Took in stray cat, now someone is claiming him

Kiith · 15-07-2019 8:49pm #1

So, around 6 months ago a stray cat came to our house, pretty ****ed up with his tail missing a big chunk (and bleeding badly), along with a lot of cuts and bruises. We took him in, got his tail sorted (vet had to amputate a large amount of it), and got him healthy again. No chip and not neutered. After he got back from the vet, we had to keep him indoors for a few days, as he still had stitches, but once he was better we let him go as he pleased. I even hesitated to allow him to come in at all, as i didn't want another cat (we already have 2). He would sit outside our window for hours, meowing to get in, so we inevitably let him.

Bandit has now been with us for 6 months (which out other cats have begrudgingly gotten used to :pac:), is very settled, and is a complete nut case (but in a good way)

We let him leave whenever he wants (open window), and he comes back in a few hours every day. Occasionally he'll be gone for a bit longer, but will always come back.

We got a knock on our door today from a teenager saying someone said we had their cat. Said he lived locally, and that he was their for a while (didn't give any specifics). Bandit wasn't in the house at the time, so we just said yeah he's been staying here, but that we let him out all the time and he seems to come back a lot. We mentioned his injuries when we took him in, and he said something about not being able to bring him to the vet at the time. We said that if he wants to go back to them he's free to do it whenever he wants to.

Not really sure what else to tell them, but i guess we are worried that they might try and take him back now. He may well be theirs, but he seemed to be pretty neglected, which the vet told us at the time. So not really sure what to do in this situation.

auspicious · 15-07-2019 9:55pm

Get it chipped with your details. Tell the kid they've got the wrong cat.

Graces7 · 16-07-2019 6:20am

auspicious wrote: »

Get it chipped with your details. Tell the kid they've got the wrong cat.

Tempted to agree. He is safe with you. Oh have you copies of the vets bills? Tell him; your cat, you pay? They knew he was injured... what a nerve.

volchitsa · 16-07-2019 8:01am

Graces7 wrote: »

Tempted to agree. He is safe with you. Oh have you copies of the vets bills? Tell him; your cat, you pay? They knew he was injured... what a nerve.

I agree with this - you may well have saved his life, Kiith, so there wouldn't have been a cat for them to take back otherwise. If they want him back they need to take on the vets' fees, or at least part of them (if you feel it's worth making an effort to let them have him back).

I wouldn't hesitate to be a bit harsh about that though - if they weren't prepared to take him to the vet then they won't be if he gets sick in the future either, and it's important they learn that having a pet means responsibilities and sometimes costs money.

knucklehead6 · 16-07-2019 8:03am

From what I remember of our cat it was more a case of him owning us, not the other way around!

melon_collie · 16-07-2019 8:04am

Do not. . . . . . Under any circumstances. . . . Give the cat back. Get him chipped asap.

Graces7 · 16-07-2019 8:28am

knucklehead6 wrote: »

From what I remember of our cat it was more a case of him owning us, not the other way around!

My old big cat; once left home! The feral I was feeding used to chase him up a tree and huge as my cat is he is a total utter wuss. It was before I had managed to get the feral spayed...

Big cat went missing.. The man a mile up the lane, kind man he was, was to the rental putting in the new washing machine and he mentioned he was feeding a cat... when I asked what colour he got evasive!

asked the postlady to ask up the lane if anyone had seen my big black and white cat and two nights later when I was almost asleep a car drew up ( long private lane!) turned round and went.. and when I checked the cat was there.. The neighbour later told my landlord, " My mistake was feeding it." They had shut him in a shed to make him stay as a pet. Cat is HUGE but those hungry eyes..

they lead us a merry dance..

B-D-P-- · 16-07-2019 8:32am

Also, this day and age, if it was theirs, Ask for photos to prove it.
that way at least you might see cat in good condition.

No photos, no proof.

16-07-2019 8:34am

If the cat wasn't chipped or even neutered, I'd consider it to be not 'owned' by anyone. DO NOT hand over the cat.

