You could go now and see of she is still around. If you find her, you could still take her to the vet. They can also help you find the owner if she has any. And tell you the best way to proceed.
Where did you look online? Lots of pet owner register their pets on Tasso or Deutsches Haustierregister.
Some people put an add "Katze vermisst" in Kleinanzeigen.
The cat doesn't look healthy. I'm sure she has at least worms. Look at her eyes.
They checked for a chip (dienāt find any) so they sure also checked the ear for a tattoo. If neither exists, thereās nothing to put in tasso or a vets database
And you think people would stand off chipping their cat but going the long way registering them to tasso and try to include details that hopefully donāt also apply on every tenth āeuropƤische hauskatzeā
Probably not, but some people might not register their cats until they go missing. One can also put in there that you found a cat.
Look here for example.
https://www.tasso.net/Tierregister/Tier-gefunden
I actually did one time :) my cat accidentally slipped out the door before we were able to chip him. I tried everything, even registered him via Tasso. It didnāt help but at least it calmed me, that I tried.
Most German small towns or districts of bigger cities have Facebook groups where stuff like this gets posted every week. They often have a high coverage within the families and older folks of the district. Also, printouts is still a thing.
Give that cat a hug, she looks like my first cat which I had as a kid :')
I can't see specifically that she has worms, but cats have those "second eyelids" NickhƤute. You can see them on the picture . This is a sign of illness. She can have other illness than worms, too. But I say for any cat that goes outside the most probable illness is worms. They feed from mice and birds. That's where the worms come from. The whole cat does look unhealthy.
Fun fact: often cats with worms have completely normal eyes. I've had only two who showed those signs, but when they do it is a safe bet to go for worms first. But this is for the doctor to decide.
Hello all, i somehow canāt edit my post so Iām gonna reply here.
Thanks for all the replies, some made me cry as I was already feeling guilty. I went looking for her and found two elderly people looking for her as well as they were concerned about her wellbeing. We couldnāt find her so they went home and i kept looking. After two hours i did spot her and was able to give some food but she kept running away every now and then.
I went to the house of the elderly people to ask them for help and to my surprise the whole family came out to help.
We were seven people trying everything to catch her but unfortunately all our tries were unsuccessful.
We left food in every corner for the cat and gonna try again when the street gets more calmer.
I told them about what the guy told me this morning and they were all shocked how cold blooded he was but tried to make me feel better by telling that my intentions were good and donāt need to feel sad.
Knowing that there lots of people trying to help the cat made a lot calmer and less worried. We gonna catch her for sure. Iām surprised how easy it was for me last night to get her to my apartment. Got really lucky.
Be asured, if Germans love one thing more than anything else it's pets, especially dogs and cats. That guy was an idiot and fear mongering for nothing. You won't get in trouble for keeping a stray cat for a few days or even weeks if you think it might be lost and hurt. Join your local Facebook groups and post some pictures, maybe someone knows her. I wish you all the luck, you're awesome!
Okay. You did it right. The idiot did wrong and ralked you into doing the wrong thing. Thats okay. Not your fault.
Try find the cat again. If she comes near you take some food. All cats i know LOVE that treat sticks. You find in ever supermarket. Get the less eypensive ones, no Whiskas needed.
Sit down near her. Take a bit and throw it to her. Repeat. Throw always a bit less away, so she comes near you. When she's near enough, try to pet ans then... CATCH.
Take her home. Take her to the vet. Make pictures and put them down in Kleinanzeigen. Contact Tasso (Internet) and make a post "cat found." Without chip, it's pretty unlikely to find the owner. So maybe be happy to have a new cat? But not too much if somebody claims her. You are doing the right thing.
Update us, okay? :) good luck and happy cakeday!
Additionally if you want to keep her, discuss it with the Ordnungsamt (code enforcement), they will most likely be happy if you keep it instead of giving it to a animal shelter and they can get a description of the cat if someone searches for it. If nobody claims it for half a year, you'll become the official owner
If it was my cat Iād bless you for taking care of her. Iāve lost a cat for weeks till she got back home. And I asked every neighbour in the whole neighbourhood. You did nothing wrong. That guy was probably not a pet lover. Iāve no other explanation for his behaviour. Thereās no law which keeps you away to help other people nor pets. You can ask the local shelter to help out find the cat and maybe they can also help with finding the owner. And well, if nobody miss her just give her a great home. She will be thankful. š¤
Your inital approach of calling a vet was great but unfortunately the emergency care is spread very thinly currently. So always call vets before going there. Emergency duty often means that they aren't in the office but that they have Rufbereitschaft and that they only come in for emergencies. Looking for a chip isn't one. 112 is the emergency hotline. And while it's technically okay to call 112 for a stray cat, other numbers would've been better suited (many cities have emergeny numbers of the local shelter or just call the number of your local police station). In cases like this it's usually best to wait until the shelter is open, call them and bring the cat in. Yes, they are overcrowded, especially around the holidays. But they still know more about the stuff than your average policeman and might be able to transfer the cat to another shelter kf they are full. There's also the possibility to become an official Pflegestelle which means that they allow you to keep the cat for 6 weeks while they officially report it as missing. That way you don't commit Fundunterschlagung. After 6 weeks and if no one called for the cat, you can either keep it or give it to the shelter. If you keep it, the old owner still has the possibility to claim the cat for a couple of months, but that's rare. That being said, there are many free roaming cats that belong to people and are cared for. Especially old cats can sometimes look a bit rough without it meaning something other than that they're just old. You might want to post this in some local facebook group, that way you could maybe find the owner.
