MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Mar 13, 2015 18:03:11 GMT
How long ago was the vet appointment where they scanned him? Is it the same vet office? You must have a receipt from the treatment? If he hasn't been out of their home, how in the world would you be having him treated at the vet likely a few weeks ago? No solid advice from me, but I would definitely make sure you have documentation to visits, etc. Honestly, sounds like a case of mistaken cat-denity. Maybe these people are on the up and up and just think this cat is theirs. If OP has records of how long she's been caring from him, it should be very easy to disprove these people's claims.
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Post by jemali on Mar 13, 2015 18:03:46 GMT
I would think you are talking about two different cats. How can you have had it for several months and it has not been missing from their home? That makes no sense.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,540
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Mar 13, 2015 18:57:05 GMT
I'm with the PP in thinking it's a case of mistaken identity. There's no way you've had the cat for 3 months, then it suddenly goes missing from the previous owner's home.
I would be finding a new vet, and cherishing your new cat. If the owners are that passionate about their suddenly lost animal they can take the time to look into what happened.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:26:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2015 19:05:03 GMT
I didn't take any pictures unfortunately, it just never occurred to me. I know I've handled the whole thing badly The owner swears that the cat has never been missing from his home, they are not aware that he has spent one night away from their home!! Legal trouble is what I'm afraid of. That doesn't make any sense, you've had the cat for three months. The vet knows you've had the cat for more than one night. I wonder if it's the wrong family/another chip glitch? First of all if I found a cat in that condition I never would have looked up the microchip unless I intended to have the owners prosecuted for miscare, otherwise what was the point? You knew looking up the chip meant returning the cat. If you didn't want to do that, why look up the chip? I understand legally you might have to return the cat, I'm simply saying make sure you recoup the money you spent on the cat. Add up the costs of feeding him as well. I took the cat to the vets to check there was no lasting damage from him being half starved and that I was doing the right things for him to get him healthy, they scanned him as a matter of protocol because I was honest and told them I believed he was a stray. It's the law that so many days have to pass before a cat can be registered to another person. None of this is about money for me, I've gladly bought him all the things he needs and somethings that he really didn't but heyho.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:26:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2015 19:07:26 GMT
How long ago was the vet appointment where they scanned him? Is it the same vet office? You must have a receipt from the treatment? If he hasn't been out of their home, how in the world would you be having him treated at the vet likely a few weeks ago? No solid advice from me, but I would definitely make sure you have documentation to visits, etc. Honestly, sounds like a case of mistaken cat-denity. Maybe these people are on the up and up and just think this cat is theirs. If OP has records of how long she's been caring from him, it should be very easy to disprove these people's claims. If it wasn't for the missing tail I'd agree they've mistaken him for their cat. The vet didn't charge me anything for the first appointment, he was very nice and seemed glad that I'd taken the cat in and cared for him. The vet yesterday was a different one and had the bedside manner of a rattle snake.
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Post by Basket1lady on Mar 13, 2015 19:08:26 GMT
The owner swears that the cat has never been missing from his home, they are not aware that he has spent one night away from their home!! Then this is not their cat. If the cat has been in your home for the past 3 months, and the "owners" claim that their cat has never spent one night away from home, they are 2 different cats. One of my best friends is a vet. Techs come and go--at least her unskilled techs, which are really just office workers in a smock. (Her certified techs have all been there 10+ years and each is worth their weight in gold.) If you like your vet, don't let one employee ruin the clinic until you talk to the vet him/herself.
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scrappington
Pearl Clutcher
in Canada
Posts: 3,139
Jun 26, 2014 14:43:10 GMT
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Post by scrappington on Mar 13, 2015 19:09:50 GMT
Get a new vet. It is probably mistaken cat identity. And if these people that claim they own the cat contact you. Get a picture of the cat they claim they love so much. I'm sure they will have lots. It probably isn't your cat.
Enjoy your new cat and find a new vet.
And you've done nothing wrong.
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J u l e e
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Mar 13, 2015 19:16:30 GMT
If they are telling the truth and the cat has not been out of their home, then the cat you have is not theirs.
Otherwise they are lying because the cat has most definitely not been in their home. And if they're lying, then they were not taking proper care of the cat and I wouldn't be giving it back. They would have to legally try, and I doubt they would do that.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:26:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2015 19:17:50 GMT
That!! IF I chose to return the cat my vet & care expenses would be reimbursed first. Quite honestly, there's no way I would freely return him. Do you have other vets, friends, neighbors who saw the cat's condition prior to him feeling & looking better? The lady two doors down from us was leaving food out for him too, she has cats of her own and must have realised he was hungry.
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Post by heartcat on Mar 13, 2015 20:18:07 GMT
As has been pointed out repeatedly, this makes no sense whatsoever.
I am thinking the last vet you saw somehow got the story wrong.
We had a cat, an indoor cat who'd never been outside, go missing for four months. He was not chipped. We looked for him everywhere, wrote ads, checked found ads, called vets, filed with the SPCA, etc. Never heard anything from anyone. We had finally given up hope when the SPCA called to say someone had brought in a cat fitting his description, and we were reunited.
If asked, I would have said that 'prior' to his going missing, Pinky was always an indoor cat and had never spent a day away from us and had always been healthy. I am wondering if maybe these other people said something similar, and the vet got that message second hand, and that somewhere along the line it got botched up. That perhaps these people were looking for their cat, but encountered the same glitch with the microchip, and now believe he's been found and they want to be reuinted.
Because otherwise to lie when it would be so easy to prove otherwise (records from the first vet visit) doesn't make a lot of sense. And
Maybe the vet has some personal bias or some personal experience with one of those people who 'save' lost animals by enticing them in and keeping them. Clearly the people who originally took our Pinky in made no real effort to reuinte him with us. One call to the SPCA, one check on the local kijiji site, would have determined we were looking for him. I think the only reason they finally turned him over to the SPCA (they had him those 4 months, and lived in our neighbourhood) was because he is very skittish and nervous and probably hid out somewhere in their home the whole time, or maybe didn't along with an existing cat.
I will always be grateful though that they 'did' take him in after he slipped outside and that instead of just turning him out they took him to the SPCA where he was safe and where we could be reuinted.
And/or maybe the vet is not aware of your previous visit with the cat or your attempt to find the owners or any of the other things that transpired at their office.
Regardless, there is no excuse for them to treat you the way that they did. Even if there was some miscommunication somewhere down the line.
I would speak with the original vet that I saw, explain the current situation, and ask them to verify the other vet's story and to get more details about the people claiming to be the owners.
Ultimately, if it was proven that they were the legal owners of the cat, I