Real-life MMD: Should we pay vet's bill for the cat our neighbour stole from us?

aileth

Talk about having your cake and eating it, having a cat but not being liable for vets bills. I would say after such a long period of time, the cat has adopted her as the new owner and you have no more responsibility for it.

Edit: I also think it's rather dodgy how this woman is only now interested in the cat's actual owner, but has quite happily fed/taken care of cat up until now. Does she think you are loaning the cat to her? That's what it sounds like!

happy2B

I think you have to decide what your priorities are - welfare of the cat, ownership or expenditure ?

The priority SHOULD be that the animal does not unduly suffer. Personally, as you are clearly fond of cats and arguably MAY have a responsibility, then providing you have the means, I would agree to foot THIS bill "without prejudice", and deal with the wider issues afterwards.

Whatever the actual legal status, getting lawyers involved would not be to anyone's benefit, either the cost or the animosity. I think legally you probably still have a claim to ownership - though you do not seem bothered about this - and with this go rights AND responsibilities. Though in practise the old lady seems to have assumed ownership AND you seem to have willingly relinquished it. To say she "stole" the cat is, I think, both inflammatory and inaccurate. But I think both of you need some future clarity.

If you simply refuse to pay up, then it would cost her more to fight you for it than it would be worth, so it really is your moral decision to make. I don't think she would ask if she wasn't desperate to do the best for the cat. But why turn it into a battle? Approach it right and you could BOTH benefit from a ready-made cat sitter for when you are away. And if you could agree that if in future she was no longer able to look after it then you would take the cat back, that would give her peace of mind and you the possibly to reunite with it. Win - Win - Win .

Prothet_of_Doom

MrsAtobe wrote: »

The thought of an animal going without necessary medical treatment horrifies me, but, but. .

£48 to put it out of it's misery in a humane manner, so I'd offer to pay that bill, in advance at the Vets.

That should shock her into finding the money.

MuddyMulberry

The cat moved in with the old lady because for whatever reason it was happier there. Maybe the original owners were out all day, or they had kids at home, or there was no cat flap? The owners should have had a friendly chat with the old lady ages ago to 'regularise' the situation, and this problem has arisen because they didn't.

I think they should offer to drive the old lady and the cat to the PDSA or RSPCA, who will treat the animal for an old-lady-appropriate donation.

Cimscate

Person_one wrote: »

Hang on, you just let your pet drift away and then 'replaced' it? This woman didn't steal your cat, you abandoned it and she took it in.

After all this time, I do think its her cat and she should be responsible for the vet bills, but I think you should at least offer to pay for the cost of transferring the chip details to her.

Obviously you have never had a cat who decided he got more attention elsewhere, this happened to me when I was working and the elderly lady down the road let him stay, fed him etc. even though I asked her not to I only managed to 'reclaim' him as I got ill and was at home for 6 weeks. Personally I don't think that you should pay the vet bill. She is trying it on.

Cimscate

Augustus_the_Strong wrote: »

It's not really about ownership - it's more about whether you care about the cat. If its well-being concerns you, & you can afford it, pay the vet's bill. If you don't really care what happens to it, then forget about it.

So if your neighbour asked you to pay her vet bill you would think that was OK.........6 years makes it HER cat.

luxor4t

I don't know how it works, not having a pet but surely if the microchip shows you as the owner, would the PDSA not point her to you to fund the treatment? she cannot say it is her cat if the records state otherwise.
PDSA is a charity with limited resources and has to make sure it gives care to the animals of those in most need.

Maat

Wow, some pretty interesting responses. I could only bear to read most of the first page so I hope some later ones were more compassionate.

There's nothing in the OP to suggest that you can't afford the vet's bills and the cat's in distress - of course you should pay. I find it incredible that there could be another answer.

This old woman is probably pretty lonely and had more time for the cat than you could offer. A cat isn't a commodity, although you seem to have treated him as one by 'replacing' him.

Please be compassionate this time. It's not the old woman's fault the cat preferred her home to yours. Cats are the ones who get to choose where they live and will swap if they find somewhere they like more. This can be for a number of reasons and, as I say, it was probably simply that this woman could offer the cat more time and affection. If she's lonely she'd be very sad and hurt to lose him too.

Do please have the cat treated asap, to do anything less would be cruel.

rinabean

Maat wrote: »

This old woman is probably pretty lonely and had more time for the cat than you could offer. A cat isn't a commodity, although you seem to have treated him as one by 'replacing' him.

Please be compassionate this time.

Yes, when your neighbour steals your cat, and you let her because you want the cat to be happy and it seems to be happy with her, and besides she's an old lady living alone and could use the company, that is an evil, evil thing to have done. If someone steals your cat, you can never get another because that is treating it as a commodity. What on earth??

I second the advice to help her get reduced-cost/free treatment from the charities who offer this. I suspect she came to the OP out of desperation, after all if she were just plain cheeky she'd have asked for food/routine costs too. It's not OP's cat any more so they're hardly obligated to do this, or anything, but it would be best for everyone.

moneysavingpat

She is trying it on. Tell her to "do one". Pensioners are loaded these days what with there £200 free fuel allowance each year. They make me so angry they complain about the price of a tin of beans yet they go to the bingo 7 nights a week.:mad: