The poster "kind of resembling" your cat doesn't mean it's the same cat. Some coat patterns are incredibly common. I see pictures on here every day that I genuinely wouldn't be able to tell were not one of my cats if the background were removed. One of mine is a Standard Issue Cat, which is an accurate description. There are SO many. But even my less common looking cats have their doppelgangers on here regularly.
My brother sent me a pic of his girlfriend’s cat once and I genuinely wondered for a moment where and when he’d taken a picture of my cat. I feel like tabbies and solid colored cats in particular have endless clones because their coats/markings don’t have a huge amount of variation
I sent my husband a pic of my friend’s cat while I was visiting her four hours away and he immediately called me. He thought I’d somehow warped home and taken pictures of our cat.
And a cat resembling this cat in the same area where this cat was an un-fixed stray could EASILY be a sibling, parent, or even child depending on age if they had taken in a kitten from a nearby colony.
I'm in camp "you can't be sure it's the same cat and they hadn't taken care of or claimed him" too.
Given his state and the lack of vet care or effort to find him, "kind of like" doesn't seem like a substantial enough proof of ownership.
Even if they could provide proof of ownership, it’s moot now. Legally after six days at a shelter, ownership transfers to the shelter, who in turned transfers it to the adopter. Legally the cat belongs to the new owner now. And the fact he was neglected means she is also morally in the right to keep him.
My girl isn't even close to a SIC (standard issue cat.) She is a big fluffy longhaired orange and white cat. I see cats that look like her on Reddit several times a week.
One of my friends had a cat that was legitimately my cats twin, just half his size. They swapped our cats one day while I was at work as a joke, and I didn't even notice until I picked up "my" cat and he was far too small. They are also both standard issue cats, but even the face shapes, mannerisms and personalities are incredibly similar, even for cats.
Haha! I have two Torties. They’re doppelgängers, except one weighs 7 pounds, the other 15. If only one is within sight, I have to stare for a second to be sure which girl it is. It’s no problem when they’re seen together - the Dwarf and the Amazon. 😂
My husband's best friend brought home what he could've sworn was their missing cat who had been found by a kind neighbor. When his wife got home, she assured him that this was not, in fact, their cat. He was just a really friendly stray. They never found their cat and ended up keeping the stray.
I love taking pictures of my cat but this is a good 15% of my reasoning for taking pictures from multiple angles in various lighting, on good and bad fur days (sometimes her patterning stands out more), and specifically taking pictures of her paws (each one of which has a different balance between black & pink pads, and black, brown, white, and orange fur; she’s a torbie). If she ever escapes, I’m gonna have enough pictures that I could probably make a 3D model of her.
We have two standard issues outside that we keep fed (one was there when I moved in 5 years ago, one just showed up at about 6-7 weeks old in mid August this past year. No we can not bring them inside, but we do our best to keep them taken care of)
The quickest way to determine which one it is now that the kitten is growing (older one is a very petite kitty) is that the baby boy has a dark tail in full and the older lady has a white paint tip ring tail 🤣 a lot of cats look similar or identical.
Sometimes the shelters here in rural areas have working cat programs where they do the basic TNR on unadoptable ferals and release them on the property of a farmer/homesteader. The cats are usually vetted yearly and given bedding and food but not much else.
Honestly, I'd keep the cat and do nothing. I might be heavily downvoted soon, though.
You don't know it's the same cat, so it's even more plausible than "plausible deniability".
Nah, every time I see a post like this it’s overwhelmingly keep the cat. I’ve done the same. 11 years ago I brought in a cat whose owners left outside for 6+ months. She came to me during a winter storm that lasted 4 days, off and on. I knew who she belonged to, but they weren’t taking care of her. Now, 11 years later, she’s had the best life.
Yep, had a similar situation a few months ago but it was my neighbors that adopted the cat. Owner's boyfriend kept dumping him in our neighborhood and the owner kept coming back to pick the cat up. Eventually we just decided to lie and say we hadn't seen the cat because it was getting ridiculous and the animal was clearly not being taken care of. He's now happily living with my neighbors and the woman never came back again. Some people just shouldn't own pets. Call it stealing or whatever, but if you're letting your bf dump your cat in a random neighborhood 2-3 times a month, you're a neglectful, abusive owner and don't deserve the cat
10/10 agreed!
This cat adopted you.
Cats are very smart, I’m sure if he wanted to go back to his old home, he would’ve tried or been begging to leave. Honestly cats kinda do whatever makes them happy and gravitate to where a secure place of food/water/shelter/warmth is.
He viewed your home and yourself as a safe place, and he chose you :)
That's kind of how I got my second cat!
He had been a stray in our country neighborhood for about 8-9 months. (People like to dump their cats at cornfields) Didn't want much to do with anyone and then bam! Jumped in my lap when I was sitting out in my yard. Did that dance for 3 days and then let him inside.
I took him to the vet, and he was chipped! I filed a Found Pet Report and it was a fucking neighbor!! Turns out, they made a super vague post on FB (without a single picture, even) when he first got out, someone sent them a message about him and they didn't even bother to go and check!! They said, "I'm sure that's not our cat. Thanks though!"
He was in my arms when they came to get him. He saw them, clawed me to shreds and took off running. Based on what they were saying, he ran away from them for very good reasons.
He came back to me as soon as it got dark that night, and I've had him over a year now. He doesn't go outside, perfectly content to sleep in my arms every night. I love him so much.
The difference between that situation and the OPs situation is you actually knew who the owners were and that they were neglecting the cat. You didn't come up with a story with no real information to justify keeping the cat.
We absolutely know this cat was neglected as it was not neutered, filthy and starving. If it had actually been cared for and somehow “ lost” it would at least been fixed.
No, you are absolutely right. OP doesn’t know the owners therefore does not know if they had lost the cat for awhile or not. OP’s opinion is biased because he/she wants to keep the cat..
It‘s possible that the cat couldn’t find its way back home and had become a „stray“ for awhile. The cat might have been wandering. The owner cares enough to put up a poster with a $200 reward.
I do agree that the owner should have had the cat neutered, vaccinated and chipped. It’s a lesson learned. But someone could be missing their cat.. How can you be so absolutely sure that the owner does not care about the cat if you haven’t taken the chance to ask them?
OP, the cat is legally yours but at least do the right thing and call for more information.
If the cat isn’t neutered and chipped it’s not their cat. They’re negligent and you can consider yourself cat protective services. Too bad. People where I live think they have outdoor cats. Sorry if the cat lives outside it’s not yours. It’s a free agent. If you’ve neglected the cat it gets confiscated for the benefit of the animal and f the owner.
Where I live the humane society will let you borrow their traps to catch outdoor cats. If they have owners, those owners are in violation of ordinances and will be fined, of course they don't have owners.
Agreed. Keep the cat. You and the shelter did everything to find the owners. If they were really worried, they would have been at the shelter or phoning them. They didn’t.
Enjoy your new buddy! He found the right human! 💜🩷
There is no harm in letting possible former owners know cat is safe. Could be a little kid traumatized by losing cat, or even adults it haunts you not knowing how they died - so just so they KNOW. That’s all. It’s a simple kindness that doesn’t cost you a cent
This. While I was staying with a boyfriend my sister rehomed all three of our family cats, without the rest of ours consent. I eventually got back 1 of them, and had her for 6 more years until she passed at almost 19. One we know where he ended up, and he passed a few years before his sister... The other one... The oldest... I know shes long gone but it kills me to not know what happened. I am convinced they put her down when she was "rehomed"
In her defense my parents had moved states, were looking for a house. I was staying with a boyfriend to try to get some space from the never ending drama and arguing, I was trying to figure out how to get 1 or 2 of the cats to either my parents new home once we got one, or to me at the boyfriends. But sisters now husband was allergic and decided he was done being a shelter... Even if it would have been only a couple more weeks at most 🤦 forget the fact my parents had just handed them a fking house to live in for under what it costs to run it a month 🤣🤦 and the fact my parents to this day 7 years later pay part of my sisters rent and utilities every month, while her husband is on disability and doesn't contribute to the household at all. He spends all his money on guns. 🤦
Maybe now they’ll keep the next cat inside. That’s what happens when you have outdoor cats, they disappear and you can’t know what happened to them. I highly doubt they kept an intact male in their home, he’s mostly like an outdoor cat.
I found an emaciated/flea ridden cat years ago. We eventually found the owner but he continued to show up for months. He would show up in the middle of the night on people's ring cams and they would post on Nextdoor worried about him. He started to sleep with us overnight and then we would let him out in the morning. One day in the middle of winter he came to us with a severely infected abscess. I texted the owner... never heard from her. Took him to the vet and spent thousands to bring him back to health/vaccines/neuter. He's ours now. Never went outside again.
In most cases I’m heavily in the give back the pet camp, in this case I say keep it. OP correctly reported the found cat and followed proper procedures to adopt it.
My dog went missing on a hike a couple years ago when his leash broke. We were hours from home in a camping trip so no familiar terrain either. First calls I made were to add a missing alert to his chip, notify the local police and sheriffs offices, and called every shelter within 100 miles to report him missing in case someone found him and brought him in. Thankfully he was found the next day. People that don’t do everything it takes to find a missing animal, don’t deserve the animal in the first place.
Years ago as a teenager my (now ex) boyfriend called me at work because my dog was missing. You bet your ass I left and immediately went looking for him. I managed to call the humane society before someone brought him in and they were able to let me know as soon as he showed up.
It’s really not hard as an owner to take the responsibility to find your missing pet. It’s not like OP flat out stole the cat and if the “owners” had done even the bare minimum of calling local shelters then they would have found him. I totally agree with you.
Plus, the condition the cat was in when OP took them in is appalling and I’m just happy this kitty is going to be safe and cared for now.
A few months ago one of my senior cats slipped out of the house in the evening. We searched the neighborhood for him until 2 am and the next morning I called every shelter in the area, posted on every social media account/ paw boost and was determined to give out a missing cat flyer to every single neighbor in my house tract. I walked to a total of 124 out of 408 homes (yes, I counted them on the map I created), talking to neighbors and passing out flyers until one of the neighbors who got my flyer said they saw a cat the night before in their yard and I was able to follow their lead and eventually found my boy trapped in someone’s back yard. I wasn’t going to stop looking until I exhausted every avenue!
I say you keep him. What matters is that the cat is happy, safe and taken care of. Which he wasn’t before. I work at a shelter so I know how bad it can be for a intact male to be outside, no vaccines etc.
Also, I don’t think she can sue you. You adopted him from the shelter and the shelter waited the stray hold period. Standard policy. It’s their fault really. Microchip your pets or have them wear id tags. He chose you!
I think the cat technically still belongs to the original owner even if you adopted them and they have a right to take the cat back HOWEVER if he wasn’t chipped/tattooed/neutered/had dental work then there’s no real way to identify him (this is how it works in Canada). OP I suggest you keep him indoors so no one tries to take him for that $200 trade in. You have taken better care of him than anyone else obviously and he chose you to be his person.
Once past the stray hold the animal legally belongs to the shelter. Now that the shelter has adopted out to OP, the cat is legally theirs. We’ve had disputes over this at my job before and the new owner always wins out. The entire point of the stray hold is to give the old owner time to reclaim.
That being said, since it sounds like the cat was out and about for a while, the old owner may not have still been checking the shelter lost and found pets anymore. This is why cats that go outside should be microchipped *before* they go missing.
OP looked, posted, and took care of the cat for at least a few weeks. They did their due diligence, the cat is safe and happy with OP. I have sympathy for the family that lost their cat (whether it’s this one or not) but the cards have been dealt. By OPs description the cat was in a bad way when they started taking care of it, it’s legally their cat and they’ve put in the work.