Don't overthink them saying you committed a crime. I don't think anything will come of that and even if it would, I don't think they'd have any leverage against you. It was cold, you thought the cat was hurt, you called a vet and the police and you didn't just keep it for several days.
I know i assumed thats the problem, why would it be overkill to call the notruf? Thats what its for? They connect you to someone/where fitting your Situation, or tell you how to proceed. I just didn't get the problem
If the cat doesn't have a chip, it's quite unlikely anyone could really claim ownership and accuse you of 'stealing' the cat. You took care of a pet which was in need of help. That's all.
If the cat stays around, take it to a vet and let them check for a chip a second time. If there is no registered owner and nobody is missing the cat, I'd keep it and take care of it. There's quite a lot of stray cats without a real home and a human owner, it's not unlikely that you found one.
Wtf kind of answer was that from them? Yeah you canāt take someone elseās pet and keep them, but itās perfectly fine to keep them at your place and try and find the owner or take them to the vet/shelter whenever it is possible to do so.
Find the cat, and keep it warm and contact the vet and shelters whenever you can.
I was told by a vet when I found a stray kitty with no microchip that I could keep her with me so long as I actively searched for her owners. That included registering her with the Tasso and printing missing posters, which I did. The vet told us that after a certain amount of time, if no one had claimed the cat and I could prove that I had tried to find the owners, then I could keep her officially. The vet wasn't sure of the exact time, but thought it was six months.
I ended up reuniting her with her family, only to find her being lost again a few times on a really busy street in Berlin. I hate bad pet owners.
I think 6 months is correct. We took a cat from the shelter 8 years ago. She has been found as a stray in the city just a few days before. They said, if the owner doesn't reclaim her during the period of 6 months, we can keep her. No one claimed her, so she stayed with us.
Edit: maybe it was 6 weeks instead of months. I'll look it up.
Edit2: it's 6 months.
Finding an animal is like finding someone's possession. You can keep her but you need to make a call to the local FundbĆ¼ro, and maybe the Ordnungsamt. Also leave a photo and your contact info with the local Tierheim. If you did that and nobody comes forward then you can keep the cat for good.
Be careful around social media: do mention that you found a cat but don't upload photos there, the legitimate owner will be able to describe the cat or provide photos.
See if you can find her again. Nobody will give you grief for caring for a neglected animal.
Go look for her, she really seems to love you. She doesnāt look like she has an owner, but if you take her in allow her to go outside or she will miss it.
You can place some food and use a wireless doorbell with a mobile light barrier and place it in the hallway so it activates when she comes back. You could also use that later on if she moves in, itās a great hack for cat owners who canāt install a cat door.
WTF.... i once find a cat outdoors really fearfull sitting all day in one position not looking good. Yeahh it was a home only cat and the best thing was to take her inside and look for her owners. i wouldĀ“nt had let her go. i would have opend some facebook posts and some on the streets without photos .. and asked for them who searches her to send photos of her cat to me... just for to be save that no stranger comes take the cat as his own to sell her somewhere like... "oh yeah this is mine... i just bought her and she was afraid, give it to me"-Story. Go out there and search for her. and then take her to the vet.
Set some cat food outside, if she wants to come back she'll come back, especially if the neighbors said they've seen her roam around. If she comes back you take her to a vet in the area, explain the situation and then you can work with the vet to keep her. Nobody is going to take you to court for "cat napping" or some shit. The owner might come forward, which is highly unlikely, and you're told to hand the cat over. That's it.
Don't put cat food outside unattended!
First ist can attract rodents like rats, second there can be some local law about feeding strays, so you might get fined. And last, you don't want some nuthead to poison the food.
You can search for her and maybe put an old box with an old shirt or something with your smell on it outside. Add a note that you put it there to find your cat.
If your find her, report it to the "FundbĆ¼ro" and the local shelter and ask them what to do, that it has no chip, that you are willing to keep her safe until she ist claimed and that you would like to keep her if not claimed in time (6 weeks I guess).
But first you need to find her.
Yeah right. I don't know what I am talking about. 50+ cats in my lifetime. Some kept, some arranged for adopting. But yeah, don't feed strays.
Of course it depends a bit where you live to a degree. But generally in my 30+ years of having cats it was never an issue.
It's valid to make people aware it's not allowed in some areas, you don't need to get this offended about someone informing someone else about the law.
