Help! Neighbour trying to steal my cat!!

ceebeeby

Imagine in a tiny community, effectively pinching someones cat. Perhaps she was misguidedly being kind, but since it's now been pointed out to her, that in fact it's causing you upset (the cat won't care), and you want her to stop - and she hasn't - I find quite bizarre.

What's worrying me though, is that her husband is in on this too. If it was just her then I'd definitely say loopy, but that he's involved, seems strange, why would they deliberately take someone elses' cat.

Good luck with getting it resolved x

Frugalista

lowis, my boys look just like the two in the first picture! It is the Chocolate Point boy that the neighbour is after.

I must just point out, when I say it is a small, rural community, it is actually a small number of houses spread over a large area. We have been here 20 years and don't know most of our "neighbours" names or faces. We can go for days (if not weeks) and not actually see anyone except for the odd tractor in the fields.

suki1964

Frugalista wrote: »

lowis, my boys look just like the two in the first picture! It is the Chocolate Point boy that the neighbour is after.

I must just point out, when I say it is a small, rural community, it is actually a small number of houses spread over a large area. We have been here 20 years and don't know most of our "neighbours" names or faces. We can go for days (if not weeks) and not actually see anyone except for the odd tractor in the fields.

So you accept that you perhaps dont know all your neighbours yet you think this couple should know you and know you have cats?

Maybe perhaps she didnt know. And maybe like you shes livng miles from the next neighbour and has just taken to the idea that a cat came calling and maybe she did make it welcome. Maybe perhaps she really didnt mean any harm and certainly had no intention to STEAL your cat.

Even when you called round she made no pretence of not having the cat, indeed she welcomed you in and went of to get the cat. And from the way you discribe how she bought the cat in the room sounded to me like she was so caught up in "babying" it that she just perhaps forgot to hand it straight back?


Personally I would call around when you are more calm about the situation and explain how much the cat means to you and that you would perfer her not to feed it or to keep it in the house and certainly not to medicate it.I think many of us have had cats come calling and making themselves at home, some of us dont mind and let them stay put, other like me will feed, play and then send them on their way and no one is any the wiser and no one is hurt. Perhaps a gentle reminder to this couple that the cat indeed has a loving home which he will find his way back too if not shut in will surfice?

Would be nice to sort it all out with good nature then getting embroiled in legal letters and bitterness

viktory

Just had a look on that siamese rescue website and am staggered at the number of people that owned expensive, pedigree cats and yet failed to have them chipped. A collar's no good - it can easily be removed. I have a cheap as chips moggy and she is chipped.

Incidentally, re the OP - I would be livid with the neighbour and would be sending a very strong letter.

Paparika

Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay for a cat, and how much love care and attention you give it, he will go where he pleases.

My partner has a cat, the cat chose him, just walked into the house one day and decided to stay, but OH knows that one day he may decide to leave and move on.

End of the day he likes your neighbours place more than yours atm, i think this is where you are struggling to accept, get him checked at the vets to make sure she hasn't had him micro chipped too, then you can go for her stealing your moggy.

But yes you have proof of ownership should you wish to take this further, but you can't stop the cat going over there, he likes it, and perhaps she doesn't like to shoo cats away..

Alias_Omega

If the cat lives outside, then the cat will choose where to live.

Yes you can keep it in, feed it etc, but once its out again it will choose where to go. We have a cat which does the same, well did have a cat. We see it every couple of weeks, and when we look out the window upstairs, we see a neighbour behind us feeding her meat outside.

We of course could keep the cat inside the house, but for an animal that is use to being in & out all day long, i dont think its very fair to do so.

If she wants to move home, then so be it, but she will always have a bowl of food outside the door incase she ever comes back.

Frugalista

suki1964 wrote: »

So you accept that you perhaps dont know all your neighbours yet you think this couple should know you and know you have cats?

Maybe perhaps she didnt know. And maybe like you shes livng miles from the next neighbour and has just taken to the idea that a cat came calling and maybe she did make it welcome. Maybe perhaps she really didnt mean any harm and certainly had no intention to STEAL your cat.

Perhaps a gentle reminder to this couple that the cat indeed has a loving home which he will find his way back too if not shut in will surfice?

I think you misunderstood. This has now been going on for a couple of months. I have spoken to her on approx 8 occasions by telephone, each time telling her how worried we are about him and asking her not to feed him or let him in her house - she takes absolutely no notice. I have been polite and restrained every time. This time was just the last straw - I feel she is taking the p**s. In my OP I explained that I didn't want to take the legal route in the first instance, but simply write a friendly but firm letter. I was just hoping for some pointers to help me get through to her.

Charis

Hi Frugalista.

I live in the same county as you, but in a market town. Usually even though the inhabitants are scattered about there is a Parish Council that sorts out any niggles the locals have. Could you approach one of the councillors and ask him or her to have a word with the woman? They are usually keen to help, most have ambitions to go on to greater things, (like town councils).

People on the whole are very protective of their animals around here. Try taking a sheep home and arguing the odds, even if you do let it sleep on your bed. That would be theft, pure and simple. Just because you like the look of something, you can't help yourself to it and that woman knows that. She could have phoned the vet to find the owner.

Even though your cat is not 'livestock' it has value, both fiscal and sentimental. If someone tried to 'adopt' my friend's terrier there would be another earthquake on her hill because she would be so outraged.

An intermediary might be able to persuade the woman that what she is doing is wrong and they would not have any personal feelings on the matter to get in the way of a discussion. One thing you have no control over is what they are feeding your cat. If she makes it ill, is she prepared to foot the bill?

lowis

Just had a look on that siamese rescue website and am staggered at the number of people that owned expensive, pedigree cats and yet failed to have them chipped. A collar's no good - it can easily be removed. I have a cheap as chips moggy and she is chipped.

sadly a lot of the Meezers that end up in Siamese Rescue are ones that have been used to breed from by 'backstreet breeders', people out to make a quick buck, who after two or three litters realise that in fact there ain't that much money to be made from breeding so they dump the cats.

if you look on freeads, gumtree and those adverts sites, do a search on 'siamese' and you will see hundreds of adverts for kittens. some are from proper breeders, a lot aren't. the ones with the stupidly high prices or the ridiculously low are the suspect ones. the type of people that buy from backstreet breeders are also the type that will dump a pet at the first sign of trouble.

OP - i met the choc boy and his stripey-faced companion when i collected my adopted cat, they are such beautiful cats, the pic doesn't do them justice! very affectionate and attentitive. they are very close to each other too. and i think your neighbour is wrong - she should do as requested and stop encouraging your cat - if your cat knows there is food to be had of course he will head over to her. good luck. keep us posted!

Frugalista

Alias_Omega wrote: »

If the cat lives outside, then the cat will choose where to live.

The cats don't live outside. When I said they were outdoor cats I meant that because we are surrounded by fields and safe from traffic, they are allowed outside to hunt, play, climb trees, etc. They come in to be fed and sleep inside at night. I keep them in at night because of foxes, badgers, owls, etc.

I am astonished at the amount of posters who think I should just give my pet up with a shrug of my shoulders. If I had posted that I couldn't be bothered to feed him, take him to the vets, or generally neglect and abandon him you would all be down on me like a ton of bricks!