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

BNT

1. Pay the vet's bill. Consider it the price of not sorting out the situation for six years. I tend to agree that if the cat has been looked after by your neighbour for six years and she should be responsible for his welfare. But, just as she should have thought about the inevitable costs involved in taking care of a cat, so you have had six years to think about what happens when this situation arose, as you surely will have known it would.

2. Agree now who is going to be responsible for the cat from now onward.

TBagpuss

I think you are in a slightly awkward position as the cat is still registered to you.

I think that by not sorting this out when the cat first moved to live with your neighbour, or at the latest, at the point where you accepted that that was the case and got a new cat, you ought to have spoken to the new;owner' to make sure that you were all clear about the fact that the cat is now hers.

I think what I would do is to offer to make a small, fixed contribution to the vet bill on condition that the microchip details are transferred so that the cat is no longer registered to you. I don't think you are morally obliged to pay, but I do think you are partly responsible for not having sorted things out at the time the cat moved.

WastingMyTime

Firstly, she did not steal your cat!

Secondly, if she took the cat to the vets and they will scan it. The microchip would tell them that you are the owner. The vets might consider you responsible for the bill and might need authorisation to do any treatment required.

Recommend you get in touch with your microchip provider and let them know that you intentionally abandoned the cat in 2006. Otherwise get the cat back and give it to the RSPCA and transfer ownership to them (the lady can claim the cat from RSPCA) or pay the bill.

Glad_eye

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.

We only replaced him after two years. Two years of trying to get her to stop feeding him and trying to encouraging him to come home. However, once a cat has decided they're not going to live you anymore there's little you can do!

We paid half the vets bill & the cost of registering her as the owner. That said, she's not keen to register him in her name and nor does she want us to take him to an animal charity to be re-homed!!!!

Glad_eye

moneysavingpat wrote: »

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:

She was even reluctant to make the call to the animal welfare charity claiming "I can't call them I'm a pensioner & I'm on premium rate phone calls"!!!!!

jgriggle

Well, if someone stole my car and then came back after six years wanting me to pay a garage bill after it broke down I'd tell them to sling their hook!

EssexHebridean

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.

You've never been owned by a cat, have you?!

It's a tricky situation for sure - but as so far as you were concerned the cat was no longer resident with you, and you subsequently made steps to get a new family pet which you HAVE been paying for, it's not like there is a "cat fund" which has just been mounting up in the meantime. Personally I'd be inclined to ask her how much the insurance excess is, and agree to pay 50% of that, but on a "full & final" basis - ie there will be no more money forthcoming. If there is no insurance, then stand clear - you are in danger of finding yourselves in a situation where you potentially have to part with hundreds, if not thousands of pounds in order to fund ongoing treatment. The high costs of vet bills are why responsible owners insure.

Person_one

Cimscate wrote: »

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.

I've never had a cat.

All my animals have been kept for their whole natural lives and I took responsibility for them from the day they arrived to the day they died. I thought that's what you did when you got a pet, not just casually replace it without a thought when it disappears.

h15t0r1an

gettingready wrote: »

Agree with the above 100%





Personally I would pay the vet bills as I would feel very bad for abandoning the cat.

+ 1

Whatever you think, as another poster said, it must have cost this lady a lot to approach you. Given her age there is a good chance she simply does not have the income to help the cat. If you think she took the cat why not just say how you feel and talk to her about it. But I'd help if I could even if the cat wasn't mine in the first place!

debbiesmum

If the neighbour genuinely can't afford vet fees, then she can go to PDSA who will help people on low income/benefits. It's a bit unfair after all this time to suddenly expect you to take responsibility.

Our neighbour's cat moved in with us many years ago and we were quite happy to feed her, have her stay with us - the proviso being that if we went on holiday then the neighbour looked after her till we came back. We continued to look after till she died aged 18 years!!