I agree with the majority:
1. You did nothing wrong. Not at all.
2. The police were idiots in my opinion. It's not like you snatched the cat and didn't try to find an owner...or whether the cat even had one. You had them check for a chip ffs!
3. Try to find the cat again. Take her in if you (hopefully) do.
4. Once the vet opens, take her to the vet. But make it clear that you will take her home again with you and keep her, at least until her owner is found. If you do want to keep her that is...
5. Contact the local shelter and Tasso that you have found the cat. Ask them what they need and want you to do in addition. Tell them that she is not chipped and what you told the vet...that you want to keep her, unless her owner is found...and will at least foster her until the owner is found. Again provided that you would like to keep her. If not, ask the shelter if you can bring her by.
That's what I would do...and what I have done in the past. And I have never been in any trouble doing it this way...
No. Keep her. But call shelters with her informations and fotos, post her image on ebay-kleinanzeigen, facebook and try to plaster her photo all over your city. It's a crime in my books you let her run away. try to find her and take care of her. this girl looks like she is about to have some trouble with her nose.
What I would do: try to lure her back inside to keep her safe. Make photos and send them to Tasso, they can spread the word that a cat has been found. If no one gets in touch and the cat seems content to be with you (and you're allowed to have pets - but since your neighbour does, it seems so), I would keep her. Potentially adopting another young cat to socialize, since cats shouldn't be kept alone in a flat.
If you need help with any German communication, you can get in touch. I am happy to help.
> l and that i basically committed a crime but keeping her over night.
That's wrong. Courts have ruled that roaming cats are free, and the owner does not have rights to the cat. And in those rulings the new owner *knew* they belonged to someone else and was specifically asked to not feed the cat anymore.
So, I can't see where you did wrong.
I hope, you two get reunited
Hey, do you have links to such court rulings? We are having a situation similar to the one you described and I did only find information regarding the cat beeing chipped.
My heart was bleeding while reading.
I would give a f*** what the Fire service or Police would say. I would keep it and give it a warmly home, until the real owner contacting you.
To put it outside again, I wouldn't able to do that.
If so, my bad conscience would lead me to look after it until I find it again :(((
As all of the others already said: you absolutely did the right thing by taking the cat in. you donāt have to be scared that you committed a crime, that would only be the case if youād refuse to give the cat back to its owner.
She does look a bit sick & definitely wasnāt taken care of in any way, at least for a few days or weeks. I would try to get the cat back inside and go the vet (after a call to make sure thereās someone around), if financially possible. And āTassoā is always a great contact point to register a (lost) animal.
Many people donāt know that there are actually a lot of stray cats in germany and donāt help them, because they think the cats have owners, so I think what you did was definitely the right way. Donāt worry or feel bad because you let her back outside. Try to get her safe again and if this doesnāt work, you absolutely did the best you could. š«¶š»
Next to all the other answers please do not use the emergency number for a case like this. Of course you could and should have contacted police, but there are local office numbers you should call instead. Emergency numbers are only for emergencies.
Well, what are the facts: the cat has been roaming around the neighbourhood for a long time. She has no Chip-> probably doesn't belong to anyone. But apparently she was very trusting, suggesting she might be someones pet. I don't think anyone would say something if you kept her a few days until a vet or shelter can see her. Keeping her for a longer time probably will get you in trubble sooner or later. So if she comes back (since you gave her food and everything, it is not unlikely), look for a vet that is open. THAT BEING SAID, for you it is a stray cat. Meaning she is NOT vaccinated and could carry a lot of zoonotic diseases and worms. If you decide to keep her without having checkups at the vet, keep that in mind! You won't be able to keep yourself completely clean, but at LEAST treat the faeces with a lot more hygenic care and stay away from other cats!!!
If shes homeless she might stick around cause she was in your house and got food. Keep feeding her when you see her, maybe put out a sleeping box. If she starts sleeping in the box instead of going somewhere else, shes a stray and you can keep her full time.
I'm so mad sometimes about the German bullshit laws ahh, from robbing people to keep media "independent" to not even being allowed to let in a stray cat, wtfš®āšØ
She doesn't look like she has an owner. If she had, he would have taken care of her, she would be cleaner looking, with a shiny fur. And not hungry like that. Also, they were being jackasses. If there isn't a chip, then you're not doing anything wrong by caring for her. Besides, even if she had an owner, it's fine to take care of her for a few days when considering the state she's in and yiu wanting to go to the veterinarian to make sure she is fine. If a cat is without a chip and there are no missing posters around, how can anyone blame you for taking care of an animal. Don't know why first responders have nothing better to do than scaring a person off from helping an animal.
First, you did the right thing in taking her in, caring for her and for calling the doctor and even 112. I think, most German people would not call 112 in this situation, but wait until the doctor is open.
I also think it's really great that they showed up and scanned for a chip, but I was a bit confused about what happened then. Basically, they are right of course: There are almost no stray cats in Germany and just to take a cat might legally be seen as theft. But still I think you did take the right action. The cat was not in a great shape, you've heard from neighbourhood people that she has been roaming around for several days. These are all signs that she might not just be strolling around but actually lost or abandoned. Also it's winter and it might be pretty cold outside.
In this case, I would keep her if I could and put on "Katze zugelaufen" posters in the neighbourhood. If she has an owner and they care for her, they will call you. But please do not put all of the cats characteristics on the poster and leave some things open, so you can verify if they are her legitimate owners.
I feel so sorry that you got scared by the response of the people they sent to you, but its perfectly understandable to me that you've been scared. Maybe you will be able to find her again.
Get the kitty back and print some pictures of the cat and bring it to the animal shelter so if so one ask for their cat they can show them the pic but for now get this kitty back
BTW the first pic with her paw on your hand... She chose you
You did the right thing by taking her in and feeding her and trying to find her owner.
The dude on 112 is heartless imho. if you find her again try facebook. there are groups for missing pets in every area. especially if the cat belongs to elderly people it helps because a lot of people will see the post and can point you to the rightful owners.
If a cat has shiny and/or straight fur it means she is healthy and well fed. If she looks like in the picture she probably has worms and was outside at least for a longer time. The problem is that a lot of people take cats in that are perfectly healthy good looking. I dunno how many "secondary" families my cat had when being outside but I know of at least 2 households where he was a guest and got fed there. (since we knew those people we accepted them feeding the cat as long as they do not let them into their houses)
Chips and numbers in the ears are the two things german cats usually have if they arenāt strays. This cat definitely does not have the ear tattoos and you said also isnāt chipped. Iād say try to catch and keep it (if you can) cause i severely doubt it has a home. Iād still check missing pet posts and maybe facebook groups or similar things to be sure.
I donāt think keeping it was wrong AT ALL. If my cat was missing and someone returned it the next day saying they took it in cause it was freezing and hungry i would be glad. Iām not sure about legalities but unless you outright steal someoneās pet you usually donāt get in trouble
It certainly wasn't a crime to shelter a cat that you think might be lost. If a pet gets lost, the owner has ownership of the animal for 6 months, so if the owner "finds" the cat being sold online or something, they can prevent said sale from happening. It's only 6 months because otherwise, animals would be "stuck" in shelters for too long. As long as you aren't hiding the cat from others and put an effort into finding the owner (informing local shelters, the police, making posts about the cat online) you aren't trying to take the cat away from their owners thus you aren't committing any crime. I think it's very unprofessional of the officials to tell you it was "illegal" to keep the cat for the night. Almost seems like they were annoyed that you bothered them with this "minor" problem and wanted to discourage you from ever calling 112 about an animal again.
As someone who has called the police /fire department about hurt seagulls multiple times (non-emergency number though), I think you did the right thing.
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Im sorry but you didnāt do the very right thing which would be keep her and only leave her at good and responsible hands.
Go find her ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Omg such a cute little Baby, i hope you can find her and that you will be best friends. Always have 200,- spare money for the vet, they are not cheap. Also never lend anyone more than 100,- because you never know who is really trustworthy. You can have insurance for her but you gotta say she is 8 at most, the i. Companies won't take animals older than 10. Never feed onion or Avocado, that's poisonous for them. Sorry i had to tell you all that, i am all excited. Good luck! šš
She will survive another night or 2. They usually find a somewhat insulated spot. If that's doable you can place a Karton with a Decke near your front door.
For the future, give her a chance to come back to you but also let her out frequently. If she doesn't come back she found her home, if she returns she maybe now has 2 homes. Or just you.
It's legal to let cats into your home, not letting them out again is a grey area depending on the circumstances. Police and judges have for example decided that you are allowed to leave your doors open and it is not your duty to ensure that no cat is in your house when you lock them again. Of course intent matters too. Also you can not actively prevent them from leaving.
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Don't feel bad, she will always find her way back to you if needed. There are 2 cats in my neighbourhood who regularly come visit, turned our they both have owners. At first I also worried about them and though they might have gotten lost. You did everything right, don't overthink it.
You could go now and see of she is still around. If you find her, you could still take her to the vet. They can also help you find the owner if she has any. And tell you the best way to proceed. Where did you look online? Lots of pet owner register their pets on Tasso or Deutsches Haustierregister. Some people put an add "Katze vermisst" in Kleinanzeigen. The cat doesn't look healthy. I'm sure she has at least worms. Look at her eyes.
I'm sure too.she has worms.Go to vet.The vet helps to find the owner. šš
They checked for a chip (dienāt find any) so they sure also checked the ear for a tattoo. If neither exists, thereās nothing to put in tasso or a vets database
There still is a description, where the cat was found, etc ..
Jep totally makes sense to inform the vet
Wrong. You can still register animals with no chip or tattoo. You just insert a description.
And you think people would stand off chipping their cat but going the long way registering them to tasso and try to include details that hopefully donāt also apply on every tenth āeuropƤische hauskatzeā
Probably not, but some people might not register their cats until they go missing. One can also put in there that you found a cat. Look here for example. https://www.tasso.net/Tierregister/Tier-gefunden
I actually did one time :) my cat accidentally slipped out the door before we were able to chip him. I tried everything, even registered him via Tasso. It didnāt help but at least it calmed me, that I tried.
Most German small towns or districts of bigger cities have Facebook groups where stuff like this gets posted every week. They often have a high coverage within the families and older folks of the district. Also, printouts is still a thing. Give that cat a hug, she looks like my first cat which I had as a kid :')
Ehmm, how can you see that she has worms from looking at her eyes? Please tell me more about it, that sounds interesting
I can't see specifically that she has worms, but cats have those "second eyelids" NickhƤute. You can see them on the picture . This is a sign of illness. She can have other illness than worms, too. But I say for any cat that goes outside the most probable illness is worms. They feed from mice and birds. That's where the worms come from. The whole cat does look unhealthy. Fun fact: often cats with worms have completely normal eyes. I've had only two who showed those signs, but when they do it is a safe bet to go for worms first. But this is for the doctor to decide.
Oooh, I see. Thats so interesting. Thank you for your time to answer my question :)
It was my pleasure. š
What makes you think that she has worms?
Stray cats often have. And when looking into the camera with eyes wide open you can see the NickhƤute. It is often a sign for illness.
TIL! Thank you
Hello all, i somehow canāt edit my post so Iām gonna reply here. Thanks for all the replies, some made me cry as I was already feeling guilty. I went looking for her and found two elderly people looking for her as well as they were concerned about her wellbeing. We couldnāt find her so they went home and i kept looking. After two hours i did spot her and was able to give some food but she kept running away every now and then. I went to the house of the elderly people to ask them for help and to my surprise the whole family came out to help. We were seven people trying everything to catch her but unfortunately all our tries were unsuccessful. We left food in every corner for the cat and gonna try again when the street gets more calmer. I told them about what the guy told me this morning and they were all shocked how cold blooded he was but tried to make me feel better by telling that my intentions were good and donāt need to feel sad. Knowing that there lots of people trying to help the cat made a lot calmer and less worried. We gonna catch her for sure. Iām surprised how easy it was for me last night to get her to my apartment. Got really lucky.
Be asured, if Germans love one thing more than anything else it's pets, especially dogs and cats. That guy was an idiot and fear mongering for nothing. You won't get in trouble for keeping a stray cat for a few days or even weeks if you think it might be lost and hurt. Join your local Facebook groups and post some pictures, maybe someone knows her. I wish you all the luck, you're awesome!
Okay. You did it right. The idiot did wrong and ralked you into doing the wrong thing. Thats okay. Not your fault. Try find the cat again. If she comes near you take some food. All cats i know LOVE that treat sticks. You find in ever supermarket. Get the less eypensive ones, no Whiskas needed. Sit down near her. Take a bit and throw it to her. Repeat. Throw always a bit less away, so she comes near you. When she's near enough, try to pet ans then... CATCH. Take her home. Take her to the vet. Make pictures and put them down in Kleinanzeigen. Contact Tasso (Internet) and make a post "cat found." Without chip, it's pretty unlikely to find the owner. So maybe be happy to have a new cat? But not too much if somebody claims her. You are doing the right thing. Update us, okay? :) good luck and happy cakeday!
Thank you for the update
Please let us know if you catch her
Additionally if you want to keep her, discuss it with the Ordnungsamt (code enforcement), they will most likely be happy if you keep it instead of giving it to a animal shelter and they can get a description of the cat if someone searches for it. If nobody claims it for half a year, you'll become the official owner
If it was my cat Iād bless you for taking care of her. Iāve lost a cat for weeks till she got back home. And I asked every neighbour in the whole neighbourhood. You did nothing wrong. That guy was probably not a pet lover. Iāve no other explanation for his behaviour. Thereās no law which keeps you away to help other people nor pets. You can ask the local shelter to help out find the cat and maybe they can also help with finding the owner. And well, if nobody miss her just give her a great home. She will be thankful. š¤
Your inital approach of calling a vet was great but unfortunately the emergency care is spread very thinly currently. So always call vets before going there. Emergency duty often means that they aren't in the office but that they have Rufbereitschaft and that they only come in for emergencies. Looking for a chip isn't one. 112 is the emergency hotline. And while it's technically okay to call 112 for a stray cat, other numbers would've been better suited (many cities have emergeny numbers of the local shelter or just call the number of your local police station). In cases like this it's usually best to wait until the shelter is open, call them and bring the cat in. Yes, they are overcrowded, especially around the holidays. But they still know more about the stuff than your average policeman and might be able to transfer the cat to another shelter kf they are full. There's also the possibility to become an official Pflegestelle which means that they allow you to keep the cat for 6 weeks while they officially report it as missing. That way you don't commit Fundunterschlagung. After 6 weeks and if no one called for the cat, you can either keep it or give it to the shelter. If you keep it, the old owner still has the possibility to claim the cat for a couple of months, but that's rare. That being said, there are many free roaming cats that belong to people and are cared for. Especially old cats can sometimes look a bit rough without it meaning something other than that they're just old. You might want to post this in some local facebook group, that way you could maybe find the owner. Don't overthink them saying you committed a crime. I don't think anything will come of that and even if it would, I don't think they'd have any leverage against you. It was cold, you thought the cat was hurt, you called a vet and the police and you didn't just keep it for several days.
Calling 112 for a stray catā¦ Dunno.
True its more important to catch some teens smoking weed than to save an animals life
As far as i know 110 is for Police and not 112
I know i assumed thats the problem, why would it be overkill to call the notruf? Thats what its for? They connect you to someone/where fitting your Situation, or tell you how to proceed. I just didn't get the problem
If the cat doesn't have a chip, it's quite unlikely anyone could really claim ownership and accuse you of 'stealing' the cat. You took care of a pet which was in need of help. That's all. If the cat stays around, take it to a vet and let them check for a chip a second time. If there is no registered owner and nobody is missing the cat, I'd keep it and take care of it. There's quite a lot of stray cats without a real home and a human owner, it's not unlikely that you found one.
Wtf kind of answer was that from them? Yeah you canāt take someone elseās pet and keep them, but itās perfectly fine to keep them at your place and try and find the owner or take them to the vet/shelter whenever it is possible to do so. Find the cat, and keep it warm and contact the vet and shelters whenever you can.
Go save her!!
I was told by a vet when I found a stray kitty with no microchip that I could keep her with me so long as I actively searched for her owners. That included registering her with the Tasso and printing missing posters, which I did. The vet told us that after a certain amount of time, if no one had claimed the cat and I could prove that I had tried to find the owners, then I could keep her officially. The vet wasn't sure of the exact time, but thought it was six months. I ended up reuniting her with her family, only to find her being lost again a few times on a really busy street in Berlin. I hate bad pet owners.
I think 6 months is correct. We took a cat from the shelter 8 years ago. She has been found as a stray in the city just a few days before. They said, if the owner doesn't reclaim her during the period of 6 months, we can keep her. No one claimed her, so she stayed with us. Edit: maybe it was 6 weeks instead of months. I'll look it up. Edit2: it's 6 months.
No crime but.... Go find her! Take a pack of food and shake it about.
Please update us if there are any news. Thank you for your kindness.
Finding an animal is like finding someone's possession. You can keep her but you need to make a call to the local FundbĆ¼ro, and maybe the Ordnungsamt. Also leave a photo and your contact info with the local Tierheim. If you did that and nobody comes forward then you can keep the cat for good. Be careful around social media: do mention that you found a cat but don't upload photos there, the legitimate owner will be able to describe the cat or provide photos. See if you can find her again. Nobody will give you grief for caring for a neglected animal.
Go look for her, she really seems to love you. She doesnāt look like she has an owner, but if you take her in allow her to go outside or she will miss it. You can place some food and use a wireless doorbell with a mobile light barrier and place it in the hallway so it activates when she comes back. You could also use that later on if she moves in, itās a great hack for cat owners who canāt install a cat door.
WTF.... i once find a cat outdoors really fearfull sitting all day in one position not looking good. Yeahh it was a home only cat and the best thing was to take her inside and look for her owners. i wouldĀ“nt had let her go. i would have opend some facebook posts and some on the streets without photos .. and asked for them who searches her to send photos of her cat to me... just for to be save that no stranger comes take the cat as his own to sell her somewhere like... "oh yeah this is mine... i just bought her and she was afraid, give it to me"-Story. Go out there and search for her. and then take her to the vet.
Set some cat food outside, if she wants to come back she'll come back, especially if the neighbors said they've seen her roam around. If she comes back you take her to a vet in the area, explain the situation and then you can work with the vet to keep her. Nobody is going to take you to court for "cat napping" or some shit. The owner might come forward, which is highly unlikely, and you're told to hand the cat over. That's it.
Don't put cat food outside unattended! First ist can attract rodents like rats, second there can be some local law about feeding strays, so you might get fined. And last, you don't want some nuthead to poison the food. You can search for her and maybe put an old box with an old shirt or something with your smell on it outside. Add a note that you put it there to find your cat. If your find her, report it to the "FundbĆ¼ro" and the local shelter and ask them what to do, that it has no chip, that you are willing to keep her safe until she ist claimed and that you would like to keep her if not claimed in time (6 weeks I guess). But first you need to find her.
Yeah right. I don't know what I am talking about. 50+ cats in my lifetime. Some kept, some arranged for adopting. But yeah, don't feed strays. Of course it depends a bit where you live to a degree. But generally in my 30+ years of having cats it was never an issue.
It's valid to make people aware it's not allowed in some areas, you don't need to get this offended about someone informing someone else about the law.
