Found cat and owner issues?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by RickT

Op, you are doing the right thing caring for the cat in your care.

I guess the problem is more along the lines of a legal position, yes the cat may not of been cared for to an expected standard, however it was lost and found.
A member of the public can't just decide an animal would be better suited and cared for by them than its current owner and take it... Is that not theft in the eyes of the law?

I would assume either the rspca or a protection charity etc would require some sort of legal documentation in place to take an animal from an owner. If the cat would of been chipped, the vet would of kept hold of it to return it to its owner.

Tricky situation and doing the right thing sometimes is not the best outcome...

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Law or no law , an animal deserves to be looked after properly and not left to breed over and over or be covered by parasites . Things like untreated fleas can actually kill cats.
The police won’t do anything about a stolen cat regardless of what the law says .
I would not be handing the cat back to this so called owner without proof it will be spayed ,treated for fleas , microchipped and actually fed .

[catlady]

Originally Posted by RickT

Op, you are doing the right thing caring for the cat in your care.

I guess the problem is more along the lines of a legal position, yes the cat may not of been cared for to an expected standard, however it was lost and found.
A member of the public can't just decide an animal would be better suited and cared for by them than its current owner and take it... Is that not theft in the eyes of the law?

I would assume either the rspca or a protection charity etc would require some sort of legal documentation in place to take an animal from an owner. If the cat would of been chipped, the vet would of kept hold of it to return it to its owner.

Tricky situation and doing the right thing sometimes is not the best outcome...

See more...

It really is a tricky one! 😖 I'm a totally honest law abiding person, and I'm finding it a real moral dilemma! 😭 . My middle class values of how I believe a cat should be looked after vs the fact she is the owner?

[sam7]

Get your son to tell her the cat was in their garden a few days in a row and they fed it, but they have not seen it for a few days. Get him to take her telephone number and promise to call/text if they see it again. Then keep it (or give it to Ericsmum, where we all know she will get a very good home), people like that do not deserve animals.

[lindylou46]

I agree with all the other posters who have said don't give her back but also wanted to say that you have a very caring son

[ROBBOTOO]

As an owner of 2 beautiful purr babies this breaks my heart and I totally understand you can't just take someone else's cat, but no well cared for cat would be like that since just Saturday.

I don't do Facebook so have no idea how it works. But could your son or his friends post an update to say they are worried about the cat as its (a) not been seen since they posted about it or (b) they'd try to help it but it got out while trying to help it and they haven't seen it since ... depending on what they originally said had happened when they found it. That way if they know your DSs address it stops any problems in that respect.

Then either keep the cat if are able to or see if you can rehome it. Ericsmum has offered and all dibbers know how much any purr baby would be loved there .

[ERICSMUM]

I repeat my offer to adopt !

Having cared for my Eric for nearly 22 years I’d be a safe pair of hands.

[FlorayG]

I stole a cat once. I had adopted two of her lovely kittens and offered to pay for her to be spayed. Her owner said no, being entire made her a better mouser that isn't even true, spayed cats hunt for fun.

So I went with a cat box while they were out and took her and gave her to a rescue place 20 miles away with a good story (and gave them some money towards her spaying)

So there. I'm a criminal and proud of it.

[FlorayG]

Go on, let Ericsmum have her, she can be the Dibb's new mascot

[4fromsuffolk]

Ericsmum you make my heart swell and eyes prickle xx

[catlady]

Originally Posted by ERICSMUM

I repeat my offer to adopt !

Having cared for my Eric for nearly 22 years I’d be a safe pair of hands.

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Aww! I know you would and I wish you did have her!

Just to update you all on the current situation! She is currently still with us hiding out! The owner has been told she was let go again, but told where ie the street. She posted again over the weekend that the cat was still missing, but used the photo my son's friend took? She also replied to a question about speaking to vets, by saying she had called them all? I called every vet listed online last Wednesday and left my details so if she had she would have got my name?

There has been no leaflets or posters put up around where they found her? I believe she hasn't posted more photos online because she only has those other ones she sent us with her kittens? She put online that the cat isn't spayed or chipped because of covid, but we obviously know she had kittens 6 months ago!

I'm still not sure what to do about her, I swing backwards and forwards! We are trying to find out a bit more about the situation? Meanwhile I'm getting on top of the fleas, and she is putting on a bit of weight . She is getting more friendly, but isn't keen on our dogs, so managing that!

Thanks again everyone for your comments.