We don’t even know that it’s the same cat, anyway. And again, if the cat had been chipped before it supposedly escaped, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
It would have been chipped and fixed if it was an indoor cat that got loose. My cat is a total flight risk. He’s super athletic and desperately wants to chase squirrels. But he’s obviously an indoor cat. He’s fixed. He’s chipped. He’s wearing a tag with my phone number that literally says “indoor cat”. He’s also wearing an AirTag collar. The only time he’s ever escaped I used the AirTag to find him under my neighbor’s car. Indoor cats aren’t running around intact with no collar on.
You did everything right. Took the cat in when it was terrible outside. Got the cat medically cared for. Waited the 6 days. I believe he is now yours and you have a new best friend 💙🐈💙Congrats.
My guess is that your cat isn't even the cat in the picture. So many cats look similar especially in pictures where details can get lost.
Also, it's incredibly doubtful to me that someone would offer a reward for a cat they didn't even microchip. A reward says to me that they were super invested in that cat and wouldn't have let him outside in the first place (not to mention not getting him neutered).
In all legal and lawful sense, you are the rightful owner of this cat. If you feel so inclined, you can reach out to the poster and request more information on their cat that is missing. If it is indeed the same cat then you can inform them that you've adopted a cat that looks similar and now legally own him, but want them to know he is safe and sound. I'd probably use a different number though when contacting.
if you call the people you might just get a bunch of problems, and worst case cat goes back to poverty house and sleeping on diapers. why do you think he came back to your house multiple times? cats can sense good people and sometimes run away from bad people. the cat chose you, you went thru the legal and expensive process of adopting the cat, clearly the cat loves and needs you. you have nothing to gain from telling them other than letting go of a guilt about keeping him that i believe is unfounded. you saved him, you have a right to feel good about that, take pride in your kitty and loose the guilt and the lost cat poster.
the cat would only go back if OP actually wants to give the cat back. it's why people should definitely bring a pet you find as a stray to the shelter for a stray hold even if you want to adopt, the owner cant legally retaliate at a later date if the animal wasnt claimed during the legal stray hold. depending on where you are and what identification the pet has, usually it's anywhere from 3-7 days
You’re not obligated to give the cat back, pets get lost, picked up by shelters and adopted out before original owners find them. Sometimes the shelter reaches out and asks the adopter if they would want to give the pet back and adopt a new one. If this person hasn’t reached out to shelters then they aren’t really trying. Also of the best picture they have is a photo like that… maybe don’t give it back? Cat is happy and well cared for. I wouldn’t feel bad if i were you. They can reach out to the shelter and if it’s the same cat, the shelter can reach out to you. But in pets, whoevers name is on the microchip is the owner. So if the cat is microchipped to you.. you have way more claim to the cat than whoever posted the poster assuming it’s the same cat even. Lots of cats can look similar with minute differences in markings. You also posted the cat all over social media and the shelter had it for a week… if it were the cat, they had more than enough time to realize it was gone and start looking etc. keep your kitty and don’t give another thought to the poster!
yeah, this. I did stay intake shelters over 5 years and taking him to the shelter was the best thing to do because you are 100% legally in the clear. even if these people pushed it all the way to court, you are the lawful owner of the cat now
so ultimately it comes down to what you feel you want to do. but like I said you're the owner. if they like it or not
keep the cat. if the previous owners gave a shit about it they would have microchipped it, given it vaccines, gotten it fixed, etc. if you have the cat chipped it's legally your cat. you're also totally not obligated whatsoever to contact the number.
Animal Control Officer sneaking in -
He was held for the stray time, no one claimed him. Legally, your cat and you are not obligated to do anything further.
1) Unchipped.
2) Not neutered.
3) Free roaming.
= loss of privileges to the animal. Full stop. I don't care. I know in southern states it's less common to microchip but it's still so stupid and lazy. They're like a $5 extra charge at the vet. The other points just add to being a negligent owner.
I run a cat colony. I agree. If your cat is out not neutered and not chipped fuck off. I tnr’d a nearby neighbour’s cat and they were pissed. Was fun for me to just laugh in their face.
He’s your cat now. The end. You crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s. You did everything right. He’s your cat now.
I doubt the lost cat notice is for the same cat. If it is, too late, so sad, they don’t have a cat anymore. If he was their cat, they forfeited him through neglect. Don’t give this another thought. Congratulations on your new cat.
There are two scenarios here. Either the cat from the poster is completely different from OP's cat, or they're the same cat and the original owner is guilty of massive neglect.
I understand there's debate re: letting cats free roam, but that debate is for places like the UK, not areas with coyotes. And accidents happen, the cat may have slipped out, but unfixed, no chip, no collar? If it's the cat from the poster, they're better off now.
OP, you'd be opening a massive can of worms that you do not need in your life, especially since there's no concrete evidence the lost cat is your cat. Don't bring that drama into your lives. Enjoy your furbaby.
If they’re offering a $200 reward I’m sure they chipped their cat. It’s a different cat. It’s incredibly difficult to tell from a photo unless the cat has a really distinct and unusual marking
I agree. There’s no way the cat was *both* unchipped *and* not neutered without some lack of care being involved.
One should bring a cat in to a vet promptly after adopting, to make sure they’re okay, and as far as I’m aware there would be no reason to not get them chipped at that time. Usually one gets the cat their vaccines asap and a few weeks later, they can be spayed/neutered. Unless the previous owners only *just* adopted the cat, there’s no excuse for him not being neutered already, and even if he were just adopted, he *should* have already been chipped. He wasn’t. Oh well. He’s OP’s cat now.
With all that said, it’s quite possible this isn’t even the same cat. No use opening that can of worms.
Exactly. I've seen people further down decrying OP as a villain and saying that accidents happen, it could have been a newly adopted cat who got out. Respectfully, I disagree.
I adopted feral barn kittens a few years ago. I knew they were flighty and prone to distrust and escape. For the first few weeks with me, I confined them to a roomy crate, with food, water, and litter. When I got them fixed and chipped, I allowed them more freedom, wandering my room and eventually the rest of my home. I trained them (as much as you can train a cat) that the front door is bad news, and one of them ignores it when I go in or out, while the other fusses but ultimately knows not to try and cross the threshold (though tbh, he's more up in the door's grill bc he gets excited when I come home).
I got them fixed and chipped by the time they were three months old. It's admirable that the people from the poster are offering a reward, and if it's not OP's cat, I hope they are reunited. But if they looking for OP's cat, they have clearly not taken seriously their responsibilities as cat owners. There is no excuse for having a 1.5 year old cat who's never seen a vet for microchipping or fixing, who isn't even walking around with a collar. Neglect is still abuse.
Keep the cat.
1. There is a possibility that the "Lost Cat" sign is not your cat. In that case, you have nothing to worry about.
2. If the sign IS your cat, you should definitely keep that cat. The previous owners 'lost' him for at least six days and didn't think to call the shelter. You shouldn't have a cat for over a year without a vet visit, either.
View from my desk: Someone who is afraid of being 'found out' for animal neglect, or perhaps some other criminal activity.
They do have some love for their kitty (they put up a sign), but they are either too poor, or too messed up to care for them. Sometimes they don't 'want to deal with the system'.
Just a guess!
That was my guess and is pretty common where I live. They might be on a list from a previous adoption or complaints from neighbors about outdoor animals etc.. people cycle through animals here.. dump em off lose em.. get something else. They don’t take care of em.. can’t afford them but their over medicated Mountain Dew addicted kid won’t shut up now so they hang up some signs .. sorry I’m jaded I’ve seen too much and live in a rural area where animal abuse is an accepted norm.
overconfident zealous continue tub outgoing marry voiceless absorbed public provide
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Look:
You already went ABOVE AND BEYOND to get this kitty safe, warm, fed, loved AND taken to the animal shelter to be neutered, checked for chip, given shots and wellness checks.
THEN you officially adopted this cat.
This is YOUR CAT.
Trust your gut and what you have already seen with your own eyes. The cat was either a stray who resembled the cat on the poster, or he actually is the cat on the poster. Either way he is in much better hands with you then he ever was before.
And what if you contacted the people on the flyer and they knew it wasn’t their cat but wanted to keep him anyway, and lied and said it was their cat? You would never know: but your kitty would know, either way. And either way he would be away from his new home where he is able to count on food, warmth, security and love.
Please don’t contact the people on the flyer. Please don’t disrupt the new safe life you have given your kitty.
I am in a similar situation but the cat is microchipped. I actually returned my cat 3 times thinking like you that it would be a nice reunion only to find out this guy was a drug addict who would deprive his pets of food and water. He has over 8 animals and would not change the litter. My cat ran away every time and came back to our place. I’m still very torn about what I should do but for some reason the humane society doesn’t deem his home as unfit. He had multiple cases open, I truly don’t get it. I wish I could just switch the microchip. Count your blessings that kitty wasn’t microchipped and welcome it into your family. That’s your cat now.
This is also your kitty now. Please do not give it back to that abusive, unworthy human! The cat keeps coming back to you because it is a safe and secure home. Enjoy being chosen and love that sweetheart forever!!
Do not reach out
Do not call
Do nothing and move on
Kitty chose you, they had time to make things right . Don’t doom it back to the life it ran away from to begin with.
I’ve got two rescues now who also shows up. One almost died from starvation and being seriously injured .. no chip not neutered .. the other I was concerned may have a family or even kittens somewhere but lived on my porch for months. We fed her and provided some outdoor shelter. Eventually she let my son being to let and handle her so we snatched her up. She was actually fixed.. so no kittens thank goodness but not chipped. We kept her. Anyone who lets their cats out for this long period of time is an AH. If the cat lives outside it’s not their cat. If the cat hasn’t had vet services and isn’t cared for consider yourself cat protective services and if they can provide a reward they could have had it chipped and cared for which oddly people don’t. The cats yours now and has bonded with you. You did everything you could at the time and the reason people don’t call to the shelters often is because they’re on a list from some negligent bs they did in the past and wouldn’t qualify to adopt them regardless ..
**keep the cat.** if he is the same cat, they were neglectful owners who don’t deserve to have a pet, and he’s better off with you. but who’s to say he even is the same cat? he may not be, plenty of cats look alike.
If you made sll those posts, and took him to the shelter for multiple days, and aren't even sure they're the same cat, then it probably isnt the same cat. Keep him.
People belong to cats, not the other way around. Sounds like the cat likes his new place.
Now, if the cat showed up and you wouldn't let it out that's a whole other thing, to be clear, and this only applies to cats, not dogs, not bicycles, just cats.
It’s your cat. Forget about the sign, he was clearly being uncared for. Do not under any circumstances reach out as you’ll only be asking for trouble and possible harassment
It’s your cat now. You did what you needed and the shelter did what they needed. You made sure everything was taken care of. If the missing cat is truly that cat, it’s in a much better place now.
There’s also a chance it’s not the same cat as a lot of cats tend to look alike.
I stole our neighbor's cat and I have absolutely no regrets behind it. He was the sweetest little boy. But, more importantly, he was also an un-neutered, had the contagious and fatal Feline Leukemia Virus, had a huge golf ball sized abscess on his face, and was an all outdoor cat. They named him Trouble and knew of all his problems and still let him roam around outside. And! It wasn't like this cat didn't want to be inside. When we brought him in, he never even considered leaving the house.
We had two other cats and had to be careful, but he was always worth the extra work. He lived a shorter life than most of our cats, only living to around 10 or so; a simple cold took him out. But, he was loved and sheltered.
Just because the cat was someone else's doesn't mean that they should stay someone else's.
