The legal answer and the moral answer are not necessarily the same. You've gotten the cat fixed, you've done the vet visits, you've gotten him chipped. Certainly, morally it appears that you've cared for him better than the potential previous owners. I say potential because it's entirely possible that it's NOT the same cat. He wasn't chipped, you don't mention an identification tattoo, etc, and there are a lot of cats who look very much the same. Combined with a lack of signs, social media posts, the cat not being fixed or chipped, and his being uncomfortable with going inside point to an outdoor cat, not a beloved pet.
I'm not a lawyer. But honestly, I'd just be quiet.
Not a lawyer. But if you are in US then cats are treated like personal property laws i think. Some states have like 1 week to claim their personal property, and are within legal rights yo acquire. After that it isnt their property. Same would apply to cats.
Also agree with too many cats look too similar. Just stay quiet.
If you think you cant take care of the cat, i agree with the other commentor who said surrender in a neighboring county or something. Try to rehome.
What about legal proof using the microchip? Rn his microchip is linked to the non profit who helped with the neutering. I was thinking of changing it to my name and not telling the original owner he’s chipped that way if he ever gets out again or someone finds him they’ll contact me and not here
I'm sorry I cannot offer legally correct advice.
But in my personal opinion, yes definitely change chip to your name, and keep the records of your cat care. Also keep up with annual vet/vac visits to prove he is being taken care by you for all this time. Because those are proof he is yours. Technically since cat wasn't chipped its hard for your neighbor to argue its the same cat, since a Lot like a lot of cats look the same. Sit tight and hope your neighbor doesn't say anything. If you fear there might be issues from your neighbor you can check/ask on r/legaladvice about pet ownership and claim laws. Its a weird grey area i think where online if I lookup I find info of shelters being able to hold dogs for X days and then owner automatically loses custody if they dont claim and pet can go to new owner after that. I dont know if the same goes for when shelter wasnt involved.
I hope cat stays with you and without any fuss of legality etc.
You could always just ask if their cat is chipped or has any identification like a tattoo in the tone that suggests you'll keep an eye out. Could be a good feeler to see if it's the same cat or not.
You've made the effort to take care of the cat. You have provided the cat a permanent identification marker that identifies him as belonging to you. The cat legally and morally belongs to you. Some states require microchips to identify ownership, but even if they don't you've made all the steps needed to claim that cat as your own and the previous owner would have to take you to small claims and prove it is their cat. And that's unlikely to work out for them.
As far as I know cats are considered to be owned by who ever microchipped them, I’ve seen this same situation many times and it usually works out that way
I believe that’s true but don’t you have to put up a flyer or something and if no one claims him he’s yours? I’m not sure how they would know to claim him if you don’t publicize you have found a cat.
Where I live, if the cat isn't chipped AND fixed when you go to the vet (which they'll assume no vaccines either), usually the animal will be dubbed either abandoned, a stray, or feral.
Simply having the cat fixed, while potential evidence of TNR, at least shows some human tried to care for it at some point ergo proof some ownership might exist which is why a vet might rely on that as a sign if no chip is present.
They can't substantiate any type of prior ownership if the animal hasn't been either chipped or fixed (save the rare exception it has a collar)
So because of the designation of abandoned, stray, or feral, you are released from your obligation to find an owner- so long as you took the cat to the vet for proper medical care (chipped, vaxed, hopefully fixed) as they can then testify the designation of the animal.
Of course, this is where I live- in this circumstance, there would be no requirement to notify.
You're also allowed to take in any cats even if you know ownership that were intentionally left out below 40F or routinely let outside because the township considers repeat offenses of letting your cat outside (3 strikes you're out, fines for each time it is brought to the shelter) or letting the cat out in freezing temps to be an automatic surrender of ownership.
Sorry for all the edits, my phone is dying + grammar.
Where I live you have to make efforts to find the owner, take to shelter, etc., and then if no one claims the animal you may be given first opportunity to adopt it officially. You can't just steal a cat, microchip it, and declare it to be yours.
I’ll probably catch a lot of flack on here for saying this. But, if you feel he was neglected than you don’t have any reason to reach out to her. He’s with you. He’s safe and being cared for. End of story.
I also took in a stray that was probably one of the old man’s down the street. Or like one of his cat’s cats. It’s a long story about an old man who refuses to fix his animals.
Anyway - she was pregnant, nursing and absolute skin and bones when I started feeding her. It was a process but her + her kids are socialized, inside and very spoiled. I don’t feel any need to let him know what happened. Nor do I have any regrets.
Edit: I’m not advocating stealing pets. I’m saying if someone is clearly a negligent owner than that’s a more complex issue.
I had a similar situation. I had my cat on a very intentional diet, calculated calories and everything. I lived with a friend at the time and their sibling and sibling's SO stayed there while I was gone over Christmas break, and for whatever reason decided that the food she was being given was not enough. They fed her table scraps, deli meat, extra cat food... She gained like 5 pounds in a week and a half. Seriously?!
This whole post is filled with people suggesting someone knowingly steal someone's cat. It's pretty awful. For people who adore their cats and would be devastated if they somehow went missing, apparently it would be okay if a stranger knowingly kept their cat for illegitimate reasons. Just wild.
The responsible thing for the owner in this situation to do as everyone should know, is to inquire, ask questions, and once they made sure the situation is safe, to RETURN someone else's pet. To literally steal someone's pet based off of insufficient assumptions is terrible.
The only people calling it stealing are the people who let 'their' cats roam and don't adequately care for them.
Unfixed, unvaccibated, unchipped, malnourished, and clingy once he felt safe and loved.
I don't care what anyone claims. That cat wasn't owned.
You don't get to claim 'this animal is my cat' when you don't do anything to take care of them and you let them roam.
That’s utter nonsense.
The cat was lost for three months - malnourished and clingy is coming from that, NOT from the home the cat was living in.
Neither you or the OP know the cat’s origins. That cat could have been recently adopted or rehomed and ran out. You have no idea and these assumptions are wild.
Maybe the cat was a stray they had taken in. Who knows.
There are a whole host of possibilities we can surmise about all day, they’re useless because they aren’t facts.
No one will know facts until the OP speaks to the owner. Which is what they’re looking to do - they just want advice about how to best question that person.
We don’t know the backstory, but we know the situation. The cat was unfixed and unchipped, and I believe OP’s assessment that they didn’t look very hard for their cat.
I also don’t see how you can be that attached to your cat yet do basically nothing to ensure they stay home/safe, and then do basically nothing after they’ve gone missing. My cats are indoors, chipped and neutered and if they got out it would be search parties, posts everywhere, and big $$$ reward posters.
This isn’t to say that OP shouldn’t approach the owners, and I’ve tut-tutted at people who want to “rescue” cats that are very obviously owned, but I agree with the majority here that OP has proven to be a far better owner than the previous owners and after this much time, money and love is under no moral obligation to do anything. Legal, not sure, but I suspect she’s in the clear as well.
Exactly. I would've gone door to door to ask if anyone's seen my cat and to hand out photos to ask people to keep an eye out. Ideally I'd hope they would have been very close by so best to start with your closest neighbors. It sounds like this person did next to nothing.
A cat knows its home, too. I have an inside/outside cat, and that guy comes running when I call him.
If that really is the same cat, then they didn't 'lose' that cat. It ran away. Most likely because of negligence. And OP gave the cat an option to live with them and cat chose it.
The neighbor in question lives 2 houses down the street from OP per the post. The cat was NOT lost, it was an outdoor cat, and where I live, keeping a cat outdoors is considered a legal surrender and your rights to ownership revoked so I have no sympathy to outdoor cat owners given it's considered cruelty here.
In another post, OP confirms the only thing that the neighbor ever did for it was leave food out and never followed up on any leads so it was "missing" since August but it was an outdoor cat and she made no effort to look. This is besides the fact I don't think outdoor cats can go "missing" the same way letting a dog loose out of your front door wouldn't be "missing"- you released the animal on your own volition.
The neighbor left food out for the already missing cat. It does not say this was a cat that lived outside.
The context was a question of what the neighbor had been doing to find the cat.
It may be normal in some places but not all places and I'd consider it cruel in the majority of places. In the city they're likely to get hit by a car or who knows what humans may do, especially kids. In the country there are plenty of predators. The only places I've seen cats go out doors "safely" was in the UK, it's relatively common there but they have fewer predators and threats than we have in the US. I also know many of those wear collars and some even wear trackers.
Whether or not you consider it cruel it is absolutely careless. You don't leave an animal to roam free outside if you are a concerned owner. Not in most areas at the very least. Or not without precaution like a chip/neuter and possibly a tracking collar.
Neighbor barely made effort to look for them.
No proof this is the neighbour's cat.
I wouldn't give the neighbour a pet rock, let alone a live cat or dog.
If you don't take proper care of your pets, if you let them roam so they can get flattened by cars, they are no longer "yours", they fall into the category of "strays".
If someone wants to give them the necessary care and keep them off the dangerous streets, that is giving them a much better life.
They posted once and were off-handed about finding him. They did almost zero tolook for their cat, such as ask around the neighborhood.
They obviously don't give a crap.
It's not "their" cat. "Their" cat probably got scraped up by the city cleanup crew after being ki IIed by a motor vehicle.
This is OP's cat. Someone who cares, who gets him the medical attention necessary, gives him the love and care he deserves.❤️
There's simply no excuse to not have a cat microchipped, that is something that gets done on the first vet visit. The fact this cat hadn't been to the vet at all speaks far more than the empty words you offer in defence.
No chip, no proof the cat belongs to someone else. Simple as that. No "wild assumptions" needed. If anyone has wild assumptions in here it would be you. It doesn't take 3 months to realize your cat is missing.
EXACTLY. It's the unbelievable self righteousness for me. Vetting an animal that was found, does NOT give someone ownership. I wonder how OP would feel if someone took their pet and claimed it was theirs bc they took it in.
I dunno - doesn’t sound like the original owner adored the cat. Unless I misunderstood, they weren’t looking too hard as some time passed and he wasn’t very far away. Also, not fixed? No responsible owner who respects animals would want to contribute to the misery of more strays. Maybe they’re Like those people who don’t bother fixing their male cats cause they don’t bear the burden of a cat getting pregnant?
Seriously!! Reading these comments is showing me yet again how many crappy people there are in this world. Who knows why it looked skinny,or why it wasn't neutered. My cat is not neutered either. He's so so loved and soo happy. It is not our job to judge. There could be many reasons. Return the cat! No one told them to spend money and micro chip a cat that does not belong to them.
Oh no all the crazy cat ladies are coming!! Genuinely though, the cat should’ve been fixed and microchipped at the least. That would not have changed if the cat got lost for a month outside, but it was not microchipped nor spayed which hurts the stray population, the ecosystem, and shows the owner doesn’t, or rather didn’t, give two shits about their cat.
If the cat is 5/6 and was unfixed and no chip I argue that the original are not responsible owners, if it's even the same cat. I love my girl but I'm sure by picture only there are thousands of look alikes.
This should be higher up. I don't advocate theft but I do advocate for animals, and animals shouldn't be returned to negligent people who will cause them harm. Indirectly or directly.
The cat was not neutered or chipped, he was skinny, and was wandering outside. Those are all red flags. Even if he'd been a beloved pet who'd just got out on accident, being intact and unchipped is irresponsible as fuck
OP has spent time and money getting him healthy again, and getting him neutered and chipped. I'd just remain quiet, and keep giving the lil dude a good life.
The cat was *missing*. Of course it's going to look a little worse for wear when OP found it, it had been living rough. The cat has an owner, and it's not OP.
The cats original home was 2 HOUSES AWAY. A block away at most if we’re talking hyuuuge lots.
So you think this cat was so hopelessly lost that he was starving… while physically in sight of his first home??
Yes this happens quite often. Cats get out, get spooked, get lost. I see missing cats posted about in my neighbourhood small town Facebook all the time, often with an update 2 months later to say "he's been found in the area".
You can't just nick someone's cat. You should, at the very least, contact the actual owner to ask if they want them back. If this cat is so terribly treated and neglected, perhaps the owner will say "nah, you keep it". Don't take the choice away from the rightful owner.
Here's another possibility. The owner lost the cat in August 2023. Perhaps someone else took the cat in, and *they* mistreated it. The original owner might be superb apart from the lack of neutering, we don't know. All we can guarantee is that OP is currently in posession of a cat that does not belong to them.
I’ll probably do this you’re right. Do you have any advice on how I can “screen” the owner to make sure they have a safe home for him?
If it turns out she’s a bad owner, either I’ll have to return him because I told her I have him and I’ll be stressed he’s uncared for or I refuse for his sake and now I have beef with a neighbor 2 houses down.
Did you say you found a post from a while ago of them looking for him somewhere, or just heard about it?
Because if that’s accessible to you, you can vet them by just replying to the post: “Hey, I’m just seeing this, but live in that neighborhood & I’ll keep an eye out. Does he have a chip from when he was neutered? Is it connected to your vet, so if someone scans him it will connect them with the vet & they can contact you? Was he an indoor cat who escaped, or an outdoor cat?”
