My Sister Stole Someones Cat!

There is a possibility that this cat IS chipped, and the only way to find out is to take him to a shelter or vets office to have them scan his neck. Unfortunately, if there is no chip, the animal is nobodys property because it cannot be proven. I know from personal experience that cats do have issues keeping collars on, the the role of a responsible pet owner (or any pet owner really) is to have the animal chipped.

Also, it may have been mentioned that microchips are expensive, I paid 20 dollars 5 years ago in California at my vets office for each of my two cats, and for my dog a couple years later I paid 15 dollars at a local pet stores' shot clinic. It is affordable *if* you can afford to keep a pet in the first place.

She definitely needs to make a true effort to find the real owners of the cat. Take pics & post flyers around the apartment complex where she found it.

Ask her how she would like it if someone took a pet that belonged to her daughter???

I didn't read the other responses, but I would post a FOUND sign and see if anyone calls you. At least you know where to steal their cat back from.
You can also see if anyone posts a missing cat on Petfinder.com and CraigsList etc..
I also have 3 indoor kitties, if one got out and was absconded with I would be heartbroken.

Where I grew up, NO one collared their cats!!! Sure, they are great for identifying owners... but like you posted, they are choking hazards, and many cats are too finicky to keep one on. Microchips are great, but a lot of people can't afford them. Someone did the same thing to my cat... stole it and kept it for 3 weeks (during which time I was frantic, calling shelters and putting up posters) until she finally came home on her own... a few days later some kid saw me outside playing with her and claimed that I had taken "HIS" cat (bear in mind~ I was 10 when this happened! lol) his parents got the police involved, but nothing came of it because we had 4 years worth of pictures with this cat... That being said, I think your sister is TOTALLY wrong. She should take the cat to a shelter and see if it has a microchip... If not, she needs to leave a "found" poster at the shelter, and post some at the complex where she found the cat (and the surrounding areas) If nobody tries to claim the cat, then I would say that she can keep it without feeling too bad. If someone DOES claim the cat, she should
explain to her daughter that it belongs to someone else, and take her to a shelter for a new cat.

P.S. Cats eat grass to aid in their digestion... not because they are hungry. Also, point out to her that it can be DANGEROUS to take home strange animals... I caught ringworm from a cat that I just HAD to pick up and cuddle... what if this cat has a disease? She needs to be teaching her daughter animal safety, as well as honesty and compassion...

EDIT~~~ To everyone saying that it is "cruel" or irresponsible to even allow you cat outside... why don't YOU spend just one week without stepping foot outside the door... see how you like it! Cats are natural explorers, and they are also individuals. Some may not mind being indoors all the time... some need to go out once in a while. I have had indoor only, outdoor only, and mixed and they were all healthy and happy.

while i think your sister is hasty in not making an effort to find an owner, i find it TOTALLY irresponsible to have a cat roaming outdoors. and, in most municipalities, it is also ILLEGAL. so, for all of you that are saying "oh, my cat just loves being outside" - it is dangerous for your cats, annoying for the people whose property they roam on, and again, illegal in MANY areas - leash laws apply to dogs AND cats. put up some found posters in the apartment complex if it will help you feel better(b/c i DO understand your point of view), but this is why it's important to collar, tag, and/or microchip your pet in addition to keeping them in a secure area(house, yard that they can't get out of, etc.).

People would periodically try and steal my indoor/outdoor cat WITH a collar. It made me furious. Even more so when they tried to deny it was my cat (they would remove the collar). But he was my "dog in a cat-suit". He'd come RUNNING when I whistled. Scrambling right out of someone's arms to do so to jump up into my arms and chew on my fingers. At the age of 10 we had him chipped (good thing, he lived for another 10 years).

I can't even count the number of times the (only) vet in our area would call to say someone had brought my cat in. It ticked him off as well. Only ONCE did one of those people bring him to the vet to "find the owner". (Our area requires cats to be licensed, long before chipping was around... which he was). We lived by a public walking trail in highschool and "trail people" would just scoop him up and take him with them.

I've found dozens of cats since moving out on my own. Only once was the cat a stray. Every other time I found the owner within 2 days.

My hearts breaking along with yours.

