Leave your pawprints!

Thursday 9 July 2009

What would you do?

Nicky here....Beagles' Mum. So you know we have a cat right? Gus. Well he's been missing for a few days now....about a week infact, since the thunderstorms.
He's a real outdoor cat, especially in good weather, he's always out and about in the area, usually sunning himself in our neighbour's garden across the road. Everyone knows him, everyone stops to pet him, he's so friendly and I swear he can talk because everyone seems to know his name! He runs to greet everyone who passes and waits around for us to return if we go out.
Last night when despite my calls, he yet again failed to come in for food I went across to ask the neighbour if he'd seen him.....and it seems that another of our neighbours has....nabbed him!
Apparently she found him sleeping in her greenhouse and has taken him in. She knows whose cat he is but didn't mention that she had him to us (only to this other neighbour, who also, strangely did not think it worth mentioning...even though we see him and exchange "hi"s on a daily basis) she has been feeding him and giving him milk (I have never given him milk so goodness knows what it will do to a 10 year old cat to suddenly start giving him milk).
WHO DOES THIS?? Especially when she knows who the cat belongs to and we just live across the road? I haven't approached the woman about this yet as it was quite late to knock on someone's door last night and i'm not sure how to handle this.....I feel that she has just helped herself to one of our pets, a member of our family.....maybe i'll tell her to come over and take her pick of the Beagles too.
I've always though of Gus as a free agent, he comes and goes as he pleases but always came back to us despite not getting on with the dogs....we always make sure he can get into the house.
Here's my dilemma: Is he happier with this new woman? If he is then that's great but I suspect that she is holding him against his will- as I mentioned, he's always outdoors....milling around the neighbourhood....strange then that no-one has seen him for days!
I feel that if he is happier where he is now that he should stay.....(my daughter, whose cat he is, does not agree, she is furious!) but I am quite angry at this woman, it looks as though she isn't giving him the choice.....he's a cat who needs the outdoors and i'm sad to think of him cooped up, having to use a litter box for the first time in his life and not having any freedom, not interacting with every passing Tom, Dick or Harry.....and he's not getting any younger.....what if he gets sick....will she take him to the vet or just decide she doesn't want the hassle and he's our cat again? I need to go and speak to her today....but before I do i'd like to know.....
if you were me....what would you do?

30 sniffy tailwags:

Martha said...

Hi Nicky
We had a cat, Mouschi, for 22 years. She was an outside cat to who came and went and everyone knew her.
I would go right over and get my cat!
I think that really is a cheek and perhaps you could give the woman the contact number for the local cat rescue. There are loads of cats and dogs who need good homes.
I guess you should try and put a positive spin on it even though you probably want to strangle her - as I would!!
Tell her she is clearly a person who cares about animals and any cat would be very lucky to find such a home.
Plenty looking for homes however your cat has got one!
Let us know how you get on!
xxx

Wimsey said...

No one gets to take someone else's cat or dog! She may think she's "saving" him from the dogs and or outdoors but she doesn't get to make that decision. Go knock on the door and tell her you want Gus back and put a larger tag on him so no one else can try that stunt.

Wimsey (and his human Maria)

Jake of Florida said...

Oh yes,

I would certainly go see the neighbor and tell her you've been searching high and low for Gus -- and happened to hear that she was kind enough to give him temporary shelter (from those terrible thunderstorms you mentioned??).

Are you back???

Sweet Gabbi, are you there???

Wirey love,

Jake

the magic sleigh said...

I will try to be devils advocate here In our area, and don't know about yours, outdoor cats are usually dead ones. They get hit by cars, attacked by other dogs or eaten by the wildlife.
Maybe she is trying to rescue the kitty from a bad end.If your area is safe from predators and cars, the kitty is safe outside. Go get the cat, thank her for rescuing it from the storms, and put on a breakaway collar with tags for the kitty. It is your kitty, not hers.
--Kira The BeaWootiful's Mom

Persephone and Buster said...

ahhhh nicky...this is theBUSTER'S humomm, victoria. i own terriers so the direct approach (even if it's not in your nature) seems to be the way to go and do it asap, before it becomes common law. the nice direct approach would be:
take your daughter over to the "nice" lady and explain she she has been heartstick thinking that someone would "(un)intentionally" take her cat and that you are glad that she took good care of kitty...that if she thought he was a stray...he's not-- but, if she would like to "share" the cat that's one thing (but, please, no in the house sharing only outdoors)please keep him outdoors so he can come home at night and you don't worry about your 10 yr old kitty.
tell her, that just up until the other day the family has been "frantic", not knowing where gus is. is he safe? is he caught in someone's garage and can not get out? you know load it on...hopefully the kitty is standing by her feet and your daughter can grab him up and whisk him away whilst you explain the difference between "feeding a cat from the goodness of ones heart", knowing it's a stray.. (course seeing him for the last 10 years...should come into the picture??) and creating undue stress, in not only one young ladies life, but a whole families..." --- load it on nicky. you can always tell the woman if she wants to set a wee bowl of milk (only once a week because of his "health issues") out so it's not a habit(cats are sooooindependent) for a treat that's fine -- but please don't take him in your house for days or ever even -- he lives with you across the road and up until the rainy day -- knew perfectly well how to get there.
-----or-----
not the best idea but depends on how you feel on the day you go:
if she puts up an argument tell her the purchase price of the kitty is_this_ and she must agree to vet him once a month for: ...make up a disease....consider his age. and you want a full report every month on his health from the vet and your daughter will have visitation rights...at anytime of the day or night....
---or---
really direct:
walk over and thank her for finding your cat, pick him up and bring him home and give him milk or cream or whatever! and make it worth his while to remember where he lives...convenient memory!

the nerve of the lady amazes me - but to give her the benefit of the doubt..maybe she was trying to do a good deed <--is she an older person?? or does she act entitled?
bottom line is today is the day to be forward and make sure your daughter sees you will fight when push comes to shove for what is right. after all kitty is your cat and last i knew catnapping is against the law..
good luck with it...have a cup of tea and --->you go girl.
theBUSTER'S humomm
pee ess. soften the previous long post where needed! you didn't say if the neighbor is lonesome, old, new to the neighborhood etc. lady...but it all boils down to...it's your cat and she needs to realize that right off. (lock up the beagles so they're not nabbed!!)

Stella said...

I suspect when you go there you are going to be in for a lecture. About the wilds of the world and how vulnerable your cat is. But since he knows his way around, and after 10 years he should be quite skilled at outdoor life. However, he may love a beagle-less life, too!

If she is unable to get to a shelter on her own, perhaps you could offer her that.

Good Luck, Nicky, whatever you do and we will be waiting with baited breath for the outcome!

Stella and her Mom

StellaStar said...

How frustrating! Good luck with the neighbors. Sadly, I have no words of advice since I've never heard of this happening...I do, however, know that I love my pets more than my neighbors...

Unknown said...

Oh Gus! Such a drama king!

I'd go over, tell the woman you heard that she'd found Gus during the storms, thank her profusely (maybe bring some flowers or a tea cake) and take Gus home. Explain that he is an indoor/outdoor cat so he'll probably drop by for a visit. And please don't feed him milk!

"Believe it or not, but adult cats are lactose intolerant, which means they cannot properly digest milk. The reason is that many felines do not have the proper enzymes to properly break down the sugar in milk called lactose. When cats drink milk the lactose remains undigested and ferments in the intestine. This causes diarrhea!"

I had an indoor/outdoor cat for awhile that went missing and I put flyers with the cat's photo in the mailbox. You could do the same, only just print out one and put it in HER mailbox! (She won't know you haven't papered the neighborhood.)

Once you get him back, consider building a cat run for him like The Poupounette cats! Then he can enjoy the outdoors, but still be safe from danger (and grabby neighbors!)


Your catbro-in-law,

Mica

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Mom and I share opinions with both skhhools of thought here...

We are not fans at all of letting khats running loose...they add a predator to the birds and such that isn't meant to be there...they risk getting hit/eaten/sick/all of the above...

But if they 'know' the khat is yours, they should let you have 'it' back...

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra and Her Mom

Clive said...

Tinkerbell, our cat, is a total outdoor cat and doesn't belong to us at all! Well, she does now but when we moved in six years ago - she decided to move up from her house a couple of doors down the road. For a long time, we wouldn't feed her so she would go home, we tried to ignore her, not let her into the house etc etc but she kept coming back and sitting on the little man's lap. Finally, after two years of not feeding her and trying to discourage her - we gave in and now feed her, take her to the vet etc. Her actual owners have a house full of cats and didn't seem to care at all - they know she lives three doors down with us but they are elderly and perfectly happy with the arrangement. Tinkerbell will only sleep in the house during the day - she would crazy to be kept in at night - she does have a flap into the garden shed and takes refuge there during bad weather etc but she loves to roam ...

anyway, what am I getting at, I suppose I am saying that sometimes cats can change their minds about where they live and can be totally selfish in that decision BUT I am also aware that your cat is a beloved family pet, 10 years old and your daughter's cat so I would do as suggested above and go over, knock on the door, lay all the emotion on thick and heavy and claim your cat back!! You want her back unlike Tinkerbell's owners!!

I hope all this works out for you - I can't imagine how Murray would cope now if Tinkerbell upped and left (or got catnapped!) but cats, as Tinkerbell showed, can tend to do what they want themselves and only for themselves!!

We're awaiting your outcome with anticipation.

Take care
Fiona

Nibbles Treats said...

What nerve! She has no right to keep your cat.

Demand your cat back asap! (geesh, I cannot believe we are saying that. We must be going soft toward the feline persuasion. UGH!)

Lots of treats,
Tinkerbell, Oscar and Tucker

Unknown said...

You know you have every right - and want - to go get your cat from that lady! She has non right whatsoever to take your cat (it's not like there aren't enough to go around).

The nerve of some people.

Paco,Milo, Maya and mommy Simona said...

Hi dear dear Nicky...
what a incredible story!!!!
We think that No one gets to take someone else's cat or dog!!!!!!
For us...you must Go knock on the door and tell her you want Gus back!!!!!!
Tell her his story with you and when Gus willbe at home again you could put a ID tag on his collar so nobody could think he's a lost cat!!!
Good luck dear friend!!!!
Let us know what's happened!!!!
We love you!!!

Marvin -The Hollow Hound said...

oh Nicky, I am so sorry I am late today with looking at the blogs.....I would be totally furious if I were in your shoes!!

And it takes a lot to get me mad.

But this situation is ridiculous - you must go over and ask for Gus to be returned to you. He is your cat, and has been living happily with you indoors and out, for the past ten years, this is just not right!!

She needs a good talking to, even if she is a near neighbour, this situation cannot possibly go on.

Ok, if it was me, sorry I was so mad with this bint, that I lost my thread there...........

ok if it was me in your situation, I would go over there right now. Demand to get Gus handed over, and tell her in no uncertain terms that what she is doing is totally wrong.

As you say, so rightly, if she fancies one or two of the Beagles, will she just come over and choose one for herself and take them/he/her back to her house?

She is totally out of order here. I will check in to see how you get on with this, I am terrible with situations like this, but sometimes we have to bite the bullet and go have it out with her.

oooooh there is steam coming off my keyboard here I can tell you!!

lotsaluck with it all, will be interested to see how you get on!

phew! Longest comment so far methinks!!
Jeannie xxxxxxx Marvin The Cool Dawg xxxxxxxxx

Marvin -The Hollow Hound said...

actually no, it was not the longest comment, but I am still very worked up - I must go and pour myself some wine to cool down..........

Britny said...

Report her for theft, to all intents and purposes that's what it is Also cats are lactose intolerant to the silly bint shouldn't be trusted with an animal.

Tell her in no uncertain terms that she is not to touch, feed or speak to your cat.

I can go and yowl at her in my scary husky voice if you like?

Sue said...

I would go and either thank her for finding him and taking care of him during the storms or make a joke of it as if he is using her to escape a vet visit or a bath or something of that sort.

I would definitely get my cat back.

Asta said...

I'm so late that evewything I wanted to say has been said in bettew wowds tha I have.

I can only add, I am angwy at this woman, and also youw othew neighbow who knows you've been looking.
They have no wight to catnap youw pet.
I hope it gets solved soon wif no mowe upset to you
smoochie kisses
ASTA

Arran, Arthur and Mum said...

Hi, Ludo's mum here. :D

I would be absolutely fuming. I'm afraid I would have to go over there, guns ablaze, no matter what time of night. Having recently got my cat back from my ex I know how worrying it is not knowing if someone is treating your beloved pet right.

Shame on that woman! I'm sure Gus is missing you all and wondering what the hell is going on!!
~Dee

Molly the Airedale said...

OMG, we can't believe the audacity of this lady! Gus is your kitty for Heaven's sake and he belongs to you! And unless you want Gus to have a new home with this person and willingly give him over, then he remains YOUR cat! End of story!

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

Anonymous said...

Yup, Just read through all the other comments and we agree... We read your post this morning and have been mulling it over all day to see if we weren't over reacting, nope!! GO GET GUS BACK! No need to be mean if you knock on the door and just say "Hi, we have been looking all over for our cat Gus, and someone mentioned you have been watching him?" See what she says and just do what you feel is best given the situation. Not saying dont walk away without GUS but no need to yell at her if she honestly didn't know where his home was and thought she was helping. If shes an elderly lonely woman maybe you and your daughter could take her to a shelter to rescue a kitty of her own. And your daughter could bring Gus over to visit... I am sure an lonely old woman would love the company. If she is a Bitch, then call the cops and report it as theft!

Licks,
Kylie

Agatha and Archie said...

Yep march right over,say thankyou so much for holding our cat for us,NOW GIVE HIM RIGHT BACK and get the heck out of there.....Love A+A(we terriers don't fool around)

Sapphire said...

let us know when Gus comes back. Hope all went well with u and your neighbour...

The Devil Dog said...

We agree with Persephone & Buster. Go get your kitty. Bring your daughter, and yes, maybe your daughter and the kitty could go visit. It is your cat. If you take kitty to the vet, then kitty is yours.


Roxy

Cinnamon and Mint said...

A very difficult situation! But, if I were you, I would go to meet this woman first. Without knowing what she is thinking about, no right decision can be made. I hope all this dilemma will be solved in a mutually agreed way.

Mason Dixie said...

Wow, I would march on over there and give that person a piece of my mind, hell they took a pet might as well! The nerve of some people.

Joe Stains said...

I would totally be over there in a heartbeat! If that wacky woman doesn't give you your cat, give me her address and I will mail her a box of POOP!

Sally said...

Wow - you have had a lot of comments - so for what it is worth - I will add my 10 p. It is very inconsiderate of that lady - when my D worked a lot - she couldn't have a pet - and there was a similar cat that visited her - and she was really grateful to have a temporary pet. PLease note:she never kept him - he would just dropped by for cuddles and a snooze (and some cat bics) and then she would go to work and he would go off. She remembers him fondly - maybe this lady just crossed the line - if he is so lovely you can understand why. I agree you need to tell her asap - and if he isn't already - microchip him - she might just be lonely and he is good company. Tell her that he is an outdoor cat - and has been for 10 years and that you have tried to keep him indoors but he goes crazy and eats your cushions and throws up in your begonias (or something to that effect). But he is yours and loved and needs to be freed.
D would like a cat to visit - but now she has us - there are no cats visiting - better for the birds I guess.

Hope this has helped - lots of licks
Sally and Paddy

Hamish Westie said...

Hmm. Well you have plenty of advice here. Not sure we have anything to add, but we do think your neighbour is in the wrong and we hope you get your cat back, by fair means or foul.....
Cheers, H & G.

Dot O said...

Just catching up, Nicky, and I agree with those that said to thank her for watching Gus until you located him and then bring him home with you.

I hope by now you have him!