GooglePlus · 16-07-2019 8:40am

Deleted User wrote: »

If the cat wasn't chipped or even neutered, I'd consider it to be not 'owned' by anyone. DO NOT hand over the cat.

This worries me, we haven't chipped our little eegit and now that I think about it, all we have is his initial vet bill.

We're afraid that a collar might get caught on a branch, so we may go down the chipping route..

Graces7 · 16-07-2019 9:22am

GooglePlus wrote: »

This worries me, we haven't chipped our little eegit and now that I think about it, all we have is his initial vet bill.

We're afraid that a collar might get caught on a branch, so we may go down the chipping route..

agree re collar. One of mine on his second collar ( one vanished ) got a leg out through it and it resulted in a nasty abcess that got infected. ie he vanished for a couple of days .. The ones with a snap close in case they catch on a branch get lost easily. also a collar is easy for a "finder" to take off.

16-07-2019 9:28am

Graces7 wrote: »

agree re collar. One of mine on his second collar ( one vanished ) got a leg out through it and it resulted in a nasty abcess that got infected. ie he vanished for a couple of days .. The ones with a snap close in case they catch on a branch get lost easily. also a collar is easy for a "finder" to take off.

My two are chipped and always wear collars with quick release.
they go through 2/3 collars a year but they are only 2/3 euro so I feel it's worth it.

iamwhoiam · 16-07-2019 9:39am

I would give the lad the vet bill and tell him if he wants the cat he can pay the bill and the cats food for six months ,. See how much he wants his cat then

Stratvs · 16-07-2019 2:58pm

Ok so they knew he was injured but couldn't take him to the vet ! Not a house I'd be keen on any animal going into.

Cats will settle where they're fed and feel safe. I assume the reason he hasn't gone back to his original home by now is that he didn't get either there.

JustAThought · 16-07-2019 4:00pm

I'd get the oarents address and drop around to talk. If it was the kids cat imagine how you'd feel if some adult kept your pet when you were a chikd - it'd scar you for life. Maybe it was just hanging around their house too but maybe they had bought it? Maybe they're moving & want to bring the cat or maybe that kid has been out looking for the cat for months? I'd say go over and bring the vets bill - if they live there permanently the cat will choose where he wants to be and hamg out (yours by the sound of it) . The notable point in this is that he never went home. But the kid may be scarred and traumatised for life !! The oarentd mY not have had the cash or be the type to say let it riam we'll get another cat.. or want to pay up and be happy to joint own the cat if their child can be happy it can choose its home and can visit the garden and see it occasionally. Imagine if it was your cat originally and you had been looking for it and then heard you knew where it was - wouldnt you want it back but be realistic enough yo know it was with a kind famiky and was happy..far less traumatising.

Msybe the parents don't have the money or give a s### but the kid cares . The cat loves you and will cone back to you regardless. You are roam cat home now.

Graces7 · 16-07-2019 11:29pm

JustAThought wrote: »

I'd get the oarents address and drop around to talk. If it was the kids cat imagine how you'd feel if some adult kept your pet when you were a chikd - it'd scar you for life. Maybe it was just hanging around their house too but maybe they had bought it? Maybe they're moving & want to bring the cat or maybe that kid has been out looking for the cat for months? I'd say go over and bring the vets bill - if they live there permanently the cat will choose where he wants to be and hamg out (yours by the sound of it) . The notable point in this is that he never went home. But the kid may be scarred and traumatised for life !! The oarentd mY not have had the cash or be the type to say let it riam we'll get another cat.. or want to pay up and be happy to joint own the cat if their child can be happy it can choose its home and can visit the garden and see it occasionally. Imagine if it was your cat originally and you had been looking for it and then heard you knew where it was - wouldnt you want it back but be realistic enough yo know it was with a kind famiky and was happy..far less traumatising.

Msybe the parents don't have the money or give a s### but the kid cares . The cat loves you and will cone back to you regardless. You are roam cat home now.

#

bad idea on so many levels.