You are not acting hormonal. Your sister is TOTALLY WRONG. She should go to the apt complex and ask if anyone's said they're missing their kitten. Give it a week and if noone claims the cat, she coud keep it. Your sis should be TEACHING your neice honesty and caring about others' feelings instead of teaching her to basically steal.

Julie B is right. I have known people who just don't deserve to be pet owners - leaving a kitten out in this heat is not proper care. Cats are smart -they know where the feeding hand is. If is was drinking from a pool, I doubt it had a home to rely on.

BUT, if you do want to teach you sister a lesson in case some child IS missing the kitten, you could put up a sign that a kitten was found and call so-and-so number - let your sister know that you are putting the sign up (as well as your niece) - leave it up for a week. I will bet that the 'owners' won't call, but you can rest that you did the right thing.

I do believe that there is a fundamental issue of possible stealing here. I mean if we found a child we couldn't just keep it. We would need to turn the child into the police.

BUT, I absolutely believe it's wrong, always wrong, under ALL circumstances to allow cats to wander. There is nothing for cats in the streets but disease, fights with other cats, and getting run over. People that say they could never teach their cat to stay indoors are making very stupid excuses. I've had 5 cats the last many, many years and none of them wander EVER. They have tried. They have been caught immediately and broung back in. We have maybe one cat excape for 10 minutes per YEAR. One of our kitties died of a ripe old age of 18 this year. I have one that's 14 that all the vets say is as healthy as a horse and could easily see his mid 20's.

Totally indoor cats have a life expectancy of around 15-18 years but can go longer. Mixed indoor and outdoor cats have a life expectancy of 5-10 years.
Outdoor cats have a life expectency of less than 5 years.

I personally believe if someone wants a cat that is outdoors they should just take it.... That is, if the cat will have a good home, be kept from wandering, will be fixed if need be, AND will get all the medical care they need.

Millions of animals are killed every year because of irresponsible pet ownership and rampent breeding. Vacant buildings are over run with disease ridden and unhappy kitties. It's so wrong. We could NEVER treat human beings this way in our country.

More power to your sister.

I don't think you are hormonal, I think you want to do what is right!! Please continue to tell your sister that she is wrong, work the kid angle as well. Maybe you can check with the local shelter to see if someone has reported it missing.

We have two outdoor cats. Neither have collars. We put them on and they come home minus the collar. I am not sure how they get it off, but they do. I would be sooooo sad if this had happened to my cat!! She should put out flyer's or call local police to see if someone has reported a cat missing! She has no right to just go and take a kitty!

Not only was she stealing the cat, but it sounds like she was trespassing as well. It doesn't sound like it's HER apartments that she was swimming at. She is not setting very good examples for her daughter, but frankly, that isn't your business. When you see these things happen, you can "mention" that it might have been a good idea to hang posters to see if it's anyones, and maybe she should make some friends that have pools so she can be an INVITED guest instead of a trespassor. That way she may get the hint (or probably not) but your niece may learn of a different way of doing things without seeing her mom and aunt get into cat fights. Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

I don't think this is a black and white, she is wrong you are right situation. Because it was outside with no tags it could be a stray, or a pet that escaped. The better thing to do would be to take the kitty so it is not harmed, then make some fliers about a lost kitten and give them to the apartments in that complex and see if someone claims it. At least that's what I would do. It may be hard to convince your sister however, but I wouldn't try going through her daughter either because it will drive a wedge between you, and she will just be confused.

As a side note: my cat also eats grass when she manages to escape into our yard (she's an indoor cat) and trust me she is well fed. So just because the cat was eating grass doesn't mean it was starving, and yes some indoor cats without collars do escape sometimes. I would be upset if someone took my cat on one of these occasions.

I don't think youre wrong, your sister is VERY wrong and she sounds very irresponsible. I've had many cats throughout my lifetime and I can say not once was it EVER possible to leave a cat INSIDE only. If people out there really can do that then that's great for them but they must have cats that never see the door opening, or have kids that never leave the doors open and so on. I have a cat now that is indoor/outdoor, we got him the extra vaccine he needed (recommended by our vet) that protects him against other stray cat diseases. Never once did he lecture us about letting him go out every now and then, I'm sure he knows it's normal for cats to go outside and of course we made sure he was neutered at 6 mnths to prevent any breeding but I don't think letting him go play outside makes us bad pet owners or allows anyone else to "take' him from us.