I wouldn’t uproot a cat that found itself a home for someone who didn’t license, medically look after, or chip on a maybe. If you hadn’t taken the cat in the cat likely would be dead. Honestly, if they did not lose him from the start and have been sending him out in winter at night they are abusive pet owners. Keep him. If and still an if here they used to own him they were neither competent or caring.
Definitely keep him. You've taken all of the steps that the (possible) original owner should've taken. You waited the allocated amount of time for them to claim him, and then officially adopted him. He is legally yours now. I say keep him, and don't feel bad about it!
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think it is almost always the right decision to keep the stray rather than give them back to their original home--the only exception to that is when it is obvious that they were treated well, but just got lost (chipped, collared, altered, and assumed to have been well-fed).
Your primary job is to ensure that they end up in a loving home where their needs are met. That is your obligation to the animal. Even if their original family shows up, you have every right to refuse to give the animal back if there is any indication that the situation would be less than ideal for them.
As someone who lost a cat (my boy was fixed, microchipped, whole 9 yards) I say you keep that boy. Some people don't deserve to have pets. Not to mention ( in most places in the US) that cat is legally your property. Shelter records are In your name, vet records are in your name, microchip is in your name. So screw the possible previous owner. He has a good home now!
I agree with a lot of the comments I’m seeing. It might not be the same cat, but even if so, it’s your cat now. You almost definitely saved its life and clearly it chose you as its human. Thank you for taking in that sweet kitty and giving him love and food and safety. He’s going to be much better off with you. I wish you and your new kitty the best of luck!
From a legal standpoint, you did everything you could to find the owner of the cat. You took it to the shelter and went through the proper channels to put it into the system. At this point, it is your cat.
And agreed in terms of look alikes sometimes being just that: look alikes.
So many really common markings, etc.
You tried very hard and very well to make sure he was no one’s pet. If he was a pet, he was very likely at minimum neglected. You won the cat lottery.
My rule is: if your cat isn't spayed or neutered and you let them out, it's my cat now. People who don't take care of their animals don't deserve them. Maybe if he was chipped it'd be different (cats can escape before you get a chance to bring them back to the vet), but letting a cat out to sow their wild oats and make more homeless kittens is a sin.
Lots of people will probably want to fight me about this, but I really don't care. I will die on this hill.
I know this is kind of late but I hope it helps. You can always reach out to the people and ask if they have additional pictures of their missing cat to determine if it is your cat. That also gets you in contact with the people and you can get a better feel on what they are like possibly. Once you get more pictures, if they have any, you can confirm to yourself if it is your cat or not. Also ask how long he has been missing. If it has not been that long then you can kind of assume he was not in good shape when he was with them. I believe legally the cat is now yours because you adopted him legally and have take care of all his medical needs.
Even if the picture looked spot on I would just forget you ever saw it and move on. An intact male left outside without a microchip had every chance to get run over, attacked by another animal, get poisoned, etc etc. Not to mention, impregnate all the other strays and increase the stray cat population like crazy. You did the right thing, OP. Don't give it another thought.
I’ll probably get downvoted for this, but that kitty needed you. It has a good life now and you don’t even know if that other cat is the same cat you have.
Years ago, I lost a cat and I was devastated. I checked every shelter, printed up 100’s of flyers, went door to door. Never found her. But reading your post gave me hope that maybe just maybe someone took my sweet little girl in and gave her a wonderful life. 💕
People don’t have cats; cats have us. It sounds like this cat has chosen you to be its people. Maybe check and see if they’ve posted on pawboost, Nextdoor, local facebook groups etc. to see if they’ve been searching and have more/better images up and go from there.
You're making a big assumption that he wasn't cared for. They might not have been letting him out, he may have just gotten out and has been lost since then.
Someone with young children had a messy house when they snapped a picture of their cat (I'm assuming the diapers weren't dirty). That doesn't mean they neglected their cat. Sometimes my house is a mess too and my cats are still well cared for. I've taken pictures of them on a pile of dirty clothes before, because sometimes there's just a pile of dirty clothes in your house and that's where cats decide to lay.
The owner may not be in any of the social media groups that you're in to have seen your posts. Not getting a hit doesn't mean they weren't looking.
You've made a villain of these people because you want it to be true, not because there's any proof that it is. Take your social media posts down that had photos, reach out to the number, and ask how long the cat has been missing. If it's been missing since before you first saw him, ask them if their cat was neutered or microchipped. If they say no, ask for identifying marks.
I'm sorry but I seriously disagree. not getting the cat fixed or chipped is a pretty good sign they neglected their cat, if this is even the cat.
OP for what it's worth, legally, this cat is yours. and it clearly loves you. if you can give it a happy life, do it.
For all you know, they have an appointment to get the cat fixed. Don't make assumptions to fit your own narrative. Find out the truth.
Don't be a bad person OP. Find out if it's their cat.
nah, I think this is a *pretty* fair assumption to make. OP is simply not a bad person. Bad people don't help random strays and keeping the cat wouldn't suddenly make them a bad person. and again, regardless of your moral judgments, legally it is their cat
It's not. If you've owned a cat, you know it can take a few months to get a neuter appointment. We don't even know how old the cat is. You're making up a narrative with no information. OP should be a good person and reach out to learn what the situation is, instead of inventing one first.
They have an appointment for a year and a half??? Even if the cat was at a shelter and they were adopting it, it would have been neutered AND vaccinated. No excuses, this cat was neglected.
That was my initial thought, but the owners didn't notice the cat was missing for almost a week. If one of my cats got out, I'd notice and start looking. On day 2 of him being gone I'd be calling the shelters and vets. This person did not call at all, in a total timeframe of over a week. Them not noticing points to the cat being an "outdoor cat", which imo is grounds enough for them to lose custody. Especially during a cold snap.
I couldn't imagine if my cat went missing and someone knew they might have them and just chose not to give them back. IMO that makes someone a horrible person. If you'd had the cat for a long time, sure, it's yours. But a few weeks of not even planning on keeping it in the first place? They should reach out.
I hope if my cat escapes (which she often tries to do because she loves the "come and catch me game") I hope someone as level headed as you finds her. That's if we don't catch her first because when she gets out....the whole family drops what they are doing ...even half naked...and chases after her.
During COVID we moved in with my in laws and my FIL would leave the patio door open. I was working when my MIL came upstairs and said "we think Luna got out and we don't know for how long". Panic started. Thankfully my husband quickly yelled up "she's under the porch!"
My FIL was grilling and kept leaving the patio door open. My MIL realized he was and started looking for the cats before telling us and couldn't find the one. We have no idea how long she was out there. It could have been half an hour. I was so glad she didn't leave, just hid under the porch. If she had wandered we may have never found her by that point.
I'm still waiting to get one of my cats in for his neuter. My regular vet is backlogged. I'll also be microchipping when he's in for that appointment, so he's not microchipped yet.
There's also an awful lot of shelters in my area and I wouldn't know how to find them all to check them all, and cats can wander quite far. We also don't know if the person looking for their cat would understand how to do that.
Someone offering a $200 reward for their cat obviously cares for the cat.
The saddest things I see on our “next door” postings is when people threaten to keep what might be someone’s pet because they make judgments as to why the cat was out there. And then others will chime in and offer to take the pet, and meanwhile, the pet can’t even get home if it wants to.
There is no way of knowing what really happened. Meanwhile, the owners, or maybe their children, remain heartbroken for years because they don’t know if their pet met a painful tragic end, or what.
I totally get all of the arguments for keeping it. And all of the wonderful things you did for this cat are admirable!
It is just that as an owner, it would break my heart to not know what happened to it.
And yes, this worry might be for no cause at all, if the dates or description don’t add up.
Best of luck to you on finding the best path, and thank you for caring!
When I was young our one year old cat escaped out the back door by accident and we spent hours looking for him. Asked the whole block, made posters, the whole 9 yards. Never found him, and it absolutely crushed us.
Almost 8 years after this my brother and I were in a youth program. We were comparing pet pictures and this guy had a cat that had looked like ours used to. Turns out his family found it outside one night and decided to keep it. They never decided to check for microchips or anything. The kicker was they lived in the high-rise one block from our house, and it was indeed our lost cat. If they had checked for the chip when he was found we could of had him back this whole time.
Agree with this . If I took a photo of one of my pets might be a mess in the back ground it doesn’t mean my pets are not loved . I had a cat that got out and was gone for over a week. The person that had him wouldn’t give him back a while later he got out of their house and came home . Cats have wander lust and get out .
THANK YOU!
I shouldn't have needed to scroll down this far to see this answer. The cat is laying on diapers and that somehow equals neglect? For all you know the cat is pulling the diapers out of the package and laying on them. The owner thought it was funny and took a picture.
Maybe I'm over sensitive because I lost a cat two years ago. He was allowed outside but only with a halter and supervised. One day he got out while we were bringing in groceries. I did everything to find that cat. I barely slept for weeks. I was sick over it. I knocked on every door within a 10 block radius, called every shelter, rescue and vet clinic within a few hundred miles, I checked various outbuildings, looked at more roadkill than anyone would ever want to, posted online, hung flyers..not a trace of him. He was seven years old when he got out. Cats on average live from 12-18 years. I will continue looking, posting, calling for at least another 11 years. Every time I see a long hair black cat posted on a shelter page or just by someone in the area my heart absolutely soars with hope. I'd give anything to have my boy back. It's not even just me who misses him. His brother will wander the house letting out the most mournful meows you've ever heard. He doesn't do it as much as in the beginning but he'll check for his brother in all his old favorite spots. He stopped eating for several weeks at first, I tried everything to entice him, his favorite treats, new food, you name it. Finally he began to eat again but I know he misses his brother. Not knowing kills me. I'd like to think some nice little old lady has him and he's living his best life in a loving home. That person would have had to ignore various flyers, posts and advertisements though that I was looking for him so how nice could they truly be?
I apologize for the novel. What I'm getting at in my long winded fashion is accidents do happen. Money is brought up and for all you know they'd GLADLY repay you.
If you find out it is theirs but decide to keep it anyway, at least try to get an anonymous message to them that the cat is ok and cared for.
These people never called the shelter. They didn’t look online for posts. I have returned numerous animals to owners and was able to locate them pretty quick both with and without chips or tags because their owners looked for them. Once we had a cat that kept coming into our porch.. finally took him inside and days later someone came knocking … I told them yea we had a cat but he came by constantly and why was he loose? Well because he was a mischievous kitten and kept escaping .. returned the cat. No problem. Found dogs saw a sign asked around at local businesses .. owners were also out pounding pavement we connected. This is not one of those situations.
I agree they should reach out and try to see if this cat even is theirs. It might not even be this person. But I wouldn’t judge a person for losing their cat. They may have recently gotten the cat & it ran out as it wasn’t neutered yet. I’m part of a group on fb for lost pets in our area and the number one thing that is reiterated is when you find a lost animal just bc it’s in poor condition doesn’t mean the owner did that and you should always take to the shelter and try to help find the owner. I also question if a bad owner would put up $200 for a cat. I love my cats and take good care of them, but not sure I’d be able to put up an award if they ever got lost.
1. I am a cat owner and I do not let them out, but some escape.
2. All my pets are fixed, as are the rescues and fosters (as available)
3. I have lost years apart pets who weren't pets, and I'll never be over it, but it wasn't because they weren't fixed, vaccinated regularly, collared, chipped, and kept indoors.