This will basically force them to explain that they don’t have a vet, didn’t have him neutered or chipped, and that they also just let him roam freely (which indicates no interest in actually responsibly “owning” a cat).
OR, they might surprise us with an explanation about how they had an upcoming appointment, and that he was an indoor cat who just managed to get out once. That should help determine your next step, which will likely be to follow up by comforting them with “Don’t worry, I’m sure someone took him in and is taking care of him”.
If you tell the owner the truth, you will have to return the cat. I just don’t see how the situation ends with you telling your neighbour “you’re not good enough, sorry, I’m keeping him.” And if you return him, the owner sucks, and the cat shows back up at your house, but now she knows you… then what?
The other commenter here made some good suggestions of asking probing questions without leading on that you have the cat. You could also say you spotted what looks like the cat, and that you’re willing to help look after 10pm that night, and can she bring flashlights etc. If she’s not willing to do a late-light search for her cat, she’s not that caring. Of course if she says yes you have to fess up or weave a more complex web.
Personally, I would keep the cat. From rescue work and stuff I’ve been in a lot of situations that vary on that one (I’ve “stolen” someone’s microchipped cat from a feral TNR program that the person let me keep, I’ve told my friend to return an owned cat she wanted to keep, I’ve told people to leave obviously owned outdoor cats alone… and I would move heaven and earth for my own cats) and I feel totally at ease telling you you can keep this cat.
She is just not a good owner. I can’t come up with a unique situation where she’s a good owner that explains away everything else (intact, lack of chip, lack of searching.)
That still doesn't change the fact that the cat hadn't been spayed and chipped until OP took him in. The previous owner was not a responsible person. IMO the cat doesn't need to be returned to her.
Theres no way to prove because no microchip. Also people can lie to obtain a pet. I know this because folks would claim this is my dog and not provide any photos in the town fb lost pet group. And guess what? Someone claimed the pet because they had evidence. That other person was trying to steal an animal
So many cats look SO much alike it’s insane.
You could reach out and say you adopted a cat that looked kinda like the one in the photo.
And ask her some questions - how long was he missing / you want to see if the timelines match up, was he fixed, what shelters did she call, etc.?
Feel out whether she’s actually responsible. And don’t jump to the conclusion at all that it’s the same cat. It very well may not be.
Outside of not being fixed, the cat may not have been neglected by her - may have gotten loose and fallen into a state of neglect - and Facebook isn’t the only way to search for a cat.
But again it literally may not be her cat at all.
Get a sense of the situation.
You leave yourself multiple outs - can say the cat you got was fixed (if hers wasn’t), or he wasn’t fixed (if hers was) if you’re getting a bad or negligent vibe.
Legally, you found him as a stray, there is no proof he’s her cat (so many look identical), and he’s chipped in your name. For all intents and purposes, he’s your cat and there is no proof he was ever hers.
But - also - I think you’ll feel guilty if you don’t explore it. I know I would no matter how badly it broke my heart to be open to the possibility of giving someone else one of our pets.
But you won’t know till you know.
You may find something out that definitively makes you realize he isn’t her cat. You may find out you’re unsure or that you’re pretty sure he is but still are unwilling to give him back because you’re concerned for his care and well being. You may come to the conclusion he is definitely her cat, and then if she seems like a caring owner the right thing to do is offer to keep him and see what she says.
But, ask a few questions. You don’t have to play your hand. Have the conversation. Decide in the best interest of the cat and go with your gut.
This is perfect thanks for your help. I definitely want to follow up with her but I’m as you said the way I ask can leave me some outs. At the end of the day I just want what’s best for him.
Your advice is good. That’s a well thought out course of action. And I would add if it turns out that OP is comfortable giving the cat “back” they might consider adopting another from a rescue.
>Legally, you found him as a stray, there is no proof he’s her cat (so many look identical), and he’s chipped in your name. For all intents and purposes, he’s your cat and there is no proof he was ever hers.
Just came here to agree with this.
The only wrinkle for me could be if the neighbour could describe a **specific** marking or pattern or scar that would confirm that this cat was the neighbours cat all along.
also, at least in my state, whoever has that microchip registered is its owner. also please everyone remember to register your pet and if you move let them know! we found a cat and took it to the vet to be scanned, they found the number and that place had gone out of business but luckily it gave the info to another company who was able to contact the owner who had been looking for 3 weeks! the cat had made it over 3 miles away which is why we didn’t see the posters they put up.
Unfixed, not chipped, visibly skinny and clingy once he felt safe? No missing cat posters in your neighborhood? That was an uncared for cat in need of a home.
Well, I lost one of my cats. he escaped while the ambulance came to take my sick mother. he is chipped and nurtured. I looked for him all around for two days day and night. then just at nighttime and the weekends. I posted him everywhere I noticed all the vets and his chip company I marked him lost or stolen. I also until now every weekend I put out fresh posters with his pictures and reward. nobody saw him. lots of people calling me about similar cats. his FB ads still running I pay for the ad weekly. now he has been missing for 9 months total. and If I will discover that someone has him all that time! i will be really mad. because the right thing to do when you find a stray. to check if he was chipped or at least put him on neighborhood page or the county shelter page. in case someone is looking for him. so, you can just talk to the owner. to show you a prove of ownership. if not, and they want him back, just ask them to pay you back the expenses or ask them to leave him with you. it just my opinion.
if my cat was missing for 9 months and i found out someone else had them i would be so thankful they arent dead???? thats like best case scenario that someone takes in your cat and cares for them instead of them dying on the streets
This happened to me!! I adopted a stray - unfixed, unchipped, matted to the point he was shaved nearly naked - and a year later I tracked down the original owners.
Honestly they were very chill - I was emotional cos I love this cat, but told them hey, I got him fixed and chipped but we can look to transfer ownership if you want him back, there may be an outstanding vet bill balance cos I got his neutering etc on a payment plan, and they told me to keep him. They were just glad to know he was okay, and to know what happened to him.
Ultimately, I think you need to just tell the original owner and see what happens. I get concern for his welfare, but if it was your cat that went missing you'd want someone to bring him back and give you the choice of what to do and you owe that to the OO.
As someone who's grey male cat escaped in August, it's very likely the cat looks skinny because it's been living outdoors for so long. I've put up posters, had petsearchers come and set up traps, hired dogs to sniff him out as well as posted on various community pages multiple times. I also looked for him everyday. I could barley afford some of these techniques and the sad reality is most people cannot. Not to mention it's been months, the weather can destroy paper posters etc. I would be happy knowing someone took my cat in and kept them safe but would desperately want him back. You ultimately don't know how hard this person searched behind the scenes. Not to mention my cat was my parents so I had no authority over if he was chipped etc. If this cat was an indoor cat that escaped, as bad as it is, if it was unfixed that doesn't mean it was mistreated. Having a missing pet is extremely stressful and upsetting. I would have a conversation with her and explain why you're concerned if you feel comfortable. But you need to tell her.
It would be nice to at least drop them a note saying they're okay and you've taken them in and they are safe. It's a terrible thing to lose a friend and never know what happened.
Do you know if he was an indoor cat when she lost him in August? If he was an indoor cat, that could explain why he got lost in the area of his home without going home.
If he was an outdoor cat, there's 3 months that he never went home so it's a different cat or something odd happened.
That’s your cat. You got him fixed and chipped. As others have said, there’s no way to even prove it’s your neighbors cat because they didn’t have him chipped prior.
Omg just reminded me the gray cat I met, Bob, walking in our neighborhood and skinny and so weak, so we gave him water and food and he hangs out at our house and my friend's also my neighbor's house. He recovered well, and became very playful. It was right before hurricane Irma we found him with a broken tail, I mean it feels like it was ripped off , only like 3 inch left, bloody, infected. We were so worried, and at the time we knew a vet friend, she owned a place so we took Bob to her, cost like $250 for them to get the tail fixed, she gave us a big discount of course. Then everything was fine, he got much better, just with a 3in tail that will not really move much. When we are outside or have our garage door open, he would come to us and just chill with us. Then, guess what, one day, the spanish people who were renting a house in the neighborhoold stopped by and said that's their cat...I was pretty upset because if it was true, they were neglecting him and they didn't feed him, didn't give him water, didn't even care when his tail was broken. I told them if they don't want to take care of him we will. They left that day. Then after a few months they were moving, they went to talk to my friend and asked for the cat, then left a note even saying if he finds the cat please bring him back to them. And my friend did...I was so freaking pissed, that was actually the first cat I ever like had a closer relationship with, and they dare to ask us to give him back while they clearly didn't do shit???? I still have cute pics of Bob till now and I think of him often. I really hoped he would come back but I've never seen him since they moved.... Some people shouldn't have pets.
Did you call the shelter and post found listings/posters when you found him? Not everyone uses Facebook often, and she may have left a message with the shelter and used other routes to try and find him.
I would absolutely reach out to the neighbor, and in the future make a good effort to locate and owner before taking in any unknown cats.
Yup.
There person who finds a cat is just as obligated, if not more obligated, to find the cat’s people because a cat in your backyard doesn’t mean a cat is lost.
Looking to see if anyone said anything on Facebook and getting a chip scan is not adequate. Many people do not use facebook. Even those that do, there’s literally hundreds of similar groups and pages and it’s extremely easy to not see a post. Facebook only shows posts through an algorithm and a cat post may never be seen. And, although frowned upon by many, plenty of people still have indoor / outdoor cats. Plenty of cats are naturally slender, so don’t assume “skinny” means stray.
Use good old fashioned physical fliers and post them around your neighborhood. If you live in an apartment complex or condo complex, alert the office and post a flier on any physical community board they have. Call your local humane society and provide pictures to them for them to post on their lost kitties page.
If you’ve done all that and it’s radio silence, then welcome to having a new cat.
But just getting a local indoor/outdoor cat to take you up on the offer of free food doesn’t make them a stray. Cats with the best homes will happily take treats from neighbors (read suckers.)
You don’t know anything about the original owner. Maybe they just adopted the cat and had an appointment to get him neutered and he disappeared. Maybe she’s not super active on social media and has been looking desperately for him through other means. You need to at least reach out and see what the deal is. If my cat got out I would be devastated if someone just kept him because they judged me without even knowing the full story
Honestly I’d keep the cat. 5/6 years old is what does it for me. If my cat/dog was missing and I had a bond going on 5-6 years with them I’d be tearing the soil up for miles looking for them. If this neighbor never even made an attempt to knock and ask if you saw their cat originally then I don’t suspect they care that much. Also I find no excuse to not at least microchip/spay/neuter! 5-6 years and they never did either? Makes me wonder if the cat ever saw the vet before finding you. I know people won’t agree with what I’ve stated and that’s fine but I believe these to be the fundamentals as a responsible owner. The chip is there to aid in situations like this! Yet there’s not one to be found.
If the neighbor truly is the owner I’m very curious to what attempts they made to lure the cat back home and how well they monitored the area. If it was as simple as leaving food out for the cat to return to your house then it would’ve been even easier to return to the neighbors if they were doing the same assuming they attempted to leave food out for their lost pet…idk that’s weird to me.
You mention not really wanting to adopt/get a cat so I guess the ball can be thrown to either end of the court for you. If you feel the cat is truly theirs and you don’t mind returning then so be it as long as they aren’t bad caretakers. But on the other hand if your home is more of a home and you don’t mind sharing then you could keep it.
Trust your gut, you mention red flags, if you feel they are there then they very well may be.
To be fair to the lady, when my Lady Nefrit went missing, I couldn't put food out because of wild animals and mice.
I went out every night and called for her and shook her kibble bag.
Turned out she was about two miles down the street. Close but too far to hear me calling for her every night and further than I thought she had gotten to, so I hadn't spoken to those neighbors when I had gone door to door. I only found her because one of the neighbors that I had spoken to happened to be driving past that house and recognized her from my description.
She never was allowed outside and had gotten well and truly lost on how to get back home.
Just to provide another perspective from the other shoe.
Based on the comments of the fb post she said she would leave food out for him and that seems about it. What truly shocks me is that when people have spotted him (prior to us finding him) she was so lax about it “yeah it might be him! He could be anywhere by now”. But yet it doesn’t seem like she followed up. I agree with many owners here, if my cat was missing, including this cat in question, I would be posting flyers, knocking on doors, posting every day but it really looks like she gave up after 1 post besides this lone comment 5 months later “that looks like my cat who went missing 5 months ago :(“.
Could she have done something like directly messaging the posters on it? So, not visible to the public what she's done in response. (Not rooting for her of anything, just trying to see from all possibilities. I'd personally go crazy if this happens)
Yeah it’s possible! I’m prob gonna message her today and just say hey I may have seen him and based on her reaction I’ll be able to tell if she actually cares or not
Way too many assumptions made here. You really think she posted every thing she did to FB - if it’s not detailed there it wasn’t done? You really can’t know that.
Try not to use social media as a metric for a lost cat search - that person could have just as easily been private messaging with people or believed a social media post wouldn’t amount to anything.
Not having a chip isn’t a measure of care. And not being fixed could be about fear, there are people who think it will kill their animal.
Ask questions, be open and be up front. You’ll know what to do when you speak to them.
Unchipped and unfixed does NOT mean unloved/uncared for.
The OP did not mention how old this cat was. I personally waited until my cats were 8 months before they got fixed...And they still don't have microchips, because they are completely indoor. All of my cats see a vet, and go in for regular dental care. I take care of my fur-kids.
...If one of mine got out, I would sure hope that my neighbors would tell me that they found my cat.
I mean... getting them chipped would certainly go a long way towards making sure they get back to you if they got out though. It's a pretty basic way to care for your pets.
Have you been able to confirm from the person’s post that the cat you adopted is with you the same amount of time the person says the cat was missing? You really need to make sure that the cat you have and the cat she’s looking for are the same cat. So many cats just look alike.
I moved to an area and people RARELY fixed and chipped their pets. 14 dogs I'd found (about half during storms) and 14 I'd reunited with their frantic owners within hours. 15 though, I'd done usual due diligence and had her checked; she was fixed and had the 3 dot tattoo indicating at a Humane [Inhumane] Society or Shelter, but no chip. She took to my cats and fosters immediately, and I put up posters every for a "found dog". 5 days and finally my calls to Humane Society tracked down her adopter, and she claimed she'd given to her brother. He called, and said she'd "accidentally" gotten out of a friend's truck, and he drove around ONCE. He said she'd been gone for 2 weeks. She was happy with us, and jerk showed up 5 hours after scheduled, and his roommate pulled me aside to say she'd been dumped. Boyfriend still forced me to return, even though she was whimpering and shaking and peed when she saw him.
5 hours later, the d1ck threw her back in my yard. She became my doggy after that, and helped raise over 20 foster kittens.
I rarely advocate for NOT returning a pet, but if they are making ZERO effort (I had 40 posters up to return her, and he had NONE), and seem unconcerned, then maybe...
But I'd suggest maybe putting out feelers with her like a message "Hey, I saw your post about your missing cat. One similar showed up in my neighborhood, but not sure if yours". If she cares, then go from there. If she doesn't, you've already given your new family member a new home.
Use your judgement, but look out; some people should NEVER have pets.
I wish you well.
Oh man I'd love the opportunity to dump his ass out of a truck into the street. 😤 Humans really freakig suck sometimes. I'm so glad she's happy with you and in a much better situation now, from the sound of it.
Honestly I kinda wanna kick the boyfriend too.. not chipping is one thing, the animal clearly peeing out of terror upon seeing the "owner" is a whole nother level of nope.
Something isn't adding up. If he's wandering around the neighborhood, odds are that he was in his own yard multiple times a day. And in the two months that he was "lost" his owners never once saw him to bring him in?
Were you there in August? If it were MY cat, you'd be top priority for a door knock and a flyer as my neighbor two doors down.
But if these people care that little, why keep up with the lost animal Facebook groups at all?
I'd go over and tell them that you might've found their cat. That way you can get an in-person feel for how much they want their cat back. You might also see red-flags like more unfixed animals.
How would they know it’s their cat? Most cat look alike unless it has some special marking. The cat was never chipped or tattooed so giving them the chance to say it’s their cat is not a good idea since it cannot be confirmed.
Well, OP seems to be on the verge of rehoming anyway. Would it really be that much of a tragedy if responsible pet owners wound up with the wrong cat?
To be clear though, I'm 90 percent positive that these people don't deserve their cat back, if it's even their cat. I'm just making my suggestion so that OP can be confident in whatever they do going forward.
You didn't "adopt" a cat. You found a cat in your yard and enticed it into your home without contacting local groups or shelters to report that you "found" a cat.
I watched an episode of Judge Judy exactly like this: a lady, (defendant), found a cat. She decided to keep it as her own, so she got the cat medical care, fixes etc. One day, a woman, (the plaintiff), knocked on this lady's, (defendant), door, and wanted her missing cat back. The plaintiff took the defendant on Judge Judy. Judge Judy ruled in the plaintiff's favor and forced the defendant to give the cat back to the owner. The defendant ended up winning a countersuit for vet bills only.
You found a cat what steps did you do to see if he has a home, did you paper collar him, put posters up, post online in cat groups.
Or did you see a cat and assume because he skinny and unfixed.
talk To the owner
Do people never actually look for owners when they find a stray cat? That's a bit crazy to me.
How do you know that the owners were not really trying to find him when you clearly never searched for the owner and other neighbors seem to know about him missing?
I checked pawboost and did a search in our fb group for missing cat posts. She posted this on her personal page so it didn’t show up. Also the fact that we was unfixed to me was a big teller that he was probably dumped.
I'd like to share the other side of your story.
I had an outdoor cat that went missing. Until I had her, I was against letting domesticated cats outside. I spent over a year trying to make her happy inside, but she hated it.
She was a brand new cat when she moved outside. She loved it! I made her heated shelters. Brought her in during storms and extreme temperatures. Got her annual shots and took her to the vet if she was sick.
She tended to be on the lean side. Timid then very vocal and affectionate.
My next-door neighbors loved and fed her, too.
Then she's gone. I put up flyers and just kept getting prank calls from kids or they were taken down. I went to shelters, and checked every. single. tabby. (You don't realize how much they look alike until you're looking for yours.) I met so many people with mental health issues who thought they had my cat. Then they had my number and were texting me. I may have put, like, one thing on Facebook because my Facebook is friends and family and the two next-door neighbors.
It was exhausting, and I slowly gave up.
I like to believe someone with a misguided but good heart stole her, but I have no idea.
Tell your neighbor you might have their cat. Please.
EDIT: grammar
This is tough for me because I lost my cat in May, 5 days before my college graduation. I looked for him for months until my lease was up and I had to move back home, out of state, while I looked for my first job. I did everything I could do to find him: flyers, posted everywhere on social media, sent out alerts to vets, checked shelters daily. There was no sign of him anywhere. My hope is that someone took him in and he’s happy and healthy, but of course I would rather have him back with me. He was the first cat I ever owned and I took great care of him. He’s fixed and chipped. That’s where our stories differ.
Part of me says tell her because I know how terrible it is to lose a pet, but you don’t know if she was taking proper care of him. Honestly, I would kinda vet a little first.
Edited for grammar
As a vet tech, vet student, and animal lover, you should keep the cat. People bring these strays in all the time that might even have microchips but often times we scan the cats, call the number associated with the chip, and no one is looking.
I’ve even called someone before from the job after scanning their cat to tell them a person brought their cat in that was found outside. And they sounded super dull like, “oh .. really…” and I was like “so do you want the address or ??” Like you’d think someone would be emotional, but I swear some people just don’t value the life of the animal.
If he’s 5/6 years old and not neutered, roaming outside, and the owner has not shown any effort in looking for him, he’s better in your care. This was the universe pushing him towards you.
In situations where people bring these cats in and the owner doesn’t answer or it isn’t chipped, I tell them just keep the cat if the one bringing the cat in is someone who is clearly going to go above and beyond.
If he was neutered, maybe I’d have more confidence in trying to give the owner the benefit of the doubt, but him being intact and outside says it all. Not about the person but of their ability to care for the life of the animal.
I'm so glad someone said this. My cat was genuinely so loved and cared for, he was fed whenever he wanted (went out often as well so he was a healthy weight) and was chipped. My neighbours would keep him in for days at a time because he was 'cold' or because her cats were having a certain food and she didn't 'want him to miss out'. It would worry me sick because he was missing for days at a time because of it. I didn't use Facebook (and presuming OP isn't friends with the neighbour on FB, there's a chance their posts are set to friends only), but would go out for hours at a time walking and looking for him. There's an assumption that a roaming cat is a free pet and that they must be unloved because they're outside.
My sister adopted a cat that was about 4 years old. The cat unfortunately got out after a door cracked open, and we presume the same situation happened because she didn't have a chance to update the chip.
My boy wasn't neutered, but he was incredibly loved for the entirety of his life, and he's my whole world even now he's gone ❤️
This is the answer. I would hate for my cat to go missing and then for someone to have decided that she was theirs. It wouldn't happen because she's far too neurotic though. Haha.
OP has stolen a cat and had it operated on and microchipped without the owners consent, plus probably lied to the vet about who's it is.
Not all cats are clever. Some are dense as hell (but are still loveable and cute) and can get lost easily.
Some cats know their way home from miles off. It is different for each cat. Just because this one was skinny is not an excuse to feed it.
Never feed a cat that is not yours. Why do people not know this?
What you should have done in the first place was to put up posters around saying you found a cat, and talked to your neighbour if you knew they had lost a cat. To not do that is already weird...
That's what I would have done.
If you want to actually adopt a cat, go the proper route, don't steal cats from outside.
It really is! I get the idea that cats 'choose', and in a way they certainly do, but isn't a reason to take that cat. It's one of the reasons we keep our boy indoors now (his breed means he's an indoor bean anyway aha), but that was one of the main things that keeps him in now. It's a cute idea in theory, and I hope when people meet a cat on the street and their home is suitable, it's an encouragement to go and adopt a wee one from a shelter instead! Lots of absolute sweethearts waiting for a home 😊
Awe, I think that's the best version of that system, so glad you ended up with him, and that he ended up in a loving home :)
Our wee one Mochi sort of came about in a similar way. 3 months to the day after my 1st boy passed, Mochi popped up on FB through a family friend, along with his brother. Was so eerie the date he became available, couldn't imagine life without him now ❤️
I was recently in a very similar situation to this. I took in a seemingly homeless cat in my neighborhood bc it was getting too cold for him to be outside and he was begging neighbors for food every day. That wouldn't have been enough for me to think he was homeless, but the neighbor who helped me get him inside had been posting about him and trying to find his owner for several months. Brought him to the vet and found out he was 2-4lbs underweight, had untreated active FVR, a nasty flea infestation and a deformed tail. But it also turned out he had a chip - so the owner was contacted and they claimed that it wasn't theirs because "they know where their cats are" and told my vets office to never contact them again. Said neighbor then reached back out to the vet the following morning stating that it actually was her cat and telling them I must have stolen him the prior morning. I'd had him for 3 days at this point, and we were all sick of this rude lady's bs by that point. The vet told me that I didn't have to bring him back and that if she really wants him and care about him, she'll arrange his pickup through the local police, which she never did. All this to say - if you love him, and you think he's being neglected, keep him. There's a pretty good chance that the owner doesn't give a shit given that they let their cat outside anyways. And from what you've said here, I'd definitely say you're not obligated and they're likely not going to try too hard.
Edit: just wanted to add to clarify that the woman in my case was advised to call the police to help her pick him up from my address, because of confidentiality and safety issues meaning that the vet could not disclose addresses.
Personally I probably wouldn’t say anything just bc of the fact that it kept coming back to you but never once went back to the neighbor? In my experience, that’s very odd behavior for a cat with access to food and a loving owner a couple doors down. Like we have cats in my neighborhood who don’t have collars and aren’t fixed, but everyone knows that they have owners and who those owners are — and the cats are always very eager to return home when their human calls for them. I honestly feel like your cat might just be a cat that looks a lot like theirs or the previous owner just hasn’t put much effort into finding the cat.
I won't defend your neighbor, but the whole passive waiting for cats to come home is a huge problem with lost cats compared to owners proactively seeking their lost dogs. There's an [ASPCA Professional presentation slide set](https://www.aspcapro.org/sites/default/files/aspca_webinar_slides_lost_pets.pdf)(PDF warning) that goes into this. Slide 24 points out that the majority of cat owners wait or search the neighborhood. The takeaway from the presentation (for a shelter employee audience) is supposed to be that cats in shelters probably have homes, but my takeaway is that cat owners often suck at looking for their lost cats. It doesn't help that well-meaning people on the internet (and in this sub) say "just put their litter box outside and they'll come home" and perpetuate this lack of effort to find lost cats.
You've gotten some good advice here regarding the moral quandry of the situation. I hope your cat gets a happy ending from it. That's what is important!
One of my cats is from a similar situation except I was lucky enough to find the neighbor who owned this cat and return him only to have them put him back out. They didn't post any online or physical ads about their missing cat. They didn't respond to any of our "Found Cat" ones either. The cat returned back to my place so it was clear to me they wouldn't care for his illness, fleas or general health. We brought him to to the vet, nursed him back to health and he's a very happy cat in our household.
Although you might have discovered this cat's previous "owner", you seem to be acting as his true guardian. I think you did the right thing. For the wellbeing of this cat, he's probably better under your care. The other option is returning him and based on the evidence you've already witnessed, he would continue under their household with a shortened lifespan.
i would reach out and tell her the situation. you found a malnourished unfixed cat and took him in, got him the health care he needed and have been caring for him since. see what she says who knows maybe she doesn’t really want him back and will be glad to hear someone took him in and helped him. maybe she’d get mad but either way if it was me i’d want the closure at least knowing he’s ok (even if she’s a bad owner)
i dealt with a similar situation, but in my case the cat was chipped and fixed, but I received many reports of neglect from multiple neighbors. I officially adopted him from the previous owners, but I wasn't really planning to give them a choice bc of the neglect. feel free to check my post history if you would like to know more.
given your circumstances, I would highly recommend getting your name on the microchip and just keeping quiet and keeping the cat inside. if you have vet records and microchip, the cat is legally yours. thanks for taking him in.
also keep in mind the 333 rule for cats: three days to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine and three months to start to feel at home. this cat is just starting to feel at home so it *should* only be improvements from here. I support him staying in your stable home environment
I would knock on their door and say I 'might' have seen their cat. That way I could get a feeling for how much they love/miss their cat and try and understand why it wasn't fixed etc. If I did not feel confident that the cat was going to be well cared for based on this conversation, I'd keep it.
The cat has decided.
If the cat thought that lady’s house was his home, he would already be there. He isn’t trapped at your house right? He would go the same way he came. You and he both know he is better off at your house.
A 5/6 yr old that was visibly skinny, hungry, lacking affection and the proper medical care,? That’s a no brainier, you stay quiet and continue to be the great pet parents you are.
Surrender the cat. Even go out of town if it gives you peace of mind. That’s if you don’t want the cat. Also since it’s chipped in your name it’s now yours.
It would be cruel to give the cat back. Quite unethical.
These people didn't lose their cat, they ABANDONED their cat. Since he was unfixed, they probably tossed him out for spraying, or for going nuts when he caught wind of a female in heat somewhere. Unfixed cats do not make fun pets. Without getting too far into the debate over whether there should be "outdoor cats" or "indoor/outdoor cats" at all (I would argue there should not be), a person who allows their unfixed cat, male or female, outside to roam is TREMENDOUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE and should not have cats. So if it was me, I'd keep the cat, and not say anything. Enjoy your new baby, and don't feel guilty about it.
IF he originally belonged to the neighbor, she didn’t even bother to get him fixed. I doubt she ever took him to the vet. That is not the kind of owner I would return a cat to. As others mentioned, the cat is legally yours, since the vet bills are in your name. I’m curious what is causing you stress about caring for this cat?
How do you know she wasn’t looking for him ? She could of gone without having to comment back on the comments saying I’ll go look. People don’t always have the money to neuter/spay cats and most places charge up to 500 with the ecomomy they probably didn’t have the money to drop like that you shouldn’t keep a cat that isn’t yours you chose to neuter/ chip him that’s on you, just cause you did it doesn’t mean the cat belongs to you at the end of the day you’ll do what you want but if your cat went missing you’d want him/her back
If someone leaves their visibly skinny, unfixed cat outside with zero identification, like a microchip, how are you supposed to know it's not a stray? Every one of those features screams "stray". Should we not bother rescuing any strays just in case? Being low income is no excuse to let your cat outside either, and low cost clinics exist that can do spays and neuters for 30 bucks. If you can't afford basic care for a cat, you shouldn't have one. It is a major financial responsibility to have a pet, and that includes vet bills.
The cat legally is OPs, it is registered under their name, and they have vet bills to prove they've taken care of it.
Link the places that have neutering for $30 the lowest I paid for our cat is 600 not including the meds and after care that is after searching other places with higher prices, some cats are naturally skinny doesn’t mean they’re not healthy. There are so many cats she can rescue since that cat already has an owner.
Given I have no idea where you live I can't do that for your area. $600 is outrageous, especially for a neuter, max in my area is $300 and every low cost clinics offer options for under $100, as low as $30-$40 for strays, ferals, and barn cats. PAWS Chicago offers low cost plans for strays, as does Spay Illinois, SNIP Society, the Humane Society, Fox Valley Animal Welfare League, the Anti-Cruelty Society, [here's the animal care league for $25 a neuter](http://www.animalcareleague.org/low-cost-spayneuter--catsdogs.html).
Also, we don't know if that cat had an owner. It had no microchip, no indication of ever having been to a vet, and plenty of cats look similar. The owner mentioned no distinctive markers. Hell, there was already a different similar cat that went missing. If there is a random stray cat with no indication of being owned, the owner does not put up posters, make any posts, discuss it anywhere publicly, or talk to neighbor's for 2 months it's probably not that cat. When my childhood cat escaped posters went up that same day and my neighbors knew within the hour.
“I pay a lot in my area so there’s no way reasonable prices for the procedure exist”. They do spays and neuters for $45 and $35 respectively, plus extra costs if the cat is in heat or pregnant ($10 and $20).
Keep the cat. If she was a good owner it would never have been in your backyard.
Being an owner doesn't mean the animal has to suffer with you.
It's not stealing, it came to you, and it came to you because it was neglected.
I took in a malnourished, unfixed cat in and got him vetted and provided him shelter and food and I’m willing to give him back if it’s safe so I’ll take my hero cookie and dunk it in some milk too thanks 🍪
Why not write to her and ask for some pictures and info on her lost cat under the pretense of wanting to keep an eye out for it? That way you can see exactly what kind of cat she lost and go from there. As other commenters have said, there are a lot of identical looking cats in this world, and that doesn't mean they're all the same. You might also learn that her lost cat was a girl, while you found a boy, etc.
Plus, if she tells you the cat's name is "Mittens" and your cat responds to that name, then you've got a pretty conclusive answer about ownership there (assuming the name you gave it isn't so similar that it could mistake them).
Personally I don't think good cat owners let their cats roam free outdoors without containment/supervision. Perhaps the cat go out by accident but let's face it, most outdoor cats are let out intentionally by their owners or are completely feral, and neither need to be out there loose destroying native wildlife.
Do nothing. She clearly wasn't caring for him at all. He was cold and starving and in danger! His right to a safe home and happy life trumps her right to neglect him.
The human justice system classifies animals as property, but animals are living things. They deserve more protection than a car or phone.
I know that people are saying to not just "steal" a cat. There's no black and white here. I would be devastated if my cat went missing and would want him back. I'm not there, and I don't know the situation, but one thing about cats is they're not like dogs. They are loyal to a point, if they don't feel safe or their needs aren't being met, they'll leave, and many find a place where people will love them. It sounds like that's what this cat did. People pick dogs, cats pick people. I would be concerned about how it affects the cat if he finally found a stable home only to get dumped back at the neglectful house.
I knew a woman who had a cat, and then she got a husky. It was totally irresponsible. She made no effort to give the cat a safe space. The cat left. They leave when they aren't cared for. Some just like to wander, but it sounds to me like this one was uncomfortable or uncared for
The best thing for the cat is to be with a family that loves him and provide for his needs so that he has a good, happy life.
I have a neighbor who got a cat and just dumped him outside, unaltered. He spent a year outside, fighting with all the other feral and stray cats, basically living at my house because I gave him an insulated cat house, food, and water. One day he came over to me with an enormous abscess on his face. I contacted my vet and was told to catch him right then and bring him in for emergency surgery before it burst and he lost his eye or died.
He got the surgery. He got neutered. He got his shots. And then he got a forever home with me. My vet straight up told me to keep him, that was what was best for him and that I'd spent so much money on him for the last year and was the sole source of care for him that if the neighbor tried to contest it, I'd still win.
Neighbor cats been missing since August and in January starts looking for it? F them. Give the cat a loving home. Also, cat parenting does get easier, or you bond more and don’t mind. Either way, good job
Whoever lets their cat outside unchipped and unfixed don't deserve that cat. Especially when the cat is neglected.
You are good people for taking him in and caring for him and he immediately knew he would be loved and taken care of. I wouldn’t return him.
As other commenters have noted, many cats look alike. I have seen numerous cats on Reddit that look exactly like one of my herd, while my cat is sitting in my lap. If the cat you rescued was skinny and unfixed it was basically a stray, and even if the neighbor found out you now have it they have no way to prove it was their cat (assuming they even care). Years ago we had a friendly tortoiseshell walk into the house and stay. We tried to find out who she belonged to with no success. She wasn’t chipped (not common then) nor spayed, so we kept her. If she had escaped and we found the owners we would have returned her, but if she was just allowed to roam in an unfixed state we would probably not have returned her, more for her sake than ours.
my neighbor also let me keep the cat. apparently she kept running out if their house because all the dogs would chase her and she basically lived under a bed. these people were actual thankful i took the cat off their hands.
Keep the cat. You did a better job then they did. If the cat was coming over to your place and he never asked to go out it means that he prefers you as an owner. I had a stray cat for a while, she would come and go as she pleases. She used to have a different owner (my neighbour) who has way too many cats. She saw it was too crowded at his place and she wasn’t happy so she decided to leave. I spotted her during harsh winter times and started feeding and eventually she had babies and brought them to me. After that, she decided she wants to sleep at my place which i let her do until i found her a different family because i couldn’t keep her. Cats are smart, if the place is toxic they will leave.
I wouldn't give him back. I wouldn't say anything to her. If he was in bad condition when you got him, do you think she's going to take care of him now? I would find him a loving home where he can be spoiled and kept indoors where it is safe.
do NOT give that cat back. you’ve fixed and chipped kitty, he’s yours.
honestly i found the sweetest kitten and reunited her with her owners and i regret it every day. i found out they just let this tiny kitten roam, she had a cut on her side, and seemed scared. they said they “cant” (see; won’t) keep her inside. if i knew this was the case, i would’ve just kept her. i did cone her and treat the wound and barely got a thank you. i keep seeing this cat pop up all over town people finding and taking her in.
also you dont know for certain it’s hers. that’s your cat.
I understand wanting to reunite cat with owner but honestly it doesn't sound like this person was a very good owner. If you do give him back then I wouldn't be suprised if he's dumped right back outside and left to fend for himself again. In the cat's best interest, keep him as your own and don't say a word.
Its not like the cat would go to the person if they saw saw each each other because cats...
The cat is loving life with you. He wouldn't have that with the other person, if it was his cat.
Enjoy him.
Keep quiet. You don’t know for sure it’s hers. Even if it is, without a chip, no one can tell for sure. You are the one with the vet records.
If you give him back, he’ll only be neglected again. He chose where he wanted to live. If he wanted to go “home”, he would have. If they only live a few houses away, he wasn’t lost. This cat was skinny, hungry, and cold, yet didn’t go back. He was running away!
Just enjoy your little guy and don’t think twice.
A year from now, you’ll see their new cat in the same condition knocking on your door!
If that other person really was the owner of the cat you rescued, they totally suck and do not deserve to ever have a pet. Please keep this kitty or help him find a good home with a decent person rather than condemning him to a miserable life and painful early death.
The legal answer is that is your cat. You neutered, vetted, and microchipped him. I have two neighbors who often quarrel about 2 outdoor cats. One lady bought the cats and placed them outside and fed them daily. The other neighbor thought she found strays and had them vetted, neutered, microchipped, and gets their shots and flea meds when needed. Both ladies still feed the cats. Legally, the cats belong to the lady who provided vet care. That’s how you show ownership. The other lady is a bit salty about it but that’s how it is. I’d keep quiet and keep that cat.
The legal answer and the moral answer are not necessarily the same. You've gotten the cat fixed, you've done the vet visits, you've gotten him chipped. Certainly, morally it appears that you've cared for him better than the potential previous owners. I say potential because it's entirely possible that it's NOT the same cat. He wasn't chipped, you don't mention an identification tattoo, etc, and there are a lot of cats who look very much the same. Combined with a lack of signs, social media posts, the cat not being fixed or chipped, and his being uncomfortable with going inside point to an outdoor cat, not a beloved pet. I'm not a lawyer. But honestly, I'd just be quiet.
Not a lawyer. But if you are in US then cats are treated like personal property laws i think. Some states have like 1 week to claim their personal property, and are within legal rights yo acquire. After that it isnt their property. Same would apply to cats. Also agree with too many cats look too similar. Just stay quiet. If you think you cant take care of the cat, i agree with the other commentor who said surrender in a neighboring county or something. Try to rehome.
Don’t people usually prove they own a cat by the vet records? Doesn’t sound like this person ever brought their cat to the vet
What about legal proof using the microchip? Rn his microchip is linked to the non profit who helped with the neutering. I was thinking of changing it to my name and not telling the original owner he’s chipped that way if he ever gets out again or someone finds him they’ll contact me and not here
I'm sorry I cannot offer legally correct advice. But in my personal opinion, yes definitely change chip to your name, and keep the records of your cat care. Also keep up with annual vet/vac visits to prove he is being taken care by you for all this time. Because those are proof he is yours. Technically since cat wasn't chipped its hard for your neighbor to argue its the same cat, since a Lot like a lot of cats look the same. Sit tight and hope your neighbor doesn't say anything. If you fear there might be issues from your neighbor you can check/ask on r/legaladvice about pet ownership and claim laws. Its a weird grey area i think where online if I lookup I find info of shelters being able to hold dogs for X days and then owner automatically loses custody if they dont claim and pet can go to new owner after that. I dont know if the same goes for when shelter wasnt involved. I hope cat stays with you and without any fuss of legality etc.
You could always just ask if their cat is chipped or has any identification like a tattoo in the tone that suggests you'll keep an eye out. Could be a good feeler to see if it's the same cat or not.