So I feel very bad for whoever she took the cat from. Maybe the cat got out when they were off in a hurry to work that morning and couldn't risk losing their job over chasing down kitty all morning only to come home and find they've now lost their loved pet. What she did was WRONG and hopefully she'll grow up and learn responsibility REAL SOON and take the cat back.

BTW, I used to live in an apt. complex and once caught my cat drinking from the pool! I freaked thinking he was going to be sick now and of course he was fine, I'm sure it's not good for them but there must be something in the water that attracts them, our kitty had access to water and food but still chose to take a drink from the pool so not sure why but that doesn't make the cat homeless or w/out food and water from what you described were her reasons for taking it.

I hope she does the right thing and takes the cat back soon!!

I think it's part hormonal and part 'deeper' issues with your sister. The cat situation brought it to the surface. I believe you love your sister, but it seems like you are judgemental of her decisions and parenting style/abilities. I would let the cat thing go b/c there is a 50% you are right and 50% chance she is.

Wow, cats bring out some strong feelings :) Can you call the management office at the apartment complex and see if anyone has reported a missing cat? I'm sorry that you and your sister don't see eye to eye on so many issues, and frankly my advice for you would be to put a little distance in your relationship with her for now. Your stressing out over something that is out of your control and that can't be healthy for your pregnancy. She's not changing, you can't parent your neice and you can't get a job for your sister, so screen your calls and let her live her high drama without stressing you out.

I think this is terrible. I don't know if you could call the police or the animal shelter to report (anonymously) a stolen cat, but I might!

P.S. I have two cats and they are both inside-only animals. This prevents little mix-ups like this from happening. But it is still terrible that this cat might have a home somewhere and your sister made no efforts to find out. I like other people's ideas of putting up found signs, too. Then, at least, if there are owners, they can take your sister to court to get the cat back if need be.

Haven't read all the posts, but can't sis take pic of cat post a flyer that she was found on this day in this area and her contact info? She could foster the cat till the owner shows or keep it when the owner doesn't. I can't tell you how many times my ex-BF used to leave the apt door open for a quick run to the trash and our collarless, house cat got out. Seems that the same fate could have happened to this kitty. I hope you can talk sense into your sister.

Stop no the origingal owner was wrong to leave a small kitten unattended no tags or collars. SHAM on them if they were "real animal lovers" the kitten would not have been outside alone. I also have a cat and yes she likes to get out ( we try to keep her an indoor cat). But we have I.D. tags not to mention her required rabies tags and she is micro chipped. I think if your sister took this kitten she may very well have saved it life. What if it had been hit by a car, attacked by larger prey, abused by mean people? Now that said I hope she will take Good care of this precious animal. If not why don't you try and help her find a Better Home with people who will.

If it belonged to a good pet owner it would have a collar and not be unattended outside.

Sorry, but if people put their animals out in public (and apartment complexes are public) with no identification, then they're pretty fair game. The cat was most likely a stray, and especially living in an apartment, if it had an owner who cared about it -they shouldn't leave it outside in summer heat to forage for itself with no fresh water. It would be different if she took it from someone's yard or out of a fence. I hope she'll take good care of it and not in turn abandon it whenever she's tired of it. THAT would be the bad lesson for her daughter.

****If she's living off welfare, as you say, then she shouldn't have any animals. It also sounds like you live in a house -and as I said, if people have actual yards and property their cats can roam around on -then fine if you don't want to put a collar on them (but still don't be surprised if they disappear. Don't know about your laws, but here an uncollared animal can be picked up by animal control at any time and taken to the pound). Apartment complexes are notorious breeding grounds for stray cats, so I still think it was probably a stray, but it sounds like your sister needs to be looking for a job instead of swimming and picking up animals.

Great if it was stray and there are many at some apartment buildings. I agree with you that eating grass doesn't mean it is hungry, some cats love grass. Either way she should put up some flyers around the area in case someone is missing it and watch for missing cat flyers so it can be returned if it is already owned. That way there has been an attempt to contact the owner. I agree no collar doesn't equal no owner or make the cat fair game. Many cats won't wear collars or loose them easily while outside since they have break away ones for safety.

She should also get kitty into the vet soon for Feluk/FIV testing since it may be a stray and was outdoors. especially since you mentioned she already has one cat and both can be transmitted. They can also check for a microchip and see if the kitty has been spayed or neutered. She will also want to update vaccines and kitty will probably need boosters soon since no know history. Microchips are wonderful ways of finding the owners if you get lucky. I worked in a vet's office once and we scanned one and after talking to Home Again we found out it was a Canadian chip, but their company and got contact info (we were in NC). The secondary contact was a sister who got us in touch with the owner that had just moved to NC and was very much missing their pet. Depending on the sex of the cat they may be able to tell easily if it has been spayed or neutered, females are a little harder, but they usually have a scar. Generally means at some point someone cared for the cat if it has been fixed.

I agree it was wrong to take the kitty without trying to find an owner, hopefully she will do the right think and put up flyers and you can usually put a free found ad in the local newspaper. Local shelters and vet's offices will usually post found ads and have lost ads up too that may match. You can watch the newspaper or craiglist for lost cat ads too and see if there is one that matches if you are in the same area. I can understand why you are upset and hopefully the outcome is good for all involved.

It's possible that the cat belongs to someone at the apartments, and they let it out to have some outdoor time. Cats will eat grass even if they're not starving because of nutrients they don't get indoors. Or it could be a stray, cats sometimes get left behind when people move and apartments are a good place for them to dumpster dive.
You could try putting up a "found" poster just to say you tried, because it would be sad if someone lost their favorite pet, even if they're too busy to take the best care of it.

He he, Hormonal pregnant lady. I laugh cause my wife is pregnant with twins, so maybe you're a little "firey" but not irrational.

In an apartment complex, there is a legitimate chance it is somebody else's cat. Checking with the management of the complex is not a bad idea, posting "found" signs, and going to a local vet to see if the cat has a Home Away tag would be the right thing to do.

I remember when I "adopted" my current cat, who was a stray in my wife's old neighborhood. He kept coming around, so I bought a collar and tag with my phone# on it, I figured if he was anybody elses cat, they would take the collar off. After 4 months, he still had the collar, hung out outside even more, so when we moved in together, we brought him with, took him to the vet, got him tagged, and officially gave him his name - Mr Tubbs, due to his rather large appetite. 5 years later Tubbs is still around, lovey as ever, and has learned to tollerate the other cat, dog, and baby/toddler that came after.

i don't think it was necessarily ok. she was in an apartment complex - surrounded by possible owners of this cat. an hour watching the cat wandering around does NOT mean some other little girl wasn't looking around her apartment wondering what happened to HER beloved kitty. now she may never know. cats have a nack for taking collars off - or it may have snagged on a fence and if it was a safety collar, snapped off like they are designed to do. no way could your sister justify taking off with a strange cat.

my mom's fiancee had a dog he loved, and they lived out in the country. this dog had a collar and they had spent hundreds to nurse her back to health (after they had found her, abandoned, beaten, and half starved, as a puppy, out in the country without a house around for miles) and to get her fixed and shots up to date. the dog disappeared, and they found out the neighbor up the road had a daughter whose own dog had died recently, but when their dog had wandered by, thought that "god had sent her another dog". BS!! with a collar and obviously well taken care of, these people just took it upon themselves to "take in" this dog. i don't know what is wrong with people.

your sister could have been responsible and gone to a shelter if she wanted to give her daughter a pet. or get on craigslist and find an unwanted kitten. it's never ok to assume a pet is yours for the taking. the cat might have meant a lot to someone.

Fortunatly Cats are not directionally challenged. If it has an owner, and the cat gets outside, it will make it home. If it is really bothering you though, make some flyers to put up at the apartment complex that has "Found kitten" with a picture and phone number.

Make up some fliers and post around that apartment complex that say "Found cat, call and identify". Don't put it's sex, color, or if it's longhair or shorthair. If someone calls you and they know all the correct information without being told, then you'll know it's their cat.