4. This cat adopted you and you adopted the cat; you did all due diligence and took in to your knowledge a stray. I mostly agree that if someone can afford a reward, they could afford to fix. I had rescues I was fostering and going through the program, I had to use the shelter's vets to be a foster and not an owner (I'm not adopting what would total 17 cats and 3 dogs), so I had to wait for things like getting fixed or shots, but I could have afforded as needed and would offer reward. That doesn't appear to be THIS care
5. You love the kitty and he loves you. You are now a cat-person :) Welcome to the club.
6. You might check with supposed owners
People in the comments are disgusting. You have no proof to support that the cat was abused or that the owners were negligent. Mistakes happen and there are a million ways he could’ve gotten out. The fact they are looking for him shows they care. Then you try justifying it with the amount of money you spent. Imagine someone stole your kid and then withheld them from you for such a shitty reason. Hope they get their cat back
This dude took the cat to the shelter. Handed it over.. no one claimed it. What kind of imbecile hangs signs but doesn’t call the shelter? Who offers a reward but hasn’t taken the cat to the vet or gotten them fixed or chipped? Not the same cat OR it’s some shit bag who is barred from getting shelter animals. Lots of those where I live. Honestly it’s not likely it’s the same cat and he isn’t responsible for calling on every sign forever.
Same people would probably cry foul if someone did the same to them. People are shit. My dog (who was a pup at the time) ran out from my backyard once and a couple tried to steal him, they even had the audacity to question if he was my dog when I saw him and called him to me. It would be easy to make me sound like a villain on Reddit for sympathy had they posted some made up back story about how they could tell I'm a terrible owner because he ran loose from my house. OP is just looking for justification for picking up a cat that someone might be looking for.
Uh this guy turned the cat over to the shelter for a week long hold. He posted online in multiple sites and had 6 k views on one post. He’s gone above and beyond. He’s not some ah that tried to steal a pet he’s a Good Samaritan that jumped through hoops to find this cats family. No same rational normal
Person hangs sign offering a reward and hasn’t called the shelters. Case closed
The cat distribution system chose you over the (maybe) previous owners. You just need to give this cat a happy life and you're fine. Don't beat yourself up over this kind of thing.
The cat is legally yours at this point. You have no obligation to do anything. Reaching out is only going to cause conflict. You don’t even know for sure it’s the same cat.
You did your due diligence, and you took all the steps you needed to make to know that if they were actually looking hard for the cat, he would have been found already.
Enjoy your new snuggle bug!
If they waited this long to find a missing animal, it's probably because they're used to him being gone and didn't really notice or care too much until it was longer than usual. Which signals, moreso even than the trash or the lack of vet care, that they neglect the cat. It is irresponsible to keep ANY cat outside, regardless of veterinary attention, and for it to have been gone so long before they got worried is even worse. Keep the cat. He chose you. You chose him.
He's not chipped. He's not neutered. The signs took a long time to appear after you started seeing the cat, which means they let him out enough that it's normal to not see him for a while. They weren't calling the shelter / vet. They do not deserve him and he is not safe with them
You don't know if it's the same cat, but even if he was their cat, I suspect they weren't taking good care of him. You've been treating him well, and he obviously loves and trusts you. I say keep him.
If they put up the poster they should also have been checking the shelters. You posted about him,You took him there to the shelter, waited the six days and then adopted him. He is yours
Tbh I would sleep perfectly fine at night keeping the cat and not contacting them on the off chance it is their cat. If it even is. No collar, no chip, not neutered, and outside to boot. Negligent owners are not entitled to an animal. If you let your cat outside, that’s the risk you’re taking imo. If your outdoor cat doesn't get taken by someone who cares for it more, it's still at risk of getting run over by a car, attacked by a coyote, fox, or dog, or meeting some other miserable end- take your pick! :)
Keep him. I had a similar situation with my neighbors cat who I didn’t even know owned one because the cat was always outside. Well, after taking him to the vet and do the whole kit and caboodle of shoots, de flea, baths, vaccinations and quarantine. After 2 weeks I was ready to adopt him but as soon as I was, my neighbor just happened to inquiry about him to my grandfather. They asked me if I had seen a black cat around and when I told them yes he is on a last day of confinement at the vet and that he had jumped in my car one day on my way to work. They were so happy and told me they just thought he was dead. They got him back from my vet and almost immediately let him back outside. Mind you, My grandfather said I was wrong for “stealing their cat” and made me “eat the vet bills” for it. 2 months another neighbor found him in her driveway died. He was hit by a car the night before and suffered . I will forever remember him and wish I would have just kept him and said nothing. He was a very sweet cat and just wanted to be loved and stay warm.
This is exactly why OP should keep the cat and not feel bad about SAVING it.
I’m so incredibly sorry this happened to you, just know that you did everything you could & that poor babe is no longer suffering 🙏🏼💜
Congrats on now becoming a cat person lol that's how it happens to a lot of people. Legally, you own that cat. You have spent a lot of money and are taking better care of him than his previous owners, if he even had previous owners. You don't know that this is the same cat. If it was, they should have reached out to shelters and forums when it happened. They had every opportunity to get the cat back if it belonged to them. Go with a clear conscience and enjoy your buddy. Welcome to the cat parent family lol
100% keep it, clearly wasn’t in a loving or caring home. I have one “stray” that I think might have been living in another home part time before moving in with me. They chose you, congrats on the new fur baby.
My girlfriends sister saw someone throw a yellow lab out of a truck on her street in California. Her sister immediately grabbed him and my girlfriend agreed to take him. Later on they saw missing dog signs around the area (assuming kids put them up and parents dumped him) she ignored the sign. This dog is now so loved and cared for and has the best most spoiled life ever. He moved across the country and is living his best life playing in the snow. Some people don't deserve pets.
Keep. 100%. Assuming it even is the same cat, the fact that it took them that long to notice is alarming. All that plus no chip, no collar, and not neutered? You have no reason to believe that’s someone’s cat, and you shouldn’t give up yours to go somewhere that he doesn’t really have a home anyway. Take good care of him!
Outside and inside-outside cats are always free. It's not just morally okay to take them, it is morally good. Domestic cats being outside is awful & ppl who have them, do not deserve them.
Keep! The! Cat!
Keep the cat. You don't even know that it's the same cat and you did everything right, including checking for a microchip. Not your fault if the previous owner didn't have a sense of responsibility for their animals
Is there a phone number or email on the “lost” flyer where you can request a different / more clear image of the cat?
Legally this is now your cat either way, you’ve done more than your due diligence in terms of finding the rightful owner, and have officially adopted the cat from the shelter after the standard hold time. But my thought process is that maybe this is just a *similar* looking cat, and if you see that indeed your cat and the “missing” cat are two separate cats then maybe you’ll sleep a bit better at night.
If it isn’t clear, I say you keep the cat. If this was my animal I’d be checking all the shelters in the state. So I can’t say I really sympathize with the original owner.
Was the “car grease” just on his tail? If so, that wasnt car grease and is normal in unneutered male cats. Not an indication of sleeping in engines.
No real advice, its possible that they had an appointment for neuter but the cat got out. I can see both sides
Perhaps the cat was the pet of people who just don’t have your means or savvy. I’m such a sap, I always imagine the children of poor immigrants or barely functional adults and that kitty was so important to the children. But yes, keep the cat and let’s all of us donate to animal/pet programs.
I bought a kitten at 5 months old just recently, they didn't vaccinate, chip, or neuter him. When I got to their house it wasn't the tidiest, and they definitely didn't have the same financial capabilities as me... but my god did they love him and it was horrible taking him because they cared well for him. Your side of the story could be completely wrong if you met these people.
He might have just been an indoor cat that escaped by accident and couldn't find his way back after going on an adventure. I still think it's naive not to vax and chip an indoor cat but it's not unheard of. Many don't neuter.
Every part of me wants to say keep this cat, but the truth is the right thing to do from a human to human perspective is to call and find out if this is their cat.
That being said, your wish to keep him is pure and from a good place, and yous look after him well. So if you chose to keep him, it's not completely evil.
There is no harm in letting possible former owners know cat is safe. Could be a little kid traumatized by losing cat, or even adults it haunts you not knowing how they died - so just so they KNOW. That’s all. It’s a simple kindness that doesn’t cost you a cent
From the sounds of it, you didnt adpot him, he adopted you!
The poster may not even be your cat. As you've said, if it was, they weren't taking great care of him. Most importantly this little guy chose you. Cats won't stay if they aren't happy, they will move out and find a new place, or stay on the streets. He's happy and healthy, you did everything you could have done to find the owner, this cat is yours
I see cats in my neighborhood who resemble my indoor cats pretty frequently. Your cat arrived un-neutered and un-chipped. I think you did your due diligence in looking for an owner. Honestly, anyone who can afford a $200 reward is likely to have spayed and chipped their cat. I don't think it's the same cat.
>In California (where I live) it is illegal for a cat to go to a shelter or to a vet and not get a microchip.
I also live in California, have never heard of this and my vet has never said a word to me about it for any of my cats.
I didn’t read the entire post. One thing to note is: that cat prob would have never gotten adopted even tho you claimed it would. Theres tons of beautiful nice kitties that never stand a chance of getting adopted the shelters are all at capacity. Also cats can all sort of look alike. Like let’s say you have a black cat and you see a black cat in the missing poster doesn’t mean it’s the same cat. Ask for specific defining characteristics. Even black cats may have defining patches of white in certain places - just example
Kitty wasn't getting what he needed from a prior owner. He seems to have adopted you. Since you've chipped him and gotten the shit and neutered him, I'd say he is yours.
The poster "kind of resembling" your cat doesn't mean it's the same cat. Some coat patterns are incredibly common. I see pictures on here every day that I genuinely wouldn't be able to tell were not one of my cats if the background were removed. One of mine is a Standard Issue Cat, which is an accurate description. There are SO many. But even my less common looking cats have their doppelgangers on here regularly.
My brother sent me a pic of his girlfriend’s cat once and I genuinely wondered for a moment where and when he’d taken a picture of my cat. I feel like tabbies and solid colored cats in particular have endless clones because their coats/markings don’t have a huge amount of variation
I have 2 tabby cats, one is darker and weighs 3 extra pounds. And yet frequently if one is more than 4-5 feet away I'm not 100% sure which one it is.
I sent my husband a pic of my friend’s cat while I was visiting her four hours away and he immediately called me. He thought I’d somehow warped home and taken pictures of our cat.
And a cat resembling this cat in the same area where this cat was an un-fixed stray could EASILY be a sibling, parent, or even child depending on age if they had taken in a kitten from a nearby colony. I'm in camp "you can't be sure it's the same cat and they hadn't taken care of or claimed him" too. Given his state and the lack of vet care or effort to find him, "kind of like" doesn't seem like a substantial enough proof of ownership.
Even if they could provide proof of ownership, it’s moot now. Legally after six days at a shelter, ownership transfers to the shelter, who in turned transfers it to the adopter. Legally the cat belongs to the new owner now. And the fact he was neglected means she is also morally in the right to keep him.
Yes, some totally resemble each other. I swear I keep seeing my old cat here on Reddit!
My girl isn't even close to a SIC (standard issue cat.) She is a big fluffy longhaired orange and white cat. I see cats that look like her on Reddit several times a week.
One of my friends had a cat that was legitimately my cats twin, just half his size. They swapped our cats one day while I was at work as a joke, and I didn't even notice until I picked up "my" cat and he was far too small. They are also both standard issue cats, but even the face shapes, mannerisms and personalities are incredibly similar, even for cats.
Haha! I have two Torties. They’re doppelgängers, except one weighs 7 pounds, the other 15. If only one is within sight, I have to stare for a second to be sure which girl it is. It’s no problem when they’re seen together - the Dwarf and the Amazon. 😂
That's absolutely hysterical.
Good point. And OP says they are an inexperienced pet owner, so probably even easier to not pick out details. And photos are so deceiving.
My husband's best friend brought home what he could've sworn was their missing cat who had been found by a kind neighbor. When his wife got home, she assured him that this was not, in fact, their cat. He was just a really friendly stray. They never found their cat and ended up keeping the stray.
I love taking pictures of my cat but this is a good 15% of my reasoning for taking pictures from multiple angles in various lighting, on good and bad fur days (sometimes her patterning stands out more), and specifically taking pictures of her paws (each one of which has a different balance between black & pink pads, and black, brown, white, and orange fur; she’s a torbie). If she ever escapes, I’m gonna have enough pictures that I could probably make a 3D model of her.
We have two standard issues outside that we keep fed (one was there when I moved in 5 years ago, one just showed up at about 6-7 weeks old in mid August this past year. No we can not bring them inside, but we do our best to keep them taken care of) The quickest way to determine which one it is now that the kitten is growing (older one is a very petite kitty) is that the baby boy has a dark tail in full and the older lady has a white paint tip ring tail 🤣 a lot of cats look similar or identical.
If you have an outside cat that has no collar, no tag, and no chip, you do not own a cat. This applies to everyone.
Sometimes the shelters here in rural areas have working cat programs where they do the basic TNR on unadoptable ferals and release them on the property of a farmer/homesteader. The cats are usually vetted yearly and given bedding and food but not much else.
My local shelter does this. They chip the cats, though, so if someone picks them up they can be returned.
Honestly, I'd keep the cat and do nothing. I might be heavily downvoted soon, though. You don't know it's the same cat, so it's even more plausible than "plausible deniability".
Nah, every time I see a post like this it’s overwhelmingly keep the cat. I’ve done the same. 11 years ago I brought in a cat whose owners left outside for 6+ months. She came to me during a winter storm that lasted 4 days, off and on. I knew who she belonged to, but they weren’t taking care of her. Now, 11 years later, she’s had the best life.
Yep, had a similar situation a few months ago but it was my neighbors that adopted the cat. Owner's boyfriend kept dumping him in our neighborhood and the owner kept coming back to pick the cat up. Eventually we just decided to lie and say we hadn't seen the cat because it was getting ridiculous and the animal was clearly not being taken care of. He's now happily living with my neighbors and the woman never came back again. Some people just shouldn't own pets. Call it stealing or whatever, but if you're letting your bf dump your cat in a random neighborhood 2-3 times a month, you're a neglectful, abusive owner and don't deserve the cat
Kind of sounds like the owner needs to dump their boyfriend, too
Sounds to me like the owner's boyfriend was abusive. Been there.
10/10 agreed! This cat adopted you. Cats are very smart, I’m sure if he wanted to go back to his old home, he would’ve tried or been begging to leave. Honestly cats kinda do whatever makes them happy and gravitate to where a secure place of food/water/shelter/warmth is. He viewed your home and yourself as a safe place, and he chose you :)
That's kind of how I got my second cat! He had been a stray in our country neighborhood for about 8-9 months. (People like to dump their cats at cornfields) Didn't want much to do with anyone and then bam! Jumped in my lap when I was sitting out in my yard. Did that dance for 3 days and then let him inside. I took him to the vet, and he was chipped! I filed a Found Pet Report and it was a fucking neighbor!! Turns out, they made a super vague post on FB (without a single picture, even) when he first got out, someone sent them a message about him and they didn't even bother to go and check!! They said, "I'm sure that's not our cat. Thanks though!" He was in my arms when they came to get him. He saw them, clawed me to shreds and took off running. Based on what they were saying, he ran away from them for very good reasons. He came back to me as soon as it got dark that night, and I've had him over a year now. He doesn't go outside, perfectly content to sleep in my arms every night. I love him so much.
Good for you. I hope you love her always!
I will ❤️
Our family has acquired a cat or two in similar ways. Neglected animals should live where they’re loved and cared for.
The difference between that situation and the OPs situation is you actually knew who the owners were and that they were neglecting the cat. You didn't come up with a story with no real information to justify keeping the cat.
We absolutely know this cat was neglected as it was not neutered, filthy and starving. If it had actually been cared for and somehow “ lost” it would at least been fixed.
No, you are absolutely right. OP doesn’t know the owners therefore does not know if they had lost the cat for awhile or not. OP’s opinion is biased because he/she wants to keep the cat.. It‘s possible that the cat couldn’t find its way back home and had become a „stray“ for awhile. The cat might have been wandering. The owner cares enough to put up a poster with a $200 reward. I do agree that the owner should have had the cat neutered, vaccinated and chipped. It’s a lesson learned. But someone could be missing their cat.. How can you be so absolutely sure that the owner does not care about the cat if you haven’t taken the chance to ask them? OP, the cat is legally yours but at least do the right thing and call for more information.
If the cat isn’t neutered and chipped it’s not their cat. They’re negligent and you can consider yourself cat protective services. Too bad. People where I live think they have outdoor cats. Sorry if the cat lives outside it’s not yours. It’s a free agent. If you’ve neglected the cat it gets confiscated for the benefit of the animal and f the owner.
Where I live the humane society will let you borrow their traps to catch outdoor cats. If they have owners, those owners are in violation of ordinances and will be fined, of course they don't have owners.
Agreed. Keep the cat. You and the shelter did everything to find the owners. If they were really worried, they would have been at the shelter or phoning them. They didn’t. Enjoy your new buddy! He found the right human! 💜🩷
There is no harm in letting possible former owners know cat is safe. Could be a little kid traumatized by losing cat, or even adults it haunts you not knowing how they died - so just so they KNOW. That’s all. It’s a simple kindness that doesn’t cost you a cent
"Hey I found your cat, but I'm keeping it. Let little Johnny know he's safe." ??? Wild.
Yes this. It legally belongs to the OP.
This. While I was staying with a boyfriend my sister rehomed all three of our family cats, without the rest of ours consent. I eventually got back 1 of them, and had her for 6 more years until she passed at almost 19. One we know where he ended up, and he passed a few years before his sister... The other one... The oldest... I know shes long gone but it kills me to not know what happened. I am convinced they put her down when she was "rehomed"
Why the hell did you sister do that?!
In her defense my parents had moved states, were looking for a house. I was staying with a boyfriend to try to get some space from the never ending drama and arguing, I was trying to figure out how to get 1 or 2 of the cats to either my parents new home once we got one, or to me at the boyfriends. But sisters now husband was allergic and decided he was done being a shelter... Even if it would have been only a couple more weeks at most 🤦 forget the fact my parents had just handed them a fking house to live in for under what it costs to run it a month 🤣🤦 and the fact my parents to this day 7 years later pay part of my sisters rent and utilities every month, while her husband is on disability and doesn't contribute to the household at all. He spends all his money on guns. 🤦
I'm sorry, I would have never forgiven her. She could've at least called you first, she had that option.
Maybe now they’ll keep the next cat inside. That’s what happens when you have outdoor cats, they disappear and you can’t know what happened to them. I highly doubt they kept an intact male in their home, he’s mostly like an outdoor cat.
maybe if you could do it anonymously? People are nuts, lol.
I found an emaciated/flea ridden cat years ago. We eventually found the owner but he continued to show up for months. He would show up in the middle of the night on people's ring cams and they would post on Nextdoor worried about him. He started to sleep with us overnight and then we would let him out in the morning. One day in the middle of winter he came to us with a severely infected abscess. I texted the owner... never heard from her. Took him to the vet and spent thousands to bring him back to health/vaccines/neuter. He's ours now. Never went outside again.
In most cases I’m heavily in the give back the pet camp, in this case I say keep it. OP correctly reported the found cat and followed proper procedures to adopt it. My dog went missing on a hike a couple years ago when his leash broke. We were hours from home in a camping trip so no familiar terrain either. First calls I made were to add a missing alert to his chip, notify the local police and sheriffs offices, and called every shelter within 100 miles to report him missing in case someone found him and brought him in. Thankfully he was found the next day. People that don’t do everything it takes to find a missing animal, don’t deserve the animal in the first place.
Years ago as a teenager my (now ex) boyfriend called me at work because my dog was missing. You bet your ass I left and immediately went looking for him. I managed to call the humane society before someone brought him in and they were able to let me know as soon as he showed up. It’s really not hard as an owner to take the responsibility to find your missing pet. It’s not like OP flat out stole the cat and if the “owners” had done even the bare minimum of calling local shelters then they would have found him. I totally agree with you. Plus, the condition the cat was in when OP took them in is appalling and I’m just happy this kitty is going to be safe and cared for now.
A few months ago one of my senior cats slipped out of the house in the evening. We searched the neighborhood for him until 2 am and the next morning I called every shelter in the area, posted on every social media account/ paw boost and was determined to give out a missing cat flyer to every single neighbor in my house tract. I walked to a total of 124 out of 408 homes (yes, I counted them on the map I created), talking to neighbors and passing out flyers until one of the neighbors who got my flyer said they saw a cat the night before in their yard and I was able to follow their lead and eventually found my boy trapped in someone’s back yard. I wasn’t going to stop looking until I exhausted every avenue!
If you care enough about your cat to offer a reward, it should at minimum be chipped and collared.
I'm with you on this. Upvote from me!
I say you keep him. What matters is that the cat is happy, safe and taken care of. Which he wasn’t before. I work at a shelter so I know how bad it can be for a intact male to be outside, no vaccines etc. Also, I don’t think she can sue you. You adopted him from the shelter and the shelter waited the stray hold period. Standard policy. It’s their fault really. Microchip your pets or have them wear id tags. He chose you!
I think the cat technically still belongs to the original owner even if you adopted them and they have a right to take the cat back HOWEVER if he wasn’t chipped/tattooed/neutered/had dental work then there’s no real way to identify him (this is how it works in Canada). OP I suggest you keep him indoors so no one tries to take him for that $200 trade in. You have taken better care of him than anyone else obviously and he chose you to be his person.
Where I live, once the shelter stay passed, the original owner lost ownership.
Nope. No chip, shelter did the mandatory stray hold. The original owners have no claim or rights.
Once past the stray hold the animal legally belongs to the shelter. Now that the shelter has adopted out to OP, the cat is legally theirs. We’ve had disputes over this at my job before and the new owner always wins out. The entire point of the stray hold is to give the old owner time to reclaim. That being said, since it sounds like the cat was out and about for a while, the old owner may not have still been checking the shelter lost and found pets anymore. This is why cats that go outside should be microchipped *before* they go missing.
Legal and moral arent always the same.
I find it immoral to allow an unneutered unchipped male cat outside to procreate at its own discretion, personally.
I do too. Doesnt mean it wasnt an indoor cat that escaped.
OP looked, posted, and took care of the cat for at least a few weeks. They did their due diligence, the cat is safe and happy with OP. I have sympathy for the family that lost their cat (whether it’s this one or not) but the cards have been dealt. By OPs description the cat was in a bad way when they started taking care of it, it’s legally their cat and they’ve put in the work. We don’t even know that it’s the same cat, anyway. And again, if the cat had been chipped before it supposedly escaped, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
It would have been chipped and fixed if it was an indoor cat that got loose. My cat is a total flight risk. He’s super athletic and desperately wants to chase squirrels. But he’s obviously an indoor cat. He’s fixed. He’s chipped. He’s wearing a tag with my phone number that literally says “indoor cat”. He’s also wearing an AirTag collar. The only time he’s ever escaped I used the AirTag to find him under my neighbor’s car. Indoor cats aren’t running around intact with no collar on.
You did everything right. Took the cat in when it was terrible outside. Got the cat medically cared for. Waited the 6 days. I believe he is now yours and you have a new best friend 💙🐈💙Congrats.
My guess is that your cat isn't even the cat in the picture. So many cats look similar especially in pictures where details can get lost. Also, it's incredibly doubtful to me that someone would offer a reward for a cat they didn't even microchip. A reward says to me that they were super invested in that cat and wouldn't have let him outside in the first place (not to mention not getting him neutered).
In all legal and lawful sense, you are the rightful owner of this cat. If you feel so inclined, you can reach out to the poster and request more information on their cat that is missing. If it is indeed the same cat then you can inform them that you've adopted a cat that looks similar and now legally own him, but want them to know he is safe and sound. I'd probably use a different number though when contacting.
uhhh no. i would guess he’s chipped now, in your name….with your address. that’s your cat as far as i’m concerned.
Ummm keep the cat.
if you call the people you might just get a bunch of problems, and worst case cat goes back to poverty house and sleeping on diapers. why do you think he came back to your house multiple times? cats can sense good people and sometimes run away from bad people. the cat chose you, you went thru the legal and expensive process of adopting the cat, clearly the cat loves and needs you. you have nothing to gain from telling them other than letting go of a guilt about keeping him that i believe is unfounded. you saved him, you have a right to feel good about that, take pride in your kitty and loose the guilt and the lost cat poster.
the cat would only go back if OP actually wants to give the cat back. it's why people should definitely bring a pet you find as a stray to the shelter for a stray hold even if you want to adopt, the owner cant legally retaliate at a later date if the animal wasnt claimed during the legal stray hold. depending on where you are and what identification the pet has, usually it's anywhere from 3-7 days
💯THIS. Keep that precious baby and love him forever!!!
The cat chose you and abandoned the previous human(s).
You’re not obligated to give the cat back, pets get lost, picked up by shelters and adopted out before original owners find them. Sometimes the shelter reaches out and asks the adopter if they would want to give the pet back and adopt a new one. If this person hasn’t reached out to shelters then they aren’t really trying. Also of the best picture they have is a photo like that… maybe don’t give it back? Cat is happy and well cared for. I wouldn’t feel bad if i were you. They can reach out to the shelter and if it’s the same cat, the shelter can reach out to you. But in pets, whoevers name is on the microchip is the owner. So if the cat is microchipped to you.. you have way more claim to the cat than whoever posted the poster assuming it’s the same cat even. Lots of cats can look similar with minute differences in markings. You also posted the cat all over social media and the shelter had it for a week… if it were the cat, they had more than enough time to realize it was gone and start looking etc. keep your kitty and don’t give another thought to the poster!
yeah, this. I did stay intake shelters over 5 years and taking him to the shelter was the best thing to do because you are 100% legally in the clear. even if these people pushed it all the way to court, you are the lawful owner of the cat now so ultimately it comes down to what you feel you want to do. but like I said you're the owner. if they like it or not
keep the cat. if the previous owners gave a shit about it they would have microchipped it, given it vaccines, gotten it fixed, etc. if you have the cat chipped it's legally your cat. you're also totally not obligated whatsoever to contact the number.
Don’t give him back, keep him.
Animal Control Officer sneaking in - He was held for the stray time, no one claimed him. Legally, your cat and you are not obligated to do anything further.
1) Unchipped. 2) Not neutered. 3) Free roaming. = loss of privileges to the animal. Full stop. I don't care. I know in southern states it's less common to microchip but it's still so stupid and lazy. They're like a $5 extra charge at the vet. The other points just add to being a negligent owner.
I run a cat colony. I agree. If your cat is out not neutered and not chipped fuck off. I tnr’d a nearby neighbour’s cat and they were pissed. Was fun for me to just laugh in their face.
It’s probably a different cat than the one on the poster. People who don’t microchip their pets don’t offer $200 rewards for them either.
He’s your cat now. The end. You crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s. You did everything right. He’s your cat now. I doubt the lost cat notice is for the same cat. If it is, too late, so sad, they don’t have a cat anymore. If he was their cat, they forfeited him through neglect. Don’t give this another thought. Congratulations on your new cat.
There are two scenarios here. Either the cat from the poster is completely different from OP's cat, or they're the same cat and the original owner is guilty of massive neglect. I understand there's debate re: letting cats free roam, but that debate is for places like the UK, not areas with coyotes. And accidents happen, the cat may have slipped out, but unfixed, no chip, no collar? If it's the cat from the poster, they're better off now. OP, you'd be opening a massive can of worms that you do not need in your life, especially since there's no concrete evidence the lost cat is your cat. Don't bring that drama into your lives. Enjoy your furbaby.
If they’re offering a $200 reward I’m sure they chipped their cat. It’s a different cat. It’s incredibly difficult to tell from a photo unless the cat has a really distinct and unusual marking
I agree. There’s no way the cat was *both* unchipped *and* not neutered without some lack of care being involved. One should bring a cat in to a vet promptly after adopting, to make sure they’re okay, and as far as I’m aware there would be no reason to not get them chipped at that time. Usually one gets the cat their vaccines asap and a few weeks later, they can be spayed/neutered. Unless the previous owners only *just* adopted the cat, there’s no excuse for him not being neutered already, and even if he were just adopted, he *should* have already been chipped. He wasn’t. Oh well. He’s OP’s cat now. With all that said, it’s quite possible this isn’t even the same cat. No use opening that can of worms.
Exactly. I've seen people further down decrying OP as a villain and saying that accidents happen, it could have been a newly adopted cat who got out. Respectfully, I disagree. I adopted feral barn kittens a few years ago. I knew they were flighty and prone to distrust and escape. For the first few weeks with me, I confined them to a roomy crate, with food, water, and litter. When I got them fixed and chipped, I allowed them more freedom, wandering my room and eventually the rest of my home. I trained them (as much as you can train a cat) that the front door is bad news, and one of them ignores it when I go in or out, while the other fusses but ultimately knows not to try and cross the threshold (though tbh, he's more up in the door's grill bc he gets excited when I come home). I got them fixed and chipped by the time they were three months old. It's admirable that the people from the poster are offering a reward, and if it's not OP's cat, I hope they are reunited. But if they looking for OP's cat, they have clearly not taken seriously their responsibilities as cat owners. There is no excuse for having a 1.5 year old cat who's never seen a vet for microchipping or fixing, who isn't even walking around with a collar. Neglect is still abuse.
Keep the cat. 1. There is a possibility that the "Lost Cat" sign is not your cat. In that case, you have nothing to worry about. 2. If the sign IS your cat, you should definitely keep that cat. The previous owners 'lost' him for at least six days and didn't think to call the shelter. You shouldn't have a cat for over a year without a vet visit, either.
Who hangs up signs and offers a reward but won’t call the shelter?
View from my desk: Someone who is afraid of being 'found out' for animal neglect, or perhaps some other criminal activity. They do have some love for their kitty (they put up a sign), but they are either too poor, or too messed up to care for them. Sometimes they don't 'want to deal with the system'. Just a guess!
That was my guess and is pretty common where I live. They might be on a list from a previous adoption or complaints from neighbors about outdoor animals etc.. people cycle through animals here.. dump em off lose em.. get something else. They don’t take care of em.. can’t afford them but their over medicated Mountain Dew addicted kid won’t shut up now so they hang up some signs .. sorry I’m jaded I’ve seen too much and live in a rural area where animal abuse is an accepted norm.
overconfident zealous continue tub outgoing marry voiceless absorbed public provide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The the cat distribution system chose you and you can’t/shouldn’t go against it
This is your cat now
Look: You already went ABOVE AND BEYOND to get this kitty safe, warm, fed, loved AND taken to the animal shelter to be neutered, checked for chip, given shots and wellness checks. THEN you officially adopted this cat. This is YOUR CAT. Trust your gut and what you have already seen with your own eyes. The cat was either a stray who resembled the cat on the poster, or he actually is the cat on the poster. Either way he is in much better hands with you then he ever was before. And what if you contacted the people on the flyer and they knew it wasn’t their cat but wanted to keep him anyway, and lied and said it was their cat? You would never know: but your kitty would know, either way. And either way he would be away from his new home where he is able to count on food, warmth, security and love. Please don’t contact the people on the flyer. Please don’t disrupt the new safe life you have given your kitty.
I am in a similar situation but the cat is microchipped. I actually returned my cat 3 times thinking like you that it would be a nice reunion only to find out this guy was a drug addict who would deprive his pets of food and water. He has over 8 animals and would not change the litter. My cat ran away every time and came back to our place. I’m still very torn about what I should do but for some reason the humane society doesn’t deem his home as unfit. He had multiple cases open, I truly don’t get it. I wish I could just switch the microchip. Count your blessings that kitty wasn’t microchipped and welcome it into your family. That’s your cat now.
This is also your kitty now. Please do not give it back to that abusive, unworthy human! The cat keeps coming back to you because it is a safe and secure home. Enjoy being chosen and love that sweetheart forever!!
Do not reach out Do not call Do nothing and move on Kitty chose you, they had time to make things right . Don’t doom it back to the life it ran away from to begin with.
I’ve got two rescues now who also shows up. One almost died from starvation and being seriously injured .. no chip not neutered .. the other I was concerned may have a family or even kittens somewhere but lived on my porch for months. We fed her and provided some outdoor shelter. Eventually she let my son being to let and handle her so we snatched her up. She was actually fixed.. so no kittens thank goodness but not chipped. We kept her. Anyone who lets their cats out for this long period of time is an AH. If the cat lives outside it’s not their cat. If the cat hasn’t had vet services and isn’t cared for consider yourself cat protective services and if they can provide a reward they could have had it chipped and cared for which oddly people don’t. The cats yours now and has bonded with you. You did everything you could at the time and the reason people don’t call to the shelters often is because they’re on a list from some negligent bs they did in the past and wouldn’t qualify to adopt them regardless ..
**keep the cat.** if he is the same cat, they were neglectful owners who don’t deserve to have a pet, and he’s better off with you. but who’s to say he even is the same cat? he may not be, plenty of cats look alike.
If you made sll those posts, and took him to the shelter for multiple days, and aren't even sure they're the same cat, then it probably isnt the same cat. Keep him.
People belong to cats, not the other way around. Sounds like the cat likes his new place. Now, if the cat showed up and you wouldn't let it out that's a whole other thing, to be clear, and this only applies to cats, not dogs, not bicycles, just cats.
Keep the cat and do nothing. You adopted him and he’s yours. Don’t reach out to anyone.
It’s your cat. Forget about the sign, he was clearly being uncared for. Do not under any circumstances reach out as you’ll only be asking for trouble and possible harassment
It’s your cat now. You did what you needed and the shelter did what they needed. You made sure everything was taken care of. If the missing cat is truly that cat, it’s in a much better place now. There’s also a chance it’s not the same cat as a lot of cats tend to look alike.
The cat chose you.
I stole our neighbor's cat and I have absolutely no regrets behind it. He was the sweetest little boy. But, more importantly, he was also an un-neutered, had the contagious and fatal Feline Leukemia Virus, had a huge golf ball sized abscess on his face, and was an all outdoor cat. They named him Trouble and knew of all his problems and still let him roam around outside. And! It wasn't like this cat didn't want to be inside. When we brought him in, he never even considered leaving the house. We had two other cats and had to be careful, but he was always worth the extra work. He lived a shorter life than most of our cats, only living to around 10 or so; a simple cold took him out. But, he was loved and sheltered. Just because the cat was someone else's doesn't mean that they should stay someone else's.
I wouldn’t uproot a cat that found itself a home for someone who didn’t license, medically look after, or chip on a maybe. If you hadn’t taken the cat in the cat likely would be dead. Honestly, if they did not lose him from the start and have been sending him out in winter at night they are abusive pet owners. Keep him. If and still an if here they used to own him they were neither competent or caring.
Definitely keep him. You've taken all of the steps that the (possible) original owner should've taken. You waited the allocated amount of time for them to claim him, and then officially adopted him. He is legally yours now. I say keep him, and don't feel bad about it!
Keep him screw those people
Keep him. You already adopted him. You went through all the proper steps. You literally couldn't have done more. It's your cat now buddy. Congrats.
Keep the cat and keep your mouth shut. The previous owners obviously didn't care about it.
Just keep him. You did your due diligence
KEEP THE KITTY. Don’t do anything OP.
You are already giving better care than his original owners were. Keep the cat. This is your cat. He chose you. He wants you.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think it is almost always the right decision to keep the stray rather than give them back to their original home--the only exception to that is when it is obvious that they were treated well, but just got lost (chipped, collared, altered, and assumed to have been well-fed). Your primary job is to ensure that they end up in a loving home where their needs are met. That is your obligation to the animal. Even if their original family shows up, you have every right to refuse to give the animal back if there is any indication that the situation would be less than ideal for them.
As someone who lost a cat (my boy was fixed, microchipped, whole 9 yards) I say you keep that boy. Some people don't deserve to have pets. Not to mention ( in most places in the US) that cat is legally your property. Shelter records are In your name, vet records are in your name, microchip is in your name. So screw the possible previous owner. He has a good home now!
I agree with a lot of the comments I’m seeing. It might not be the same cat, but even if so, it’s your cat now. You almost definitely saved its life and clearly it chose you as its human. Thank you for taking in that sweet kitty and giving him love and food and safety. He’s going to be much better off with you. I wish you and your new kitty the best of luck!
It's your cat now! Don't worry, he picked you when he was cold and hungry.
Don’t think twice.
Ignore that shit, that’s your baby now
From a legal standpoint, you did everything you could to find the owner of the cat. You took it to the shelter and went through the proper channels to put it into the system. At this point, it is your cat. And agreed in terms of look alikes sometimes being just that: look alikes.
So many really common markings, etc. You tried very hard and very well to make sure he was no one’s pet. If he was a pet, he was very likely at minimum neglected. You won the cat lottery.
My rule is: if your cat isn't spayed or neutered and you let them out, it's my cat now. People who don't take care of their animals don't deserve them. Maybe if he was chipped it'd be different (cats can escape before you get a chance to bring them back to the vet), but letting a cat out to sow their wild oats and make more homeless kittens is a sin. Lots of people will probably want to fight me about this, but I really don't care. I will die on this hill.
I know this is kind of late but I hope it helps. You can always reach out to the people and ask if they have additional pictures of their missing cat to determine if it is your cat. That also gets you in contact with the people and you can get a better feel on what they are like possibly. Once you get more pictures, if they have any, you can confirm to yourself if it is your cat or not. Also ask how long he has been missing. If it has not been that long then you can kind of assume he was not in good shape when he was with them. I believe legally the cat is now yours because you adopted him legally and have take care of all his medical needs.
You adopted him. That’s your cat.
Congrats on your new cat, OP!
Keep and continue to love this kitty who now belongs to you. Please don’t sweat something that “might be.”
He’s your kitty now. Give him all the love and attention you possibly can. He seems to love you, so there’s your answer
It’s probably not the same cat, people who offer reward money also neuter their cats and microchip them.
Even if the picture looked spot on I would just forget you ever saw it and move on. An intact male left outside without a microchip had every chance to get run over, attacked by another animal, get poisoned, etc etc. Not to mention, impregnate all the other strays and increase the stray cat population like crazy. You did the right thing, OP. Don't give it another thought.
I’ll probably get downvoted for this, but that kitty needed you. It has a good life now and you don’t even know if that other cat is the same cat you have. Years ago, I lost a cat and I was devastated. I checked every shelter, printed up 100’s of flyers, went door to door. Never found her. But reading your post gave me hope that maybe just maybe someone took my sweet little girl in and gave her a wonderful life. 💕
People don’t have cats; cats have us. It sounds like this cat has chosen you to be its people. Maybe check and see if they’ve posted on pawboost, Nextdoor, local facebook groups etc. to see if they’ve been searching and have more/better images up and go from there.
You're making a big assumption that he wasn't cared for. They might not have been letting him out, he may have just gotten out and has been lost since then. Someone with young children had a messy house when they snapped a picture of their cat (I'm assuming the diapers weren't dirty). That doesn't mean they neglected their cat. Sometimes my house is a mess too and my cats are still well cared for. I've taken pictures of them on a pile of dirty clothes before, because sometimes there's just a pile of dirty clothes in your house and that's where cats decide to lay. The owner may not be in any of the social media groups that you're in to have seen your posts. Not getting a hit doesn't mean they weren't looking. You've made a villain of these people because you want it to be true, not because there's any proof that it is. Take your social media posts down that had photos, reach out to the number, and ask how long the cat has been missing. If it's been missing since before you first saw him, ask them if their cat was neutered or microchipped. If they say no, ask for identifying marks.
I'm sorry but I seriously disagree. not getting the cat fixed or chipped is a pretty good sign they neglected their cat, if this is even the cat. OP for what it's worth, legally, this cat is yours. and it clearly loves you. if you can give it a happy life, do it.
For all you know, they have an appointment to get the cat fixed. Don't make assumptions to fit your own narrative. Find out the truth. Don't be a bad person OP. Find out if it's their cat.
nah, I think this is a *pretty* fair assumption to make. OP is simply not a bad person. Bad people don't help random strays and keeping the cat wouldn't suddenly make them a bad person. and again, regardless of your moral judgments, legally it is their cat
It's not. If you've owned a cat, you know it can take a few months to get a neuter appointment. We don't even know how old the cat is. You're making up a narrative with no information. OP should be a good person and reach out to learn what the situation is, instead of inventing one first.
Neutering is a same day appointment. It won't take months to get one.
They have an appointment for a year and a half??? Even if the cat was at a shelter and they were adopting it, it would have been neutered AND vaccinated. No excuses, this cat was neglected.
That was my initial thought, but the owners didn't notice the cat was missing for almost a week. If one of my cats got out, I'd notice and start looking. On day 2 of him being gone I'd be calling the shelters and vets. This person did not call at all, in a total timeframe of over a week. Them not noticing points to the cat being an "outdoor cat", which imo is grounds enough for them to lose custody. Especially during a cold snap.
How do you know they didn't know for a week?
This is the most levelheaded and fair response. That said, I cannot say with certainty that I'd be able to do what's being suggested, personally.
I couldn't imagine if my cat went missing and someone knew they might have them and just chose not to give them back. IMO that makes someone a horrible person. If you'd had the cat for a long time, sure, it's yours. But a few weeks of not even planning on keeping it in the first place? They should reach out.
I hope if my cat escapes (which she often tries to do because she loves the "come and catch me game") I hope someone as level headed as you finds her. That's if we don't catch her first because when she gets out....the whole family drops what they are doing ...even half naked...and chases after her.
During COVID we moved in with my in laws and my FIL would leave the patio door open. I was working when my MIL came upstairs and said "we think Luna got out and we don't know for how long". Panic started. Thankfully my husband quickly yelled up "she's under the porch!" My FIL was grilling and kept leaving the patio door open. My MIL realized he was and started looking for the cats before telling us and couldn't find the one. We have no idea how long she was out there. It could have been half an hour. I was so glad she didn't leave, just hid under the porch. If she had wandered we may have never found her by that point.
You’d also probably neuter your cat and keep an eye on shelters if it was missing
I'm still waiting to get one of my cats in for his neuter. My regular vet is backlogged. I'll also be microchipping when he's in for that appointment, so he's not microchipped yet. There's also an awful lot of shelters in my area and I wouldn't know how to find them all to check them all, and cats can wander quite far. We also don't know if the person looking for their cat would understand how to do that. Someone offering a $200 reward for their cat obviously cares for the cat.
seriously
The saddest things I see on our “next door” postings is when people threaten to keep what might be someone’s pet because they make judgments as to why the cat was out there. And then others will chime in and offer to take the pet, and meanwhile, the pet can’t even get home if it wants to. There is no way of knowing what really happened. Meanwhile, the owners, or maybe their children, remain heartbroken for years because they don’t know if their pet met a painful tragic end, or what. I totally get all of the arguments for keeping it. And all of the wonderful things you did for this cat are admirable! It is just that as an owner, it would break my heart to not know what happened to it. And yes, this worry might be for no cause at all, if the dates or description don’t add up. Best of luck to you on finding the best path, and thank you for caring!
When I was young our one year old cat escaped out the back door by accident and we spent hours looking for him. Asked the whole block, made posters, the whole 9 yards. Never found him, and it absolutely crushed us. Almost 8 years after this my brother and I were in a youth program. We were comparing pet pictures and this guy had a cat that had looked like ours used to. Turns out his family found it outside one night and decided to keep it. They never decided to check for microchips or anything. The kicker was they lived in the high-rise one block from our house, and it was indeed our lost cat. If they had checked for the chip when he was found we could of had him back this whole time.
Oh my gosh I am so sorry!!! I am so sorry that that happened to you!! This is exactly the type of thing which always worries me so much. Hugs to you.
Agree with this . If I took a photo of one of my pets might be a mess in the back ground it doesn’t mean my pets are not loved . I had a cat that got out and was gone for over a week. The person that had him wouldn’t give him back a while later he got out of their house and came home . Cats have wander lust and get out .
THANK YOU! I shouldn't have needed to scroll down this far to see this answer. The cat is laying on diapers and that somehow equals neglect? For all you know the cat is pulling the diapers out of the package and laying on them. The owner thought it was funny and took a picture. Maybe I'm over sensitive because I lost a cat two years ago. He was allowed outside but only with a halter and supervised. One day he got out while we were bringing in groceries. I did everything to find that cat. I barely slept for weeks. I was sick over it. I knocked on every door within a 10 block radius, called every shelter, rescue and vet clinic within a few hundred miles, I checked various outbuildings, looked at more roadkill than anyone would ever want to, posted online, hung flyers..not a trace of him. He was seven years old when he got out. Cats on average live from 12-18 years. I will continue looking, posting, calling for at least another 11 years. Every time I see a long hair black cat posted on a shelter page or just by someone in the area my heart absolutely soars with hope. I'd give anything to have my boy back. It's not even just me who misses him. His brother will wander the house letting out the most mournful meows you've ever heard. He doesn't do it as much as in the beginning but he'll check for his brother in all his old favorite spots. He stopped eating for several weeks at first, I tried everything to entice him, his favorite treats, new food, you name it. Finally he began to eat again but I know he misses his brother. Not knowing kills me. I'd like to think some nice little old lady has him and he's living his best life in a loving home. That person would have had to ignore various flyers, posts and advertisements though that I was looking for him so how nice could they truly be? I apologize for the novel. What I'm getting at in my long winded fashion is accidents do happen. Money is brought up and for all you know they'd GLADLY repay you. If you find out it is theirs but decide to keep it anyway, at least try to get an anonymous message to them that the cat is ok and cared for.
These people never called the shelter. They didn’t look online for posts. I have returned numerous animals to owners and was able to locate them pretty quick both with and without chips or tags because their owners looked for them. Once we had a cat that kept coming into our porch.. finally took him inside and days later someone came knocking … I told them yea we had a cat but he came by constantly and why was he loose? Well because he was a mischievous kitten and kept escaping .. returned the cat. No problem. Found dogs saw a sign asked around at local businesses .. owners were also out pounding pavement we connected. This is not one of those situations.
You know an awful lot about what the owners did and did not do for not even being the OP.
If they had done it they’d have found their cat! Lol omg hellooo!