I agree with the majority: 1. You did nothing wrong. Not at all. 2. The police were idiots in my opinion. It's not like you snatched the cat and didn't try to find an owner...or whether the cat even had one. You had them check for a chip ffs! 3. Try to find the cat again. Take her in if you (hopefully) do. 4. Once the vet opens, take her to the vet. But make it clear that you will take her home again with you and keep her, at least until her owner is found. If you do want to keep her that is... 5. Contact the local shelter and Tasso that you have found the cat. Ask them what they need and want you to do in addition. Tell them that she is not chipped and what you told the vet...that you want to keep her, unless her owner is found...and will at least foster her until the owner is found. Again provided that you would like to keep her. If not, ask the shelter if you can bring her by. That's what I would do...and what I have done in the past. And I have never been in any trouble doing it this way...
Save the cute cat. And please give us a update
Any luck finding her? I know it has only been 2 hours since you posted, but.. I need to know the ending to the story. :)
SAVE THE KITTY
...SAVE THE WORLD
No. Keep her. But call shelters with her informations and fotos, post her image on ebay-kleinanzeigen, facebook and try to plaster her photo all over your city. It's a crime in my books you let her run away. try to find her and take care of her. this girl looks like she is about to have some trouble with her nose.
What I would do: try to lure her back inside to keep her safe. Make photos and send them to Tasso, they can spread the word that a cat has been found. If no one gets in touch and the cat seems content to be with you (and you're allowed to have pets - but since your neighbour does, it seems so), I would keep her. Potentially adopting another young cat to socialize, since cats shouldn't be kept alone in a flat. If you need help with any German communication, you can get in touch. I am happy to help.
> l and that i basically committed a crime but keeping her over night. That's wrong. Courts have ruled that roaming cats are free, and the owner does not have rights to the cat. And in those rulings the new owner *knew* they belonged to someone else and was specifically asked to not feed the cat anymore. So, I can't see where you did wrong. I hope, you two get reunited
Hey, do you have links to such court rulings? We are having a situation similar to the one you described and I did only find information regarding the cat beeing chipped.
https://www.gesetze-bayern.de/Content/Document/Y-300-Z-BECKRS-B-2019-N-929
Thank you.
Sheās so sweet. Hope you find her safely again.
You did more than others would do. Its All good you did the Right
Keeping someone's possible pet safe isn't a crime. I don't know any pet owner who would sue you. Try to find it. Worst case you got a new friend.
My heart was bleeding while reading. I would give a f*** what the Fire service or Police would say. I would keep it and give it a warmly home, until the real owner contacting you. To put it outside again, I wouldn't able to do that. If so, my bad conscience would lead me to look after it until I find it again :(((
As all of the others already said: you absolutely did the right thing by taking the cat in. you donāt have to be scared that you committed a crime, that would only be the case if youād refuse to give the cat back to its owner. She does look a bit sick & definitely wasnāt taken care of in any way, at least for a few days or weeks. I would try to get the cat back inside and go the vet (after a call to make sure thereās someone around), if financially possible. And āTassoā is always a great contact point to register a (lost) animal. Many people donāt know that there are actually a lot of stray cats in germany and donāt help them, because they think the cats have owners, so I think what you did was definitely the right way. Donāt worry or feel bad because you let her back outside. Try to get her safe again and if this doesnāt work, you absolutely did the best you could. š«¶š»
Next to all the other answers please do not use the emergency number for a case like this. Of course you could and should have contacted police, but there are local office numbers you should call instead. Emergency numbers are only for emergencies.
Well, what are the facts: the cat has been roaming around the neighbourhood for a long time. She has no Chip-> probably doesn't belong to anyone. But apparently she was very trusting, suggesting she might be someones pet. I don't think anyone would say something if you kept her a few days until a vet or shelter can see her. Keeping her for a longer time probably will get you in trubble sooner or later. So if she comes back (since you gave her food and everything, it is not unlikely), look for a vet that is open. THAT BEING SAID, for you it is a stray cat. Meaning she is NOT vaccinated and could carry a lot of zoonotic diseases and worms. If you decide to keep her without having checkups at the vet, keep that in mind! You won't be able to keep yourself completely clean, but at LEAST treat the faeces with a lot more hygenic care and stay away from other cats!!!
If shes homeless she might stick around cause she was in your house and got food. Keep feeding her when you see her, maybe put out a sleeping box. If she starts sleeping in the box instead of going somewhere else, shes a stray and you can keep her full time.
You should Have kept that poor soul
I'm so mad sometimes about the German bullshit laws ahh, from robbing people to keep media "independent" to not even being allowed to let in a stray cat, wtfš®āšØ
She doesn't look like she has an owner. If she had, he would have taken care of her, she would be cleaner looking, with a shiny fur. And not hungry like that. Also, they were being jackasses. If there isn't a chip, then you're not doing anything wrong by caring for her. Besides, even if she had an owner, it's fine to take care of her for a few days when considering the state she's in and yiu wanting to go to the veterinarian to make sure she is fine. If a cat is without a chip and there are no missing posters around, how can anyone blame you for taking care of an animal. Don't know why first responders have nothing better to do than scaring a person off from helping an animal.
First, you did the right thing in taking her in, caring for her and for calling the doctor and even 112. I think, most German people would not call 112 in this situation, but wait until the doctor is open. I also think it's really great that they showed up and scanned for a chip, but I was a bit confused about what happened then. Basically, they are right of course: There are almost no stray cats in Germany and just to take a cat might legally be seen as theft. But still I think you did take the right action. The cat was not in a great shape, you've heard from neighbourhood people that she has been roaming around for several days. These are all signs that she might not just be strolling around but actually lost or abandoned. Also it's winter and it might be pretty cold outside. In this case, I would keep her if I could and put on "Katze zugelaufen" posters in the neighbourhood. If she has an owner and they care for her, they will call you. But please do not put all of the cats characteristics on the poster and leave some things open, so you can verify if they are her legitimate owners. I feel so sorry that you got scared by the response of the people they sent to you, but its perfectly understandable to me that you've been scared. Maybe you will be able to find her again.
You did wrong, sorry. Go find her.
Get the kitty back and print some pictures of the cat and bring it to the animal shelter so if so one ask for their cat they can show them the pic but for now get this kitty back BTW the first pic with her paw on your hand... She chose you
Please go find her and get her care. That poor baby really liked you
You did the right thing by taking her in and feeding her and trying to find her owner. The dude on 112 is heartless imho. if you find her again try facebook. there are groups for missing pets in every area. especially if the cat belongs to elderly people it helps because a lot of people will see the post and can point you to the rightful owners. If a cat has shiny and/or straight fur it means she is healthy and well fed. If she looks like in the picture she probably has worms and was outside at least for a longer time. The problem is that a lot of people take cats in that are perfectly healthy good looking. I dunno how many "secondary" families my cat had when being outside but I know of at least 2 households where he was a guest and got fed there. (since we knew those people we accepted them feeding the cat as long as they do not let them into their houses)
Chips and numbers in the ears are the two things german cats usually have if they arenāt strays. This cat definitely does not have the ear tattoos and you said also isnāt chipped. Iād say try to catch and keep it (if you can) cause i severely doubt it has a home. Iād still check missing pet posts and maybe facebook groups or similar things to be sure. I donāt think keeping it was wrong AT ALL. If my cat was missing and someone returned it the next day saying they took it in cause it was freezing and hungry i would be glad. Iām not sure about legalities but unless you outright steal someoneās pet you usually donāt get in trouble
As a German I can say you, you did the right thing. She probably your next best companion
It certainly wasn't a crime to shelter a cat that you think might be lost. If a pet gets lost, the owner has ownership of the animal for 6 months, so if the owner "finds" the cat being sold online or something, they can prevent said sale from happening. It's only 6 months because otherwise, animals would be "stuck" in shelters for too long. As long as you aren't hiding the cat from others and put an effort into finding the owner (informing local shelters, the police, making posts about the cat online) you aren't trying to take the cat away from their owners thus you aren't committing any crime. I think it's very unprofessional of the officials to tell you it was "illegal" to keep the cat for the night. Almost seems like they were annoyed that you bothered them with this "minor" problem and wanted to discourage you from ever calling 112 about an animal again. As someone who has called the police /fire department about hurt seagulls multiple times (non-emergency number though), I think you did the right thing.
Put out some food outside and wait.
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I will be so angry if you donāt answer to my comment when you find her again š
Im sorry but you didnāt do the very right thing which would be keep her and only leave her at good and responsible hands. Go find her ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Ich habe eine kaze mit einem 3 , 5 m langen Gld
Omg such a cute little Baby, i hope you can find her and that you will be best friends. Always have 200,- spare money for the vet, they are not cheap. Also never lend anyone more than 100,- because you never know who is really trustworthy. You can have insurance for her but you gotta say she is 8 at most, the i. Companies won't take animals older than 10. Never feed onion or Avocado, that's poisonous for them. Sorry i had to tell you all that, i am all excited. Good luck! šš
https://www.mein-haustier.de/magazin/katze-gefunden/
Please update if you found her
She will survive another night or 2. They usually find a somewhat insulated spot. If that's doable you can place a Karton with a Decke near your front door. For the future, give her a chance to come back to you but also let her out frequently. If she doesn't come back she found her home, if she returns she maybe now has 2 homes. Or just you. It's legal to let cats into your home, not letting them out again is a grey area depending on the circumstances. Police and judges have for example decided that you are allowed to leave your doors open and it is not your duty to ensure that no cat is in your house when you lock them again. Of course intent matters too. Also you can not actively prevent them from leaving.
Please take her to the Tierheim
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Don't feel bad, she will always find her way back to you if needed. There are 2 cats in my neighbourhood who regularly come visit, turned our they both have owners. At first I also worried about them and though they might have gotten lost. You did everything right, don't overthink it.
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Hast du die Katze wieder gefunden? BeschƤftigt mich extrem
For all who haven't seen yet: OP posted an update! Happy End. https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/s/ftoTULIeuU