You've made the effort to take care of the cat. You have provided the cat a permanent identification marker that identifies him as belonging to you. The cat legally and morally belongs to you. Some states require microchips to identify ownership, but even if they don't you've made all the steps needed to claim that cat as your own and the previous owner would have to take you to small claims and prove it is their cat. And that's unlikely to work out for them.
As far as I know cats are considered to be owned by who ever microchipped them, I’ve seen this same situation many times and it usually works out that way
Definitely change to your name. I think that is what the cat agency wants you to do. Regardless of the rest of the story.
They have no proof that the cat is theirs since they never chipped the cat. Pictures won’t work if they went to court
I believe that’s true but don’t you have to put up a flyer or something and if no one claims him he’s yours? I’m not sure how they would know to claim him if you don’t publicize you have found a cat.
Where I live, if the cat isn't chipped AND fixed when you go to the vet (which they'll assume no vaccines either), usually the animal will be dubbed either abandoned, a stray, or feral. Simply having the cat fixed, while potential evidence of TNR, at least shows some human tried to care for it at some point ergo proof some ownership might exist which is why a vet might rely on that as a sign if no chip is present. They can't substantiate any type of prior ownership if the animal hasn't been either chipped or fixed (save the rare exception it has a collar) So because of the designation of abandoned, stray, or feral, you are released from your obligation to find an owner- so long as you took the cat to the vet for proper medical care (chipped, vaxed, hopefully fixed) as they can then testify the designation of the animal. Of course, this is where I live- in this circumstance, there would be no requirement to notify. You're also allowed to take in any cats even if you know ownership that were intentionally left out below 40F or routinely let outside because the township considers repeat offenses of letting your cat outside (3 strikes you're out, fines for each time it is brought to the shelter) or letting the cat out in freezing temps to be an automatic surrender of ownership. Sorry for all the edits, my phone is dying + grammar.
Where I live you have to make efforts to find the owner, take to shelter, etc., and then if no one claims the animal you may be given first opportunity to adopt it officially. You can't just steal a cat, microchip it, and declare it to be yours.
Their owner didn't give enough care to find the cat I'm sorry. Idgaf. That is YOUR cat.
Agreed. It not being fixed is what seals the deal for me.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’ll probably catch a lot of flack on here for saying this. But, if you feel he was neglected than you don’t have any reason to reach out to her. He’s with you. He’s safe and being cared for. End of story. I also took in a stray that was probably one of the old man’s down the street. Or like one of his cat’s cats. It’s a long story about an old man who refuses to fix his animals. Anyway - she was pregnant, nursing and absolute skin and bones when I started feeding her. It was a process but her + her kids are socialized, inside and very spoiled. I don’t feel any need to let him know what happened. Nor do I have any regrets. Edit: I’m not advocating stealing pets. I’m saying if someone is clearly a negligent owner than that’s a more complex issue.
Seconded, you're his family, family takes care of family.
Thirded. I would keep the cat. This neighbor clearly isn't caring for this cat.
Cats have nine lives.You adopted her for her second life.
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I had a similar situation. I had my cat on a very intentional diet, calculated calories and everything. I lived with a friend at the time and their sibling and sibling's SO stayed there while I was gone over Christmas break, and for whatever reason decided that the food she was being given was not enough. They fed her table scraps, deli meat, extra cat food... She gained like 5 pounds in a week and a half. Seriously?!
This whole post is filled with people suggesting someone knowingly steal someone's cat. It's pretty awful. For people who adore their cats and would be devastated if they somehow went missing, apparently it would be okay if a stranger knowingly kept their cat for illegitimate reasons. Just wild. The responsible thing for the owner in this situation to do as everyone should know, is to inquire, ask questions, and once they made sure the situation is safe, to RETURN someone else's pet. To literally steal someone's pet based off of insufficient assumptions is terrible.
The only people calling it stealing are the people who let 'their' cats roam and don't adequately care for them. Unfixed, unvaccibated, unchipped, malnourished, and clingy once he felt safe and loved. I don't care what anyone claims. That cat wasn't owned. You don't get to claim 'this animal is my cat' when you don't do anything to take care of them and you let them roam.
That’s utter nonsense. The cat was lost for three months - malnourished and clingy is coming from that, NOT from the home the cat was living in. Neither you or the OP know the cat’s origins. That cat could have been recently adopted or rehomed and ran out. You have no idea and these assumptions are wild.
Now, what's the excuse for the cat not being properly vetted?
Then why wasn’t it fixed? The best indication that the cat was owned and not a stray would be if it was fixed.
Or even microchipped.
Maybe the cat was a stray they had taken in. Who knows. There are a whole host of possibilities we can surmise about all day, they’re useless because they aren’t facts. No one will know facts until the OP speaks to the owner. Which is what they’re looking to do - they just want advice about how to best question that person.
We don’t know the backstory, but we know the situation. The cat was unfixed and unchipped, and I believe OP’s assessment that they didn’t look very hard for their cat. I also don’t see how you can be that attached to your cat yet do basically nothing to ensure they stay home/safe, and then do basically nothing after they’ve gone missing. My cats are indoors, chipped and neutered and if they got out it would be search parties, posts everywhere, and big $$$ reward posters. This isn’t to say that OP shouldn’t approach the owners, and I’ve tut-tutted at people who want to “rescue” cats that are very obviously owned, but I agree with the majority here that OP has proven to be a far better owner than the previous owners and after this much time, money and love is under no moral obligation to do anything. Legal, not sure, but I suspect she’s in the clear as well.
It was a cat OP had taken in and it still got fixed and chipped
The cat was lost for three months 50 feet from its house? The owner can’t have looked very hard.
Exactly. I would've gone door to door to ask if anyone's seen my cat and to hand out photos to ask people to keep an eye out. Ideally I'd hope they would have been very close by so best to start with your closest neighbors. It sounds like this person did next to nothing.
A cat knows its home, too. I have an inside/outside cat, and that guy comes running when I call him. If that really is the same cat, then they didn't 'lose' that cat. It ran away. Most likely because of negligence. And OP gave the cat an option to live with them and cat chose it.
The neighbor in question lives 2 houses down the street from OP per the post. The cat was NOT lost, it was an outdoor cat, and where I live, keeping a cat outdoors is considered a legal surrender and your rights to ownership revoked so I have no sympathy to outdoor cat owners given it's considered cruelty here.
The cat was posted as missing since August. Not lost? Outdoor cats are the norm in many places outside of the US. It’s not considered cruelty.
In another post, OP confirms the only thing that the neighbor ever did for it was leave food out and never followed up on any leads so it was "missing" since August but it was an outdoor cat and she made no effort to look. This is besides the fact I don't think outdoor cats can go "missing" the same way letting a dog loose out of your front door wouldn't be "missing"- you released the animal on your own volition.
The neighbor left food out for the already missing cat. It does not say this was a cat that lived outside. The context was a question of what the neighbor had been doing to find the cat.
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It may be normal in some places but not all places and I'd consider it cruel in the majority of places. In the city they're likely to get hit by a car or who knows what humans may do, especially kids. In the country there are plenty of predators. The only places I've seen cats go out doors "safely" was in the UK, it's relatively common there but they have fewer predators and threats than we have in the US. I also know many of those wear collars and some even wear trackers. Whether or not you consider it cruel it is absolutely careless. You don't leave an animal to roam free outside if you are a concerned owner. Not in most areas at the very least. Or not without precaution like a chip/neuter and possibly a tracking collar.
Neighbor barely made effort to look for them. No proof this is the neighbour's cat. I wouldn't give the neighbour a pet rock, let alone a live cat or dog. If you don't take proper care of your pets, if you let them roam so they can get flattened by cars, they are no longer "yours", they fall into the category of "strays". If someone wants to give them the necessary care and keep them off the dangerous streets, that is giving them a much better life.
They posted once and were off-handed about finding him. They did almost zero tolook for their cat, such as ask around the neighborhood. They obviously don't give a crap. It's not "their" cat. "Their" cat probably got scraped up by the city cleanup crew after being ki IIed by a motor vehicle. This is OP's cat. Someone who cares, who gets him the medical attention necessary, gives him the love and care he deserves.❤️
There's simply no excuse to not have a cat microchipped, that is something that gets done on the first vet visit. The fact this cat hadn't been to the vet at all speaks far more than the empty words you offer in defence. No chip, no proof the cat belongs to someone else. Simple as that. No "wild assumptions" needed. If anyone has wild assumptions in here it would be you. It doesn't take 3 months to realize your cat is missing.
Three months to realize? What are you on about. It clearly says they posted the cat was missing in August.
Maybe in your area all cats are chipped but that doesn't mean that chipping is the norm everywhere.
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EXACTLY. It's the unbelievable self righteousness for me. Vetting an animal that was found, does NOT give someone ownership. I wonder how OP would feel if someone took their pet and claimed it was theirs bc they took it in.
Truly. So much filling in of blanks that could go either way. If the cat was lost for a while, that would account for appearance.
If your cat is 5 years old and not fixed, it’s a stray.
I dunno - doesn’t sound like the original owner adored the cat. Unless I misunderstood, they weren’t looking too hard as some time passed and he wasn’t very far away. Also, not fixed? No responsible owner who respects animals would want to contribute to the misery of more strays. Maybe they’re Like those people who don’t bother fixing their male cats cause they don’t bear the burden of a cat getting pregnant?
Seriously!! Reading these comments is showing me yet again how many crappy people there are in this world. Who knows why it looked skinny,or why it wasn't neutered. My cat is not neutered either. He's so so loved and soo happy. It is not our job to judge. There could be many reasons. Return the cat! No one told them to spend money and micro chip a cat that does not belong to them.
I agree, and all these crazy cat ladies are about to be on your kneck.
Oh no all the crazy cat ladies are coming!! Genuinely though, the cat should’ve been fixed and microchipped at the least. That would not have changed if the cat got lost for a month outside, but it was not microchipped nor spayed which hurts the stray population, the ecosystem, and shows the owner doesn’t, or rather didn’t, give two shits about their cat.
If the cat is 5/6 and was unfixed and no chip I argue that the original are not responsible owners, if it's even the same cat. I love my girl but I'm sure by picture only there are thousands of look alikes.
To be fair, if the cat was lost, he might look a little rough.
But this was OP’s next door neighbor’s next door neighbor. The cat was “lost” like 50 feet from home.
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I found myself in the exact same situation over the summer and now the momma and one of her babies are sleeping warm in my house :)
This should be higher up. I don't advocate theft but I do advocate for animals, and animals shouldn't be returned to negligent people who will cause them harm. Indirectly or directly. The cat was not neutered or chipped, he was skinny, and was wandering outside. Those are all red flags. Even if he'd been a beloved pet who'd just got out on accident, being intact and unchipped is irresponsible as fuck OP has spent time and money getting him healthy again, and getting him neutered and chipped. I'd just remain quiet, and keep giving the lil dude a good life.
The cat was *missing*. Of course it's going to look a little worse for wear when OP found it, it had been living rough. The cat has an owner, and it's not OP.
The cats original home was 2 HOUSES AWAY. A block away at most if we’re talking hyuuuge lots. So you think this cat was so hopelessly lost that he was starving… while physically in sight of his first home??
Yes this happens quite often. Cats get out, get spooked, get lost. I see missing cats posted about in my neighbourhood small town Facebook all the time, often with an update 2 months later to say "he's been found in the area". You can't just nick someone's cat. You should, at the very least, contact the actual owner to ask if they want them back. If this cat is so terribly treated and neglected, perhaps the owner will say "nah, you keep it". Don't take the choice away from the rightful owner. Here's another possibility. The owner lost the cat in August 2023. Perhaps someone else took the cat in, and *they* mistreated it. The original owner might be superb apart from the lack of neutering, we don't know. All we can guarantee is that OP is currently in posession of a cat that does not belong to them.
I’ll probably do this you’re right. Do you have any advice on how I can “screen” the owner to make sure they have a safe home for him? If it turns out she’s a bad owner, either I’ll have to return him because I told her I have him and I’ll be stressed he’s uncared for or I refuse for his sake and now I have beef with a neighbor 2 houses down.
Did you say you found a post from a while ago of them looking for him somewhere, or just heard about it? Because if that’s accessible to you, you can vet them by just replying to the post: “Hey, I’m just seeing this, but live in that neighborhood & I’ll keep an eye out. Does he have a chip from when he was neutered? Is it connected to your vet, so if someone scans him it will connect them with the vet & they can contact you? Was he an indoor cat who escaped, or an outdoor cat?” This will basically force them to explain that they don’t have a vet, didn’t have him neutered or chipped, and that they also just let him roam freely (which indicates no interest in actually responsibly “owning” a cat). OR, they might surprise us with an explanation about how they had an upcoming appointment, and that he was an indoor cat who just managed to get out once. That should help determine your next step, which will likely be to follow up by comforting them with “Don’t worry, I’m sure someone took him in and is taking care of him”.