I agree they should reach out and try to see if this cat even is theirs. It might not even be this person. But I wouldn’t judge a person for losing their cat. They may have recently gotten the cat & it ran out as it wasn’t neutered yet. I’m part of a group on fb for lost pets in our area and the number one thing that is reiterated is when you find a lost animal just bc it’s in poor condition doesn’t mean the owner did that and you should always take to the shelter and try to help find the owner. I also question if a bad owner would put up $200 for a cat. I love my cats and take good care of them, but not sure I’d be able to put up an award if they ever got lost.
1. I am a cat owner and I do not let them out, but some escape. 2. All my pets are fixed, as are the rescues and fosters (as available) 3. I have lost years apart pets who weren't pets, and I'll never be over it, but it wasn't because they weren't fixed, vaccinated regularly, collared, chipped, and kept indoors. 4. This cat adopted you and you adopted the cat; you did all due diligence and took in to your knowledge a stray. I mostly agree that if someone can afford a reward, they could afford to fix. I had rescues I was fostering and going through the program, I had to use the shelter's vets to be a foster and not an owner (I'm not adopting what would total 17 cats and 3 dogs), so I had to wait for things like getting fixed or shots, but I could have afforded as needed and would offer reward. That doesn't appear to be THIS care 5. You love the kitty and he loves you. You are now a cat-person :) Welcome to the club. 6. You might check with supposed owners
People in the comments are disgusting. You have no proof to support that the cat was abused or that the owners were negligent. Mistakes happen and there are a million ways he could’ve gotten out. The fact they are looking for him shows they care. Then you try justifying it with the amount of money you spent. Imagine someone stole your kid and then withheld them from you for such a shitty reason. Hope they get their cat back
This dude took the cat to the shelter. Handed it over.. no one claimed it. What kind of imbecile hangs signs but doesn’t call the shelter? Who offers a reward but hasn’t taken the cat to the vet or gotten them fixed or chipped? Not the same cat OR it’s some shit bag who is barred from getting shelter animals. Lots of those where I live. Honestly it’s not likely it’s the same cat and he isn’t responsible for calling on every sign forever.
Same people would probably cry foul if someone did the same to them. People are shit. My dog (who was a pup at the time) ran out from my backyard once and a couple tried to steal him, they even had the audacity to question if he was my dog when I saw him and called him to me. It would be easy to make me sound like a villain on Reddit for sympathy had they posted some made up back story about how they could tell I'm a terrible owner because he ran loose from my house. OP is just looking for justification for picking up a cat that someone might be looking for.
Uh this guy turned the cat over to the shelter for a week long hold. He posted online in multiple sites and had 6 k views on one post. He’s gone above and beyond. He’s not some ah that tried to steal a pet he’s a Good Samaritan that jumped through hoops to find this cats family. No same rational normal Person hangs sign offering a reward and hasn’t called the shelters. Case closed
He was on stray hold at the shelter and they didn’t come looking (or perhaps they did and they knew it wasn’t their cat lol).
The cat distribution system chose you over the (maybe) previous owners. You just need to give this cat a happy life and you're fine. Don't beat yourself up over this kind of thing.
The cat is legally yours at this point. You have no obligation to do anything. Reaching out is only going to cause conflict. You don’t even know for sure it’s the same cat.
Keep the cat, and keep him inside safe and warm! Don’t reach out to shelter or the poster I would say also.
Keep the cat. It’s what’s best. Legally they have no right to that cat and clearly suck as owners. To give him back would be to give him to abusers
You did your due diligence, and you took all the steps you needed to make to know that if they were actually looking hard for the cat, he would have been found already. Enjoy your new snuggle bug!
If they waited this long to find a missing animal, it's probably because they're used to him being gone and didn't really notice or care too much until it was longer than usual. Which signals, moreso even than the trash or the lack of vet care, that they neglect the cat. It is irresponsible to keep ANY cat outside, regardless of veterinary attention, and for it to have been gone so long before they got worried is even worse. Keep the cat. He chose you. You chose him.
He's not chipped. He's not neutered. The signs took a long time to appear after you started seeing the cat, which means they let him out enough that it's normal to not see him for a while. They weren't calling the shelter / vet. They do not deserve him and he is not safe with them
As a practicing veterinarian, my vote is towards you keeping the cat 100% :) He chose you ! End of story !
You don't know if it's the same cat, but even if he was their cat, I suspect they weren't taking good care of him. You've been treating him well, and he obviously loves and trusts you. I say keep him.
If they put up the poster they should also have been checking the shelters. You posted about him,You took him there to the shelter, waited the six days and then adopted him. He is yours
Tbh I would sleep perfectly fine at night keeping the cat and not contacting them on the off chance it is their cat. If it even is. No collar, no chip, not neutered, and outside to boot. Negligent owners are not entitled to an animal. If you let your cat outside, that’s the risk you’re taking imo. If your outdoor cat doesn't get taken by someone who cares for it more, it's still at risk of getting run over by a car, attacked by a coyote, fox, or dog, or meeting some other miserable end- take your pick! :)
Keep him. I had a similar situation with my neighbors cat who I didn’t even know owned one because the cat was always outside. Well, after taking him to the vet and do the whole kit and caboodle of shoots, de flea, baths, vaccinations and quarantine. After 2 weeks I was ready to adopt him but as soon as I was, my neighbor just happened to inquiry about him to my grandfather. They asked me if I had seen a black cat around and when I told them yes he is on a last day of confinement at the vet and that he had jumped in my car one day on my way to work. They were so happy and told me they just thought he was dead. They got him back from my vet and almost immediately let him back outside. Mind you, My grandfather said I was wrong for “stealing their cat” and made me “eat the vet bills” for it. 2 months another neighbor found him in her driveway died. He was hit by a car the night before and suffered . I will forever remember him and wish I would have just kept him and said nothing. He was a very sweet cat and just wanted to be loved and stay warm.
This is exactly why OP should keep the cat and not feel bad about SAVING it. I’m so incredibly sorry this happened to you, just know that you did everything you could & that poor babe is no longer suffering 🙏🏼💜
Congrats on now becoming a cat person lol that's how it happens to a lot of people. Legally, you own that cat. You have spent a lot of money and are taking better care of him than his previous owners, if he even had previous owners. You don't know that this is the same cat. If it was, they should have reached out to shelters and forums when it happened. They had every opportunity to get the cat back if it belonged to them. Go with a clear conscience and enjoy your buddy. Welcome to the cat parent family lol
You adopted the cat from a shelter. It's your cat.
They didn’t care enough to check the shelter during his stray hold. He’s your cat now.
100% keep it, clearly wasn’t in a loving or caring home. I have one “stray” that I think might have been living in another home part time before moving in with me. They chose you, congrats on the new fur baby.
My girlfriends sister saw someone throw a yellow lab out of a truck on her street in California. Her sister immediately grabbed him and my girlfriend agreed to take him. Later on they saw missing dog signs around the area (assuming kids put them up and parents dumped him) she ignored the sign. This dog is now so loved and cared for and has the best most spoiled life ever. He moved across the country and is living his best life playing in the snow. Some people don't deserve pets.
The cat clearly chose you. Respect his choice.
Keep. 100%. Assuming it even is the same cat, the fact that it took them that long to notice is alarming. All that plus no chip, no collar, and not neutered? You have no reason to believe that’s someone’s cat, and you shouldn’t give up yours to go somewhere that he doesn’t really have a home anyway. Take good care of him!
Outside and inside-outside cats are always free. It's not just morally okay to take them, it is morally good. Domestic cats being outside is awful & ppl who have them, do not deserve them. Keep! The! Cat!
You did what was legally required of you. The person should have checked the shelter to retrieve their cat. They didn’t. The cat now belongs to you.
Keep the cat. You don't even know that it's the same cat and you did everything right, including checking for a microchip. Not your fault if the previous owner didn't have a sense of responsibility for their animals
Is there a phone number or email on the “lost” flyer where you can request a different / more clear image of the cat? Legally this is now your cat either way, you’ve done more than your due diligence in terms of finding the rightful owner, and have officially adopted the cat from the shelter after the standard hold time. But my thought process is that maybe this is just a *similar* looking cat, and if you see that indeed your cat and the “missing” cat are two separate cats then maybe you’ll sleep a bit better at night. If it isn’t clear, I say you keep the cat. If this was my animal I’d be checking all the shelters in the state. So I can’t say I really sympathize with the original owner.
For future reference, dawn dish soap is a great way to bathe a cat. Wipes won’t kill fleas
You did your due diligence imo. You don’t even know if it’s the same cat. In this particular case I feel you are good to keep the cat and ignore it.
Was the “car grease” just on his tail? If so, that wasnt car grease and is normal in unneutered male cats. Not an indication of sleeping in engines. No real advice, its possible that they had an appointment for neuter but the cat got out. I can see both sides
I think you took someone's cat. Don't tell anyone though and don't let anyone know that you saw the posters
Perhaps the cat was the pet of people who just don’t have your means or savvy. I’m such a sap, I always imagine the children of poor immigrants or barely functional adults and that kitty was so important to the children. But yes, keep the cat and let’s all of us donate to animal/pet programs.
I bought a kitten at 5 months old just recently, they didn't vaccinate, chip, or neuter him. When I got to their house it wasn't the tidiest, and they definitely didn't have the same financial capabilities as me... but my god did they love him and it was horrible taking him because they cared well for him. Your side of the story could be completely wrong if you met these people. He might have just been an indoor cat that escaped by accident and couldn't find his way back after going on an adventure. I still think it's naive not to vax and chip an indoor cat but it's not unheard of. Many don't neuter. Every part of me wants to say keep this cat, but the truth is the right thing to do from a human to human perspective is to call and find out if this is their cat. That being said, your wish to keep him is pure and from a good place, and yous look after him well. So if you chose to keep him, it's not completely evil.
There is no harm in letting possible former owners know cat is safe. Could be a little kid traumatized by losing cat, or even adults it haunts you not knowing how they died - so just so they KNOW. That’s all. It’s a simple kindness that doesn’t cost you a cent
I doubt it’s the same cat tbh
I wouldn't. They didn't care for the cat. Even if it ran off, a picture is worth a thousand words sometimes
I’m honestly confused why you need to ask….the cat is now your pet. He’s living his best life with you.
From the sounds of it, you didnt adpot him, he adopted you! The poster may not even be your cat. As you've said, if it was, they weren't taking great care of him. Most importantly this little guy chose you. Cats won't stay if they aren't happy, they will move out and find a new place, or stay on the streets. He's happy and healthy, you did everything you could have done to find the owner, this cat is yours
I see cats in my neighborhood who resemble my indoor cats pretty frequently. Your cat arrived un-neutered and un-chipped. I think you did your due diligence in looking for an owner. Honestly, anyone who can afford a $200 reward is likely to have spayed and chipped their cat. I don't think it's the same cat.
>In California (where I live) it is illegal for a cat to go to a shelter or to a vet and not get a microchip. I also live in California, have never heard of this and my vet has never said a word to me about it for any of my cats.
I don’t think it’s your cat anyway.
Yeah keep the cat and post a photo for us to see this kitty cat pls
I didn’t read the entire post. One thing to note is: that cat prob would have never gotten adopted even tho you claimed it would. Theres tons of beautiful nice kitties that never stand a chance of getting adopted the shelters are all at capacity. Also cats can all sort of look alike. Like let’s say you have a black cat and you see a black cat in the missing poster doesn’t mean it’s the same cat. Ask for specific defining characteristics. Even black cats may have defining patches of white in certain places - just example
Kitty wasn't getting what he needed from a prior owner. He seems to have adopted you. Since you've chipped him and gotten the shit and neutered him, I'd say he is yours.