Take a picture of the cat and find out which apartment complex they were at when they found the cat... Then go around that complex taping 'found' posters to every door with your phone number on it... If you find the owner there is no way your sister could refuse to give the cat back.

Sorry, but I am going to have to disagree - no collar=no owner. But I don't agree that makes them fair game - that is what FOUND pet posters/fliers are for. There is a reason for the collars and that is they identify pets as owned and hopefully current on shots. If you choose not to put a collar on a pet then you are taking a risk of it disappearing. If the pet was picked up by animal services with no collar or if it is hurt away from home - the owner could never be notified.

Saying that, I think your sister could have notified the apt. office and let them know she has the cat and where she could be notified if anyone lost it.

I think you need a break from your sister. You can tell her you don't think she was right for taking the cat but nothing you do will change her. It sounds like you have a lot more issues w/ her than just this cat situation, this probably was just the last straw before you blew! :) I have three sisters and one of them drives me insane. My sister would probably get along with your sister really well :) About a month ago I decided I needed a break from her. She is very immature, self centered and causes drama. I told her what I think of her and told her I didn't want to talk to her until she grows up (which will probably be never!). My life has been drama free since. I say take a break from her. You don't need the stress on you. Take a break, she's not changing any time soon.

first off I just have to say Lmao your title cracked me up lol anyways with that being said I have read your whole post and just had to say I totally agree with you 110% and it don't seem to me your sister needs kids nor pets but anyways I can see why your upset I would be to.
Take care and God Bless!!
Congrats on your soon to be bundle to BTW!!

Yes you are probably a little hormonal about this whole thing coupled with your bad feelings about your sister's life choices.

Your neice is never every going to side with you over her mother. She may even view you as someone who attacks her mom (very uncool on your part). If your issue was with her mom or her mom's decision, you should have spoken to her mom and not the child. Try not to pull the kid into whatever negative things you think about your sister. No good can come from that try to stay neutral.

If the time comes that acquired kitty needs to find a new home, be available and supportive not judgemental or just be quiet and let it go. There seems to be more than enough bad blood between you and your sister. Try to remember it is her life and her decisions and she is free to be whoever she is. Try to find things you can appreciate about her. Perhaps she is doing the best she can do.

If no one has posted a "lost cat" sign by now, chances are it may not have had a home, or if it did, they don't miss it that much. I know when I had dog stolen from my yard once, I posted signs everywhere, every spare second I had. (got him back too!)
Post a few "found cat" signs and see what happens!
Good luck to you and kitty!

I have not read any of the responses so I apologize if I am repeating anything, but many people now opt to get their pets microchipped. There's a chance the cat they found has a chip and if it is scanned at a vet's office or shelter, they can then trace the owner. Of course, that means your sister has to do the responsible thing which from what you've said, is not likely to happen. You could also consider microchipping your own cats since they do go outside without collars and tags. At least if something happened to them (lost, etc.) they could be identified, and there is no chance of the chip getting lost, and it proves that they are yours.

The next time the cat goes to the vet it should be scanned for a microchip....usually if it's the first time the animal has been seen, the vet just automatically does it. Let's hope it goes the vet soon and the owner reported the kitty missing. I don't think you're overreacting. Of course, it doesn't help that the owner left the kitty to wander either...but two wrongs don't make a right.

No, not wrong to take a cat you are concerned needs food and shelter. But wrong not to put a sign up stating you have the cat should someone be looking for it. I once compromised in an apartment complex by putting water and a box but no food in my back patio, thinking when it got hungry he would go back home. when I found him sleeping in the box the next morning, I was so heartbroken that I had not just taken him in and fed him. I put signs up and the little family who lost him was so happy to get him back. Yea, but I get what your saying that it may not have really looked that neglected or hungry. Not cool. I'd put signs up yourself with your contact info, then deal with your sister if it has owners.

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I know you already answered, but we found a cat that was wandering around with a collar on. The collar was so tight around her neck that it was quite obvious if she was anyone's cat that they weren't taking care of her. We kept her.

From the sounds of it, She's wrong and needs to take the cat back. Just because the cat was eating grass, doesn't mean it wasn't being fed. I've seen our dogs eat grass. I guess it's an animal thing, lol.