Help! Neighbour trying to steal my cat!!

Lady_M_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

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.

My cat is a lovely, healthy family pet and loves to go outdoors.

We have 5 oak trees and a family of squirrels which give him plenty of exercise in the mornings! It is lovely to watch him chase round after them even though he stands no chance of ever catching up with them.... and in fact I think they just enoy winding him up.

So even if I did agree with the idea of keeping him indoors (which in I don't) first of all, it would be pretty unfair of me to start now after he has enjoyed the garden for the last 5 years and secondly it would be pretty impossible. We are out in the garen in summertime time with doors/windows open and how are you supposed to keep a cat from leaving when he wants in that situation? Besides, I shouldn't have to start keeping him in the whole time now just because this situation has occurred either.

It is not written anywhere in my 'contract' that he should be kept indoors either.

I am not in the wrong here, the neighbours clearly are. They shouldn't be luring my cat to their home with food and they certainly should not be allowing him to stay indoors at their house....no excuses.

patchwork_cat

LAdy M did I say you were in the wrong? The vast majority of cat breeders ask that a pedigree not be allowed out in the first place, for the reasons I have stated. Most breeders do ask for this just because of situations like yours and worse where the cat just vanishes, so therefore it is a good clause to put in the contract. A shame that your breeder didn't alert you to this risk in owning a pedigree when you purchased him as a kitten. By alerting my buyers to this fact I am not condoning this act by other people - I am making them aware that it happens and is common. It is very wrong of other people to take in someone elses cat, however your breeder was remise. I will not sell to soemone who says they will let their cat out, unless they live in the middle of nowhere and even then they are made well aware of the risks. You would not believe the amount of work and love involved in raising a litter of kittens and breeders are heartbroken every time anything happens to one.

Also why put contract in '-'. Again you should have signed a kitten agreement and the breeder has the right to take the cat back if the agreement is not adhered to.

emlou2009

what difference does it make if the cat is pedigree or not? my cat is a regular moggy i rescued from the rspca but i love her as much as any cat lover loves their furry family member, if i found someone was feeding her i'd be as angry as anyone with a pedigree!

UKTigerlily

emlou2009 wrote: »

what difference does it make if the cat is pedigree or not? my cat is a regular moggy i rescued from the rspca but i love her as much as any cat lover loves their furry family member, if i found someone was feeding her i'd be as angry as anyone with a pedigree!

I was just about to say the exact same thing, Pedigrees are no more, no less, special to their Owners than Mogs are to theirs, we ALL (I hope) love our Cats & neighbours feeding them will happen if it's a Mog or a Pedigree. I live a long way back from the road & my Mog never even goes close to it, she has a park at the back. It's totally irrelevant if the Cat is a Pedigree or not, if someone likes feeding Cats they will do, if someone wants a Cat they will try, they don't only target Pedigrees!

UKTigerlily

patchwork_cat wrote: »

LAdy M did I say you were in the wrong? The vast majority of cat breeders ask that a pedigree not be allowed out in the first place, for the reasons I have stated. Most breeders do ask for this just because of situations like yours and worse where the cat just vanishes, so therefore it is a good clause to put in the contract. A shame that your breeder didn't alert you to this risk in owning a pedigree when you purchased him as a kitten. By alerting my buyers to this fact I am not condoning this act by other people - I am making them aware that it happens and is common. It is very wrong of other people to take in someone elses cat, however your breeder was remise. I will not sell to soemone who says they will let their cat out, unless they live in the middle of nowhere and even then they are made well aware of the risks. You would not believe the amount of work and love involved in raising a litter of kittens and breeders are heartbroken every time anything happens to one.

Also why put contract in '-'. Again you should have signed a kitten agreement and the breeder has the right to take the cat back if the agreement is not adhered to.

That's fair enough but I hope you insist they have a secured garden & that the Cat is NOT to be inside non stop, it's not right to lock Cats up in homes, they should get fresh air & to smell & see the outside IMO

patchwork_cat

No it is not cruel to keep a cat completely indoors as long as that is what it has always known - that is a common misconception. I have detailed why pedigrees should be kept in more than non pedigree- if you re - read my post. I insist that my kittens are not let out at all - to have a properly cat secured garden is quite expensive. This is VERY common amongst GCCF registered cat breeders.

UKTigerlily

Hmm didn't cost my Mum much to secure her garden & if they're gonna pay that much for a kitten they can certainly afford to secure their garden, tho why home checks aren't done I don't know. A Cat has instincts to hunt & so on, keeping it indoors means it cannot display natural behaviour. Would YOU like to live inside all your life & never get any fresh air or to sit in the garden? Just because many GCCF breeders insist their kittens are inside only doesn't make it right at all, and it doesn't mean the new Owners keep to it luckily.

UKTigerlily

Also, IF I was Breeding which i'm not, i'd want the very best for the Cat, so a Vet reference & home check would be done AND they would be expected to secure their garden, the Cat then can't go awol & also gets the fresh air it needs. Tho just the fact anyone is breeding right now says alot IMO. (And yes, I do know some breeds NOT all can't be outside, but they can be in a secure garden & should be)

MrsE_2

UKTigerlily wrote: »

I was just about to say the exact same thing, Pedigrees are no more, no less, special to their Owners than Mogs are to theirs, we ALL (I hope) love our Cats & neighbours feeding them will happen if it's a Mog or a Pedigree. I live a long way back from the road & my Mog never even goes close to it, she has a park at the back. It's totally irrelevant if the Cat is a Pedigree or not, if someone likes feeding Cats they will do, if someone wants a Cat they will try, they don't only target Pedigrees!

Of course moggies & pedigrees are all the same to the owner & an irreplaceable part of the family.

BUT I think what was meant, was that pedigrees are more likely to be targets for theft, in much the same as any item with a monetary value is.

I agree all cats are at risk, but I would agree pedigree cats are more likely to be pinched.

Lady_M_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

LAdy M did I say you were in the wrong? The vast majority of cat breeders ask that a pedigree not be allowed out in the first place, for the reasons I have stated. Most breeders do ask for this just because of situations like yours and worse where the cat just vanishes, so therefore it is a good clause to put in the contract. A shame that your breeder didn't alert you to this risk in owning a pedigree when you purchased him as a kitten. By alerting my buyers to this fact I am not condoning this act by other people - I am making them aware that it happens and is common. It is very wrong of other people to take in someone elses cat, however your breeder was remise. I will not sell to soemone who says they will let their cat out, unless they live in the middle of nowhere and even then they are made well aware of the risks. You would not believe the amount of work and love involved in raising a litter of kittens and breeders are heartbroken every time anything happens to one.

Also why put contract in '-'. Again you should have signed a kitten agreement and the breeder has the right to take the cat back if the agreement is not adhered to.

I have had him 5 years and the breeder hasn't kept in contact with me since I first had him.

But anyway as I said... he is well looked after, healthy and loved, and enjoys the great outdoors and will continue to.

Also I have visited 'catman' again today and given him a print out about lactose intolerance in cats and other dietary do's and don't's, and told him he is due to be weighed on Tuesday when he goes for his annual booster and.... I've probably scared him to death now anyway! ;-)

He has taken on board what I've said today and he has promised no more milk and squirty cream, and I said I don't mind him given him chicken occasionally when he has leftovers. He is very fond of him and loves to see him so I will leave it there for now. As long as the weight problem and diarrhea resolves itself then I'm reasonably happy with the situation.

He doesn't mean any harm and actually he is a very nice old man who just loves cats!

So alls well that ends well....fingers crossed!


Thanks to you all for your thoughts and advice....and a good debate!