OP what is the time scale please?

Kiith · 17-07-2019 2:18pm

Thanks for the advice folks. We checked and when his tail was amputated, we did get him chipped, so he is registered with us now. Hadn't been chipped before that. And while i don't want to take anyone elses pet, he's not been with them for a long time (if ever). He just comes back here, as he feels like this is his home / guaranteed food/sleep stop.

Whats weird if in 2 years, we've never seen these kids around. We don't really know many of our neighbours, but we've seen them more in the last few days then in the previous 24 months.

Graces7 wrote: »

OP what is the time scale please?

Sorry, not sure what you mean by time scale?

Graces7 · 17-07-2019 3:09pm

Kiith wrote: »

Thanks for the advice folks. We checked and when his tail was amputated, we did get him chipped, so he is registered with us now. Hadn't been chipped before that. And while i don't want to take anyone elses pet, he's not been with them for a long time (if ever). He just comes back here, as he feels like this is his home / guaranteed food/sleep stop.

Whats weird if in 2 years, we've never seen these kids around. We don't really know many of our neighbours, but we've seen them more in the last few days then in the previous 24 months.

Sorry, not sure what you mean by time scale?

sorry; I meant how long have you had him without them bothering? I think you answered that. They are trying it on. he is not their pet. and you can prove it. pets are cared for. Not left injured as he was. Please worry not..

Mickeroo · 17-07-2019 3:25pm

There was a court case vaguely similar to this in Italy a couple of years ago: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/21/unfaithful-cat-spent-secret-nights-neighbours-house-can-stay/

The "new" owner got to keep the cat, though I don't think either were negtlectful in that instance.

I think you took the right approach, if the cat chooses to stay around your house of its own free will then there's not much they can do about it. If they had taken proper care of it in the first place then they would never have lost it.

We're in a similar situation ourselves actually in that we have two cats and an adopted "stray" who we feed but had to take to the vet because of an apses. So we ended up getting him neutered and now he rarely leaves our garden. Haven't caved and let him into the house yet though, don't think our two indoor cats would be too happy. They were very excited when he was locked in the bathroom for a week and a half after his operation

Dubl07 · 17-07-2019 5:30pm

We had a gorgeous home-invader cat who would persistently sneak into our house. She even banged on the back door for cuddles after a bit. It turned out after six months of visiting that she was a genuinely owned pet of a neighbour who had adopted a brother and sister cat. The brother, who was still a bit feral, was bullying his female littermate. Biting, hissing, scratching and chasing. Their owner, who had a young baby and a job, didn't know. After the tom found out that the female was being fed, watered and welcomed in our garden, he started trying to drive her off from here as well When we talked to our neighbour she sorted that out and the female returned to her owners.
That said, your issue is more subtle. If the teen has no proof, hasn't approached you before or volunteered to contribute financially or even by gardening work etc, to the vet-bills, he will learn a lesson: Family members, including the pawed ones, cost in terms of care and in terms of time. You don't have ultimate ownership of a sentient creature.
It sounds like your cat is happy with your home. Stand your ground.

Stratvs · 17-07-2019 5:38pm

During the snow March 18 a tabby arrived at ours looking a bit forlorn and the weather as it was we fed her. After a few days she became more familiar and we noticed she was eartipped so had been a rescue & neutered at some point. She had no collar but was very sociable. stayed by front door so we put a sheltered bed out for her. She hung around a lot after that sleeping in the front porch. We printed photos of her and went to a lot of houses locally over the summer but no one seemed to know where she was from. Took her to the vet and no chip either. At this point she was spending most of her time with us. So before the winter we got her chipped, checked over inoculated etc. and named her. Vet said she was only around 2-3 years old. I taught her to use the chip operated flap we had from previous cats who had sadly passed on. She's still with us. Comes to her name and has her bed indoors and her bathroom by the oil tank. I do wonder at times where she came from and if someone is missing her. For now though we're her humans and our home is her home.

Took in stray cat, now someone is claiming him

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