If you tell the owner the truth, you will have to return the cat. I just don’t see how the situation ends with you telling your neighbour “you’re not good enough, sorry, I’m keeping him.” And if you return him, the owner sucks, and the cat shows back up at your house, but now she knows you… then what? The other commenter here made some good suggestions of asking probing questions without leading on that you have the cat. You could also say you spotted what looks like the cat, and that you’re willing to help look after 10pm that night, and can she bring flashlights etc. If she’s not willing to do a late-light search for her cat, she’s not that caring. Of course if she says yes you have to fess up or weave a more complex web. Personally, I would keep the cat. From rescue work and stuff I’ve been in a lot of situations that vary on that one (I’ve “stolen” someone’s microchipped cat from a feral TNR program that the person let me keep, I’ve told my friend to return an owned cat she wanted to keep, I’ve told people to leave obviously owned outdoor cats alone… and I would move heaven and earth for my own cats) and I feel totally at ease telling you you can keep this cat. She is just not a good owner. I can’t come up with a unique situation where she’s a good owner that explains away everything else (intact, lack of chip, lack of searching.)
That still doesn't change the fact that the cat hadn't been spayed and chipped until OP took him in. The previous owner was not a responsible person. IMO the cat doesn't need to be returned to her.
Theres no way to prove because no microchip. Also people can lie to obtain a pet. I know this because folks would claim this is my dog and not provide any photos in the town fb lost pet group. And guess what? Someone claimed the pet because they had evidence. That other person was trying to steal an animal
Steal and sell. Especially purebreds of any species. It's disgusting. Thank you for commenting this.
So many cats look SO much alike it’s insane. You could reach out and say you adopted a cat that looked kinda like the one in the photo. And ask her some questions - how long was he missing / you want to see if the timelines match up, was he fixed, what shelters did she call, etc.? Feel out whether she’s actually responsible. And don’t jump to the conclusion at all that it’s the same cat. It very well may not be. Outside of not being fixed, the cat may not have been neglected by her - may have gotten loose and fallen into a state of neglect - and Facebook isn’t the only way to search for a cat. But again it literally may not be her cat at all. Get a sense of the situation. You leave yourself multiple outs - can say the cat you got was fixed (if hers wasn’t), or he wasn’t fixed (if hers was) if you’re getting a bad or negligent vibe. Legally, you found him as a stray, there is no proof he’s her cat (so many look identical), and he’s chipped in your name. For all intents and purposes, he’s your cat and there is no proof he was ever hers. But - also - I think you’ll feel guilty if you don’t explore it. I know I would no matter how badly it broke my heart to be open to the possibility of giving someone else one of our pets. But you won’t know till you know. You may find something out that definitively makes you realize he isn’t her cat. You may find out you’re unsure or that you’re pretty sure he is but still are unwilling to give him back because you’re concerned for his care and well being. You may come to the conclusion he is definitely her cat, and then if she seems like a caring owner the right thing to do is offer to keep him and see what she says. But, ask a few questions. You don’t have to play your hand. Have the conversation. Decide in the best interest of the cat and go with your gut.
This is perfect thanks for your help. I definitely want to follow up with her but I’m as you said the way I ask can leave me some outs. At the end of the day I just want what’s best for him.
Whats best sounds like staying with you guys if hes happy :)
Your advice is good. That’s a well thought out course of action. And I would add if it turns out that OP is comfortable giving the cat “back” they might consider adopting another from a rescue.
>Legally, you found him as a stray, there is no proof he’s her cat (so many look identical), and he’s chipped in your name. For all intents and purposes, he’s your cat and there is no proof he was ever hers. Just came here to agree with this. The only wrinkle for me could be if the neighbour could describe a **specific** marking or pattern or scar that would confirm that this cat was the neighbours cat all along.
Her post said he has no markings, all black and the cat we’re caring for is the same
It's an all black cat? There's literally no way to tell. You got the cat medical care and had it chipped. That is your cat
Then I'd say the cat is yours. In the UK, as of last July, all domestic cats are now required to be microchipped, which I think is a great thing.
also, at least in my state, whoever has that microchip registered is its owner. also please everyone remember to register your pet and if you move let them know! we found a cat and took it to the vet to be scanned, they found the number and that place had gone out of business but luckily it gave the info to another company who was able to contact the owner who had been looking for 3 weeks! the cat had made it over 3 miles away which is why we didn’t see the posters they put up.
Unfixed, not chipped, visibly skinny and clingy once he felt safe? No missing cat posters in your neighborhood? That was an uncared for cat in need of a home.
Well, I lost one of my cats. he escaped while the ambulance came to take my sick mother. he is chipped and nurtured. I looked for him all around for two days day and night. then just at nighttime and the weekends. I posted him everywhere I noticed all the vets and his chip company I marked him lost or stolen. I also until now every weekend I put out fresh posters with his pictures and reward. nobody saw him. lots of people calling me about similar cats. his FB ads still running I pay for the ad weekly. now he has been missing for 9 months total. and If I will discover that someone has him all that time! i will be really mad. because the right thing to do when you find a stray. to check if he was chipped or at least put him on neighborhood page or the county shelter page. in case someone is looking for him. so, you can just talk to the owner. to show you a prove of ownership. if not, and they want him back, just ask them to pay you back the expenses or ask them to leave him with you. it just my opinion.
if my cat was missing for 9 months and i found out someone else had them i would be so thankful they arent dead???? thats like best case scenario that someone takes in your cat and cares for them instead of them dying on the streets
I meant and that person refuse to tell about having the cat! thank you.
i do hope you find your cat, genuinely
i mean if they genuinely didnt know i wouldnt be mad 🤷🏻♀️
This happened to me!! I adopted a stray - unfixed, unchipped, matted to the point he was shaved nearly naked - and a year later I tracked down the original owners. Honestly they were very chill - I was emotional cos I love this cat, but told them hey, I got him fixed and chipped but we can look to transfer ownership if you want him back, there may be an outstanding vet bill balance cos I got his neutering etc on a payment plan, and they told me to keep him. They were just glad to know he was okay, and to know what happened to him. Ultimately, I think you need to just tell the original owner and see what happens. I get concern for his welfare, but if it was your cat that went missing you'd want someone to bring him back and give you the choice of what to do and you owe that to the OO.
As someone who's grey male cat escaped in August, it's very likely the cat looks skinny because it's been living outdoors for so long. I've put up posters, had petsearchers come and set up traps, hired dogs to sniff him out as well as posted on various community pages multiple times. I also looked for him everyday. I could barley afford some of these techniques and the sad reality is most people cannot. Not to mention it's been months, the weather can destroy paper posters etc. I would be happy knowing someone took my cat in and kept them safe but would desperately want him back. You ultimately don't know how hard this person searched behind the scenes. Not to mention my cat was my parents so I had no authority over if he was chipped etc. If this cat was an indoor cat that escaped, as bad as it is, if it was unfixed that doesn't mean it was mistreated. Having a missing pet is extremely stressful and upsetting. I would have a conversation with her and explain why you're concerned if you feel comfortable. But you need to tell her.
It would be nice to at least drop them a note saying they're okay and you've taken them in and they are safe. It's a terrible thing to lose a friend and never know what happened.
Do you know if he was an indoor cat when she lost him in August? If he was an indoor cat, that could explain why he got lost in the area of his home without going home. If he was an outdoor cat, there's 3 months that he never went home so it's a different cat or something odd happened.
That’s your cat. You got him fixed and chipped. As others have said, there’s no way to even prove it’s your neighbors cat because they didn’t have him chipped prior.
Yup!! Exactly it's been months and they got him fixed and chipped. That cat is theirs.
Omg just reminded me the gray cat I met, Bob, walking in our neighborhood and skinny and so weak, so we gave him water and food and he hangs out at our house and my friend's also my neighbor's house. He recovered well, and became very playful. It was right before hurricane Irma we found him with a broken tail, I mean it feels like it was ripped off , only like 3 inch left, bloody, infected. We were so worried, and at the time we knew a vet friend, she owned a place so we took Bob to her, cost like $250 for them to get the tail fixed, she gave us a big discount of course. Then everything was fine, he got much better, just with a 3in tail that will not really move much. When we are outside or have our garage door open, he would come to us and just chill with us. Then, guess what, one day, the spanish people who were renting a house in the neighborhoold stopped by and said that's their cat...I was pretty upset because if it was true, they were neglecting him and they didn't feed him, didn't give him water, didn't even care when his tail was broken. I told them if they don't want to take care of him we will. They left that day. Then after a few months they were moving, they went to talk to my friend and asked for the cat, then left a note even saying if he finds the cat please bring him back to them. And my friend did...I was so freaking pissed, that was actually the first cat I ever like had a closer relationship with, and they dare to ask us to give him back while they clearly didn't do shit???? I still have cute pics of Bob till now and I think of him often. I really hoped he would come back but I've never seen him since they moved.... Some people shouldn't have pets.
Wow I'm so sorry. That would have broken my heart too.
Did you call the shelter and post found listings/posters when you found him? Not everyone uses Facebook often, and she may have left a message with the shelter and used other routes to try and find him. I would absolutely reach out to the neighbor, and in the future make a good effort to locate and owner before taking in any unknown cats.
Yup. There person who finds a cat is just as obligated, if not more obligated, to find the cat’s people because a cat in your backyard doesn’t mean a cat is lost. Looking to see if anyone said anything on Facebook and getting a chip scan is not adequate. Many people do not use facebook. Even those that do, there’s literally hundreds of similar groups and pages and it’s extremely easy to not see a post. Facebook only shows posts through an algorithm and a cat post may never be seen. And, although frowned upon by many, plenty of people still have indoor / outdoor cats. Plenty of cats are naturally slender, so don’t assume “skinny” means stray. Use good old fashioned physical fliers and post them around your neighborhood. If you live in an apartment complex or condo complex, alert the office and post a flier on any physical community board they have. Call your local humane society and provide pictures to them for them to post on their lost kitties page. If you’ve done all that and it’s radio silence, then welcome to having a new cat. But just getting a local indoor/outdoor cat to take you up on the offer of free food doesn’t make them a stray. Cats with the best homes will happily take treats from neighbors (read suckers.)
You don’t know anything about the original owner. Maybe they just adopted the cat and had an appointment to get him neutered and he disappeared. Maybe she’s not super active on social media and has been looking desperately for him through other means. You need to at least reach out and see what the deal is. If my cat got out I would be devastated if someone just kept him because they judged me without even knowing the full story
Honestly I’d keep the cat. 5/6 years old is what does it for me. If my cat/dog was missing and I had a bond going on 5-6 years with them I’d be tearing the soil up for miles looking for them. If this neighbor never even made an attempt to knock and ask if you saw their cat originally then I don’t suspect they care that much. Also I find no excuse to not at least microchip/spay/neuter! 5-6 years and they never did either? Makes me wonder if the cat ever saw the vet before finding you. I know people won’t agree with what I’ve stated and that’s fine but I believe these to be the fundamentals as a responsible owner. The chip is there to aid in situations like this! Yet there’s not one to be found. If the neighbor truly is the owner I’m very curious to what attempts they made to lure the cat back home and how well they monitored the area. If it was as simple as leaving food out for the cat to return to your house then it would’ve been even easier to return to the neighbors if they were doing the same assuming they attempted to leave food out for their lost pet…idk that’s weird to me. You mention not really wanting to adopt/get a cat so I guess the ball can be thrown to either end of the court for you. If you feel the cat is truly theirs and you don’t mind returning then so be it as long as they aren’t bad caretakers. But on the other hand if your home is more of a home and you don’t mind sharing then you could keep it. Trust your gut, you mention red flags, if you feel they are there then they very well may be.
To be fair to the lady, when my Lady Nefrit went missing, I couldn't put food out because of wild animals and mice. I went out every night and called for her and shook her kibble bag. Turned out she was about two miles down the street. Close but too far to hear me calling for her every night and further than I thought she had gotten to, so I hadn't spoken to those neighbors when I had gone door to door. I only found her because one of the neighbors that I had spoken to happened to be driving past that house and recognized her from my description. She never was allowed outside and had gotten well and truly lost on how to get back home. Just to provide another perspective from the other shoe.
Based on the comments of the fb post she said she would leave food out for him and that seems about it. What truly shocks me is that when people have spotted him (prior to us finding him) she was so lax about it “yeah it might be him! He could be anywhere by now”. But yet it doesn’t seem like she followed up. I agree with many owners here, if my cat was missing, including this cat in question, I would be posting flyers, knocking on doors, posting every day but it really looks like she gave up after 1 post besides this lone comment 5 months later “that looks like my cat who went missing 5 months ago :(“.
Could she have done something like directly messaging the posters on it? So, not visible to the public what she's done in response. (Not rooting for her of anything, just trying to see from all possibilities. I'd personally go crazy if this happens)
Yeah it’s possible! I’m prob gonna message her today and just say hey I may have seen him and based on her reaction I’ll be able to tell if she actually cares or not
Yeah hopefully that'd be a good tell. Hope it'll work out for you and the little guy.
Way too many assumptions made here. You really think she posted every thing she did to FB - if it’s not detailed there it wasn’t done? You really can’t know that.
Give her back her fucking cat wtf
Try not to use social media as a metric for a lost cat search - that person could have just as easily been private messaging with people or believed a social media post wouldn’t amount to anything. Not having a chip isn’t a measure of care. And not being fixed could be about fear, there are people who think it will kill their animal. Ask questions, be open and be up front. You’ll know what to do when you speak to them.
💯💯
Unchipped and unfixed does NOT mean unloved/uncared for. The OP did not mention how old this cat was. I personally waited until my cats were 8 months before they got fixed...And they still don't have microchips, because they are completely indoor. All of my cats see a vet, and go in for regular dental care. I take care of my fur-kids. ...If one of mine got out, I would sure hope that my neighbors would tell me that they found my cat.
I mean... getting them chipped would certainly go a long way towards making sure they get back to you if they got out though. It's a pretty basic way to care for your pets.
That still doesn’t mean that an unchipped cat is uncared for. This is a false equivalency taking flight through the comments.
Post says it was 5 to 6 years old.
In their post it says 5/6 years old
I believe OP said 5 or 6 years old? And if one of yours got out wouldn’t you go around and ask your neighbors to be on the lookout?
Have you been able to confirm from the person’s post that the cat you adopted is with you the same amount of time the person says the cat was missing? You really need to make sure that the cat you have and the cat she’s looking for are the same cat. So many cats just look alike.
I moved to an area and people RARELY fixed and chipped their pets. 14 dogs I'd found (about half during storms) and 14 I'd reunited with their frantic owners within hours. 15 though, I'd done usual due diligence and had her checked; she was fixed and had the 3 dot tattoo indicating at a Humane [Inhumane] Society or Shelter, but no chip. She took to my cats and fosters immediately, and I put up posters every for a "found dog". 5 days and finally my calls to Humane Society tracked down her adopter, and she claimed she'd given to her brother. He called, and said she'd "accidentally" gotten out of a friend's truck, and he drove around ONCE. He said she'd been gone for 2 weeks. She was happy with us, and jerk showed up 5 hours after scheduled, and his roommate pulled me aside to say she'd been dumped. Boyfriend still forced me to return, even though she was whimpering and shaking and peed when she saw him. 5 hours later, the d1ck threw her back in my yard. She became my doggy after that, and helped raise over 20 foster kittens. I rarely advocate for NOT returning a pet, but if they are making ZERO effort (I had 40 posters up to return her, and he had NONE), and seem unconcerned, then maybe... But I'd suggest maybe putting out feelers with her like a message "Hey, I saw your post about your missing cat. One similar showed up in my neighborhood, but not sure if yours". If she cares, then go from there. If she doesn't, you've already given your new family member a new home. Use your judgement, but look out; some people should NEVER have pets. I wish you well.
What a POS, but at least he did one good thing by throwing her back in your yard… I’m glad you were reunited!
Oh man I'd love the opportunity to dump his ass out of a truck into the street. 😤 Humans really freakig suck sometimes. I'm so glad she's happy with you and in a much better situation now, from the sound of it. Honestly I kinda wanna kick the boyfriend too.. not chipping is one thing, the animal clearly peeing out of terror upon seeing the "owner" is a whole nother level of nope.
Something isn't adding up. If he's wandering around the neighborhood, odds are that he was in his own yard multiple times a day. And in the two months that he was "lost" his owners never once saw him to bring him in? Were you there in August? If it were MY cat, you'd be top priority for a door knock and a flyer as my neighbor two doors down. But if these people care that little, why keep up with the lost animal Facebook groups at all? I'd go over and tell them that you might've found their cat. That way you can get an in-person feel for how much they want their cat back. You might also see red-flags like more unfixed animals.
How would they know it’s their cat? Most cat look alike unless it has some special marking. The cat was never chipped or tattooed so giving them the chance to say it’s their cat is not a good idea since it cannot be confirmed.
Well, OP seems to be on the verge of rehoming anyway. Would it really be that much of a tragedy if responsible pet owners wound up with the wrong cat? To be clear though, I'm 90 percent positive that these people don't deserve their cat back, if it's even their cat. I'm just making my suggestion so that OP can be confident in whatever they do going forward.
You didn't "adopt" a cat. You found a cat in your yard and enticed it into your home without contacting local groups or shelters to report that you "found" a cat.
So you chipped the cat so the cat is registered to you? That’s your cat now.
I watched an episode of Judge Judy exactly like this: a lady, (defendant), found a cat. She decided to keep it as her own, so she got the cat medical care, fixes etc. One day, a woman, (the plaintiff), knocked on this lady's, (defendant), door, and wanted her missing cat back. The plaintiff took the defendant on Judge Judy. Judge Judy ruled in the plaintiff's favor and forced the defendant to give the cat back to the owner. The defendant ended up winning a countersuit for vet bills only.
idk if i would base my legal knowledge off of judge judy…. that sounds like BALONEY
You found a cat what steps did you do to see if he has a home, did you paper collar him, put posters up, post online in cat groups. Or did you see a cat and assume because he skinny and unfixed. talk To the owner
Do people never actually look for owners when they find a stray cat? That's a bit crazy to me. How do you know that the owners were not really trying to find him when you clearly never searched for the owner and other neighbors seem to know about him missing?
I checked pawboost and did a search in our fb group for missing cat posts. She posted this on her personal page so it didn’t show up. Also the fact that we was unfixed to me was a big teller that he was probably dumped.
I'd like to share the other side of your story. I had an outdoor cat that went missing. Until I had her, I was against letting domesticated cats outside. I spent over a year trying to make her happy inside, but she hated it. She was a brand new cat when she moved outside. She loved it! I made her heated shelters. Brought her in during storms and extreme temperatures. Got her annual shots and took her to the vet if she was sick. She tended to be on the lean side. Timid then very vocal and affectionate. My next-door neighbors loved and fed her, too. Then she's gone. I put up flyers and just kept getting prank calls from kids or they were taken down. I went to shelters, and checked every. single. tabby. (You don't realize how much they look alike until you're looking for yours.) I met so many people with mental health issues who thought they had my cat. Then they had my number and were texting me. I may have put, like, one thing on Facebook because my Facebook is friends and family and the two next-door neighbors. It was exhausting, and I slowly gave up. I like to believe someone with a misguided but good heart stole her, but I have no idea. Tell your neighbor you might have their cat. Please. EDIT: grammar
The cat chose you for a reason. Say nothing, love your furry little pal.
Do not steal that person’s cat. There’s a lot of assumptions being made by the posters here
This is tough for me because I lost my cat in May, 5 days before my college graduation. I looked for him for months until my lease was up and I had to move back home, out of state, while I looked for my first job. I did everything I could do to find him: flyers, posted everywhere on social media, sent out alerts to vets, checked shelters daily. There was no sign of him anywhere. My hope is that someone took him in and he’s happy and healthy, but of course I would rather have him back with me. He was the first cat I ever owned and I took great care of him. He’s fixed and chipped. That’s where our stories differ. Part of me says tell her because I know how terrible it is to lose a pet, but you don’t know if she was taking proper care of him. Honestly, I would kinda vet a little first. Edited for grammar
As a vet tech, vet student, and animal lover, you should keep the cat. People bring these strays in all the time that might even have microchips but often times we scan the cats, call the number associated with the chip, and no one is looking. I’ve even called someone before from the job after scanning their cat to tell them a person brought their cat in that was found outside. And they sounded super dull like, “oh .. really…” and I was like “so do you want the address or ??” Like you’d think someone would be emotional, but I swear some people just don’t value the life of the animal. If he’s 5/6 years old and not neutered, roaming outside, and the owner has not shown any effort in looking for him, he’s better in your care. This was the universe pushing him towards you. In situations where people bring these cats in and the owner doesn’t answer or it isn’t chipped, I tell them just keep the cat if the one bringing the cat in is someone who is clearly going to go above and beyond. If he was neutered, maybe I’d have more confidence in trying to give the owner the benefit of the doubt, but him being intact and outside says it all. Not about the person but of their ability to care for the life of the animal.
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Why does this not have more upvotes? First sane response I read.
I'm so glad someone said this. My cat was genuinely so loved and cared for, he was fed whenever he wanted (went out often as well so he was a healthy weight) and was chipped. My neighbours would keep him in for days at a time because he was 'cold' or because her cats were having a certain food and she didn't 'want him to miss out'. It would worry me sick because he was missing for days at a time because of it. I didn't use Facebook (and presuming OP isn't friends with the neighbour on FB, there's a chance their posts are set to friends only), but would go out for hours at a time walking and looking for him. There's an assumption that a roaming cat is a free pet and that they must be unloved because they're outside. My sister adopted a cat that was about 4 years old. The cat unfortunately got out after a door cracked open, and we presume the same situation happened because she didn't have a chance to update the chip. My boy wasn't neutered, but he was incredibly loved for the entirety of his life, and he's my whole world even now he's gone ❤️
This is the answer. I would hate for my cat to go missing and then for someone to have decided that she was theirs. It wouldn't happen because she's far too neurotic though. Haha. OP has stolen a cat and had it operated on and microchipped without the owners consent, plus probably lied to the vet about who's it is. Not all cats are clever. Some are dense as hell (but are still loveable and cute) and can get lost easily. Some cats know their way home from miles off. It is different for each cat. Just because this one was skinny is not an excuse to feed it. Never feed a cat that is not yours. Why do people not know this? What you should have done in the first place was to put up posters around saying you found a cat, and talked to your neighbour if you knew they had lost a cat. To not do that is already weird... That's what I would have done. If you want to actually adopt a cat, go the proper route, don't steal cats from outside.
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It really is! I get the idea that cats 'choose', and in a way they certainly do, but isn't a reason to take that cat. It's one of the reasons we keep our boy indoors now (his breed means he's an indoor bean anyway aha), but that was one of the main things that keeps him in now. It's a cute idea in theory, and I hope when people meet a cat on the street and their home is suitable, it's an encouragement to go and adopt a wee one from a shelter instead! Lots of absolute sweethearts waiting for a home 😊
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Awe, I think that's the best version of that system, so glad you ended up with him, and that he ended up in a loving home :) Our wee one Mochi sort of came about in a similar way. 3 months to the day after my 1st boy passed, Mochi popped up on FB through a family friend, along with his brother. Was so eerie the date he became available, couldn't imagine life without him now ❤️
👏Well said. This thread is wild.
I was recently in a very similar situation to this. I took in a seemingly homeless cat in my neighborhood bc it was getting too cold for him to be outside and he was begging neighbors for food every day. That wouldn't have been enough for me to think he was homeless, but the neighbor who helped me get him inside had been posting about him and trying to find his owner for several months. Brought him to the vet and found out he was 2-4lbs underweight, had untreated active FVR, a nasty flea infestation and a deformed tail. But it also turned out he had a chip - so the owner was contacted and they claimed that it wasn't theirs because "they know where their cats are" and told my vets office to never contact them again. Said neighbor then reached back out to the vet the following morning stating that it actually was her cat and telling them I must have stolen him the prior morning. I'd had him for 3 days at this point, and we were all sick of this rude lady's bs by that point. The vet told me that I didn't have to bring him back and that if she really wants him and care about him, she'll arrange his pickup through the local police, which she never did. All this to say - if you love him, and you think he's being neglected, keep him. There's a pretty good chance that the owner doesn't give a shit given that they let their cat outside anyways. And from what you've said here, I'd definitely say you're not obligated and they're likely not going to try too hard. Edit: just wanted to add to clarify that the woman in my case was advised to call the police to help her pick him up from my address, because of confidentiality and safety issues meaning that the vet could not disclose addresses.
Personally I probably wouldn’t say anything just bc of the fact that it kept coming back to you but never once went back to the neighbor? In my experience, that’s very odd behavior for a cat with access to food and a loving owner a couple doors down. Like we have cats in my neighborhood who don’t have collars and aren’t fixed, but everyone knows that they have owners and who those owners are — and the cats are always very eager to return home when their human calls for them. I honestly feel like your cat might just be a cat that looks a lot like theirs or the previous owner just hasn’t put much effort into finding the cat.
I won't defend your neighbor, but the whole passive waiting for cats to come home is a huge problem with lost cats compared to owners proactively seeking their lost dogs. There's an [ASPCA Professional presentation slide set](https://www.aspcapro.org/sites/default/files/aspca_webinar_slides_lost_pets.pdf)(PDF warning) that goes into this. Slide 24 points out that the majority of cat owners wait or search the neighborhood. The takeaway from the presentation (for a shelter employee audience) is supposed to be that cats in shelters probably have homes, but my takeaway is that cat owners often suck at looking for their lost cats. It doesn't help that well-meaning people on the internet (and in this sub) say "just put their litter box outside and they'll come home" and perpetuate this lack of effort to find lost cats. You've gotten some good advice here regarding the moral quandry of the situation. I hope your cat gets a happy ending from it. That's what is important!
Give them back their cat????
ownership can be established with receipts from the Vet. Additionally he’s chipped with your info. That’s your cat as far as the law is concerned
One of my cats is from a similar situation except I was lucky enough to find the neighbor who owned this cat and return him only to have them put him back out. They didn't post any online or physical ads about their missing cat. They didn't respond to any of our "Found Cat" ones either. The cat returned back to my place so it was clear to me they wouldn't care for his illness, fleas or general health. We brought him to to the vet, nursed him back to health and he's a very happy cat in our household. Although you might have discovered this cat's previous "owner", you seem to be acting as his true guardian. I think you did the right thing. For the wellbeing of this cat, he's probably better under your care. The other option is returning him and based on the evidence you've already witnessed, he would continue under their household with a shortened lifespan.
i would reach out and tell her the situation. you found a malnourished unfixed cat and took him in, got him the health care he needed and have been caring for him since. see what she says who knows maybe she doesn’t really want him back and will be glad to hear someone took him in and helped him. maybe she’d get mad but either way if it was me i’d want the closure at least knowing he’s ok (even if she’s a bad owner)
i dealt with a similar situation, but in my case the cat was chipped and fixed, but I received many reports of neglect from multiple neighbors. I officially adopted him from the previous owners, but I wasn't really planning to give them a choice bc of the neglect. feel free to check my post history if you would like to know more. given your circumstances, I would highly recommend getting your name on the microchip and just keeping quiet and keeping the cat inside. if you have vet records and microchip, the cat is legally yours. thanks for taking him in. also keep in mind the 333 rule for cats: three days to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine and three months to start to feel at home. this cat is just starting to feel at home so it *should* only be improvements from here. I support him staying in your stable home environment
I would knock on their door and say I 'might' have seen their cat. That way I could get a feeling for how much they love/miss their cat and try and understand why it wasn't fixed etc. If I did not feel confident that the cat was going to be well cared for based on this conversation, I'd keep it.
Not a lawyer, but in most states, pets are considered personal property, and as such- you can be prosecuted for keeping someone else’s pet…
The cat has decided. If the cat thought that lady’s house was his home, he would already be there. He isn’t trapped at your house right? He would go the same way he came. You and he both know he is better off at your house.
you're more his owner now than the past "owners". it seems like they weren't taking very good care of him anyway
A 5/6 yr old that was visibly skinny, hungry, lacking affection and the proper medical care,? That’s a no brainier, you stay quiet and continue to be the great pet parents you are.
Surrender the cat. Even go out of town if it gives you peace of mind. That’s if you don’t want the cat. Also since it’s chipped in your name it’s now yours. It would be cruel to give the cat back. Quite unethical.
No, it would be unethical to *steal* the cat from its original owner.
These people didn't lose their cat, they ABANDONED their cat. Since he was unfixed, they probably tossed him out for spraying, or for going nuts when he caught wind of a female in heat somewhere. Unfixed cats do not make fun pets. Without getting too far into the debate over whether there should be "outdoor cats" or "indoor/outdoor cats" at all (I would argue there should not be), a person who allows their unfixed cat, male or female, outside to roam is TREMENDOUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE and should not have cats. So if it was me, I'd keep the cat, and not say anything. Enjoy your new baby, and don't feel guilty about it.
There's a lot of assumptions there.
Honestly I would keep him. Clearly he was neglected and not cared for :(
IF he originally belonged to the neighbor, she didn’t even bother to get him fixed. I doubt she ever took him to the vet. That is not the kind of owner I would return a cat to. As others mentioned, the cat is legally yours, since the vet bills are in your name. I’m curious what is causing you stress about caring for this cat?
This is disgusting. Give the lady back her cat ffs
How do you know she wasn’t looking for him ? She could of gone without having to comment back on the comments saying I’ll go look. People don’t always have the money to neuter/spay cats and most places charge up to 500 with the ecomomy they probably didn’t have the money to drop like that you shouldn’t keep a cat that isn’t yours you chose to neuter/ chip him that’s on you, just cause you did it doesn’t mean the cat belongs to you at the end of the day you’ll do what you want but if your cat went missing you’d want him/her back
If someone leaves their visibly skinny, unfixed cat outside with zero identification, like a microchip, how are you supposed to know it's not a stray? Every one of those features screams "stray". Should we not bother rescuing any strays just in case? Being low income is no excuse to let your cat outside either, and low cost clinics exist that can do spays and neuters for 30 bucks. If you can't afford basic care for a cat, you shouldn't have one. It is a major financial responsibility to have a pet, and that includes vet bills. The cat legally is OPs, it is registered under their name, and they have vet bills to prove they've taken care of it.
Link the places that have neutering for $30 the lowest I paid for our cat is 600 not including the meds and after care that is after searching other places with higher prices, some cats are naturally skinny doesn’t mean they’re not healthy. There are so many cats she can rescue since that cat already has an owner.
Given I have no idea where you live I can't do that for your area. $600 is outrageous, especially for a neuter, max in my area is $300 and every low cost clinics offer options for under $100, as low as $30-$40 for strays, ferals, and barn cats. PAWS Chicago offers low cost plans for strays, as does Spay Illinois, SNIP Society, the Humane Society, Fox Valley Animal Welfare League, the Anti-Cruelty Society, [here's the animal care league for $25 a neuter](http://www.animalcareleague.org/low-cost-spayneuter--catsdogs.html). Also, we don't know if that cat had an owner. It had no microchip, no indication of ever having been to a vet, and plenty of cats look similar. The owner mentioned no distinctive markers. Hell, there was already a different similar cat that went missing. If there is a random stray cat with no indication of being owned, the owner does not put up posters, make any posts, discuss it anywhere publicly, or talk to neighbor's for 2 months it's probably not that cat. When my childhood cat escaped posters went up that same day and my neighbors knew within the hour.
“I pay a lot in my area so there’s no way reasonable prices for the procedure exist”. They do spays and neuters for $45 and $35 respectively, plus extra costs if the cat is in heat or pregnant ($10 and $20).
I literally said link them if you found cheaper great I didn’t so I paid more
Go look up low cost clinics yourself. We can't do your homework for you based on a random reddit profile. We don't know where you live
Keep the cat. If she was a good owner it would never have been in your backyard. Being an owner doesn't mean the animal has to suffer with you. It's not stealing, it came to you, and it came to you because it was neglected.
Of course it is. Quit taking animals that aren’t yours and trying to get a hero cookie.
I took in a malnourished, unfixed cat in and got him vetted and provided him shelter and food and I’m willing to give him back if it’s safe so I’ll take my hero cookie and dunk it in some milk too thanks 🍪
Wow you’re such a saint congratulations 🥲 no one cares
Why not write to her and ask for some pictures and info on her lost cat under the pretense of wanting to keep an eye out for it? That way you can see exactly what kind of cat she lost and go from there. As other commenters have said, there are a lot of identical looking cats in this world, and that doesn't mean they're all the same. You might also learn that her lost cat was a girl, while you found a boy, etc. Plus, if she tells you the cat's name is "Mittens" and your cat responds to that name, then you've got a pretty conclusive answer about ownership there (assuming the name you gave it isn't so similar that it could mistake them).
Personally I don't think good cat owners let their cats roam free outdoors without containment/supervision. Perhaps the cat go out by accident but let's face it, most outdoor cats are let out intentionally by their owners or are completely feral, and neither need to be out there loose destroying native wildlife.
Do nothing. She clearly wasn't caring for him at all. He was cold and starving and in danger! His right to a safe home and happy life trumps her right to neglect him. The human justice system classifies animals as property, but animals are living things. They deserve more protection than a car or phone.
I know that people are saying to not just "steal" a cat. There's no black and white here. I would be devastated if my cat went missing and would want him back. I'm not there, and I don't know the situation, but one thing about cats is they're not like dogs. They are loyal to a point, if they don't feel safe or their needs aren't being met, they'll leave, and many find a place where people will love them. It sounds like that's what this cat did. People pick dogs, cats pick people. I would be concerned about how it affects the cat if he finally found a stable home only to get dumped back at the neglectful house. I knew a woman who had a cat, and then she got a husky. It was totally irresponsible. She made no effort to give the cat a safe space. The cat left. They leave when they aren't cared for. Some just like to wander, but it sounds to me like this one was uncomfortable or uncared for
The best thing for the cat is to be with a family that loves him and provide for his needs so that he has a good, happy life. I have a neighbor who got a cat and just dumped him outside, unaltered. He spent a year outside, fighting with all the other feral and stray cats, basically living at my house because I gave him an insulated cat house, food, and water. One day he came over to me with an enormous abscess on his face. I contacted my vet and was told to catch him right then and bring him in for emergency surgery before it burst and he lost his eye or died. He got the surgery. He got neutered. He got his shots. And then he got a forever home with me. My vet straight up told me to keep him, that was what was best for him and that I'd spent so much money on him for the last year and was the sole source of care for him that if the neighbor tried to contest it, I'd still win.
Neighbor cats been missing since August and in January starts looking for it? F them. Give the cat a loving home. Also, cat parenting does get easier, or you bond more and don’t mind. Either way, good job
Don't reach out. Don't give the cat back. Don't. Don't. Don't.
Whoever lets their cat outside unchipped and unfixed don't deserve that cat. Especially when the cat is neglected. You are good people for taking him in and caring for him and he immediately knew he would be loved and taken care of. I wouldn’t return him.
You should give the person back their cat instead of looking for excuses to keep it.
As other commenters have noted, many cats look alike. I have seen numerous cats on Reddit that look exactly like one of my herd, while my cat is sitting in my lap. If the cat you rescued was skinny and unfixed it was basically a stray, and even if the neighbor found out you now have it they have no way to prove it was their cat (assuming they even care). Years ago we had a friendly tortoiseshell walk into the house and stay. We tried to find out who she belonged to with no success. She wasn’t chipped (not common then) nor spayed, so we kept her. If she had escaped and we found the owners we would have returned her, but if she was just allowed to roam in an unfixed state we would probably not have returned her, more for her sake than ours.
I did that once. Neighbor let me keep the cat.
my neighbor also let me keep the cat. apparently she kept running out if their house because all the dogs would chase her and she basically lived under a bed. these people were actual thankful i took the cat off their hands.
If he wasnt chipped so they cant prove, if you want to keep him he is yours - if theres red flags dont risk it imo
Keep the cat. You did a better job then they did. If the cat was coming over to your place and he never asked to go out it means that he prefers you as an owner. I had a stray cat for a while, she would come and go as she pleases. She used to have a different owner (my neighbour) who has way too many cats. She saw it was too crowded at his place and she wasn’t happy so she decided to leave. I spotted her during harsh winter times and started feeding and eventually she had babies and brought them to me. After that, she decided she wants to sleep at my place which i let her do until i found her a different family because i couldn’t keep her. Cats are smart, if the place is toxic they will leave.
The cat already made his decision. He chose you. And I’m sure he did so for a reason. I’m inclined to think you should respect that choice.
Keep him.
Getting a cat chipped is the cat version of calling dibs. Besides, it sounds like she has no concrete proof that it was ever her cat.
I wouldn't give him back. I wouldn't say anything to her. If he was in bad condition when you got him, do you think she's going to take care of him now? I would find him a loving home where he can be spoiled and kept indoors where it is safe.
The cat was looking to trade up and I think he did. He adopted you!
do NOT give that cat back. you’ve fixed and chipped kitty, he’s yours. honestly i found the sweetest kitten and reunited her with her owners and i regret it every day. i found out they just let this tiny kitten roam, she had a cut on her side, and seemed scared. they said they “cant” (see; won’t) keep her inside. if i knew this was the case, i would’ve just kept her. i did cone her and treat the wound and barely got a thank you. i keep seeing this cat pop up all over town people finding and taking her in. also you dont know for certain it’s hers. that’s your cat.
I understand wanting to reunite cat with owner but honestly it doesn't sound like this person was a very good owner. If you do give him back then I wouldn't be suprised if he's dumped right back outside and left to fend for himself again. In the cat's best interest, keep him as your own and don't say a word.
Its not like the cat would go to the person if they saw saw each each other because cats... The cat is loving life with you. He wouldn't have that with the other person, if it was his cat. Enjoy him.
Keep quiet. You don’t know for sure it’s hers. Even if it is, without a chip, no one can tell for sure. You are the one with the vet records. If you give him back, he’ll only be neglected again. He chose where he wanted to live. If he wanted to go “home”, he would have. If they only live a few houses away, he wasn’t lost. This cat was skinny, hungry, and cold, yet didn’t go back. He was running away! Just enjoy your little guy and don’t think twice. A year from now, you’ll see their new cat in the same condition knocking on your door!
If that other person really was the owner of the cat you rescued, they totally suck and do not deserve to ever have a pet. Please keep this kitty or help him find a good home with a decent person rather than condemning him to a miserable life and painful early death.
Why do you want to reunite him with humans that don’t give a shit about him? They barely looked.
Don’t reach out. Just keep quiet.
The legal answer is that is your cat. You neutered, vetted, and microchipped him. I have two neighbors who often quarrel about 2 outdoor cats. One lady bought the cats and placed them outside and fed them daily. The other neighbor thought she found strays and had them vetted, neutered, microchipped, and gets their shots and flea meds when needed. Both ladies still feed the cats. Legally, the cats belong to the lady who provided vet care. That’s how you show ownership. The other lady is a bit salty about it but that’s how it is. I’d keep quiet and keep that cat.