food than what he's already getting... and the vet has warned me about his weight... and therefore they must stop feeding him!

Well so it turns out....

He actually has 3 of the neighbours cats on the go at the moment (although it was 5 at one point...'strays' he calls them!) and he thought my cat looked a bit 'too good' to be a stray (only a prize winning 'best of breed' BSH in his younger days) and he has been feeding the little blighters 3 times a day!!!!

He did said that he'd noticed that my cat was getting very big and.... (wait for it)....he will have to 'stop giving him the cream!'

(Aargh!!!... CREAM!!!! SQUIRTY canned cream to be exact!)

'that's probably why he's getting fat' he said! 'he loves his cream...and milk'

Ok so now I have to explain that cats don't tolerate lactose very well, and that probably also explains why lately he hasn't been managing to last the night without having to poop in the utility room (the nice runny kind!)

Anyway trying to get him to stop was getting me nowhere because he said that my cat wouldn't like that very much.... and then may not be as friendly toward him.... uh yeah? that's the point? duh!

I said that I could see he was very fond of him and that if I ever go away and need someone to look after him I know where to go now! Also I suggested he pay half of the monthly insurance premiums etc....to which he nervously laughed but failed to write me a cheque!

Now I do not agree with all the posts on here that say you don't 'own an animal' it's not an 'object' etc etc...because quite frankly I do! And I have the bloody bills to prove it!

This catman (an apparent cat lover) has no cat of his own nor any intention of getting one, yet by feeding other people's cats with scraps of left over chicken and ham (yes... the packet ham I think) and squirty cream, he has lured them all in and yet has none of the responsibilty... vet bills....insurance premiums, worming, fleeing etc... but as soon as something goes wrong with him (which is more and more likely when you consider his diet and weight problem lately) I'm the one left to sort it out!!

Anyway I left his house feeling more frustrated than when I went there and a bit annoyed with myself really.... for being a big wuss when confronted with an elderly man who was very nice...this doesn't excuse him does it?

So basically I don't really know what to do next?

He has promised not to give him anymore cream and I accept that he's fond of him and likes his company occasionally... and I suppose that's fine with me if my cat makes an old man happy....I can't keep my cat in the house 24/7 that's just cruel.

But what he should have been telling me was that he hadn't realised... and thought he was a stray... but now he knows he'll stop immediately... very sorry blah blah!

Maybe it's time to get a dog?

;-)

Dizzyduck

Oh makes me mad the number of non-cat people saying "cats chose!"
This couple made an obvious attempt to steal a cat and any "cat person" will know that cats are greedy and self obsessed therefore any attention will be gratefully received.
My cat (a moggy) was so cute and friendly had so many neighbourghs feeding him it was unreal! Fortunately he always came home. My new neighbours have 2 cats they keep in the garage. They're lovely, friendly cats and I think it is cruel but I would never think to steal them as they are fed! and it would be so easy as I pet them and they beg to come in the house.
Give this woman short shrift and use all available means to get your cat back.
She is a thief whether your cat shows a preference or not!

patchwork_cat

I am sure I will get the 'that is cruel answers', but I would like to bet that the breeders of your pedigree cats asked you not to let them out. You may find that it is actually written in your kitten contract. Pedigrees are very vulnerable to 'catnapping' that including 'the survival of the canniest' aspect that does not apply to pedigrees are the main reasons breeders ask you to keep your pedigree inside. Catnapping and lack of street smarts are the reasons I strongly ask that people do not let my pedigree kittens out. Also get your cat microchipped.

Sirbendy

we had one at the last place..poor skinny, dirty little thing it was. Lovely temperament, but if it was owned the owner should have been shot. Long nails, oily/matted/messy fur, out in all weathers.

We fed it, and so did next door...they still are thank god. I tried to get RSPCA involved, and the vet to see if we could get her checked and rehomed..no such luck.

patchwork_cat

Why wouldn't the vet or RSPCA get involved if it was a stray? If you contact Cat's Protection they will give you a paper collar. You put that on the cat and say if you own this cat please let me know. The cat's Protection league will let you know what to do if no one contacts you. http://www.cats.org.uk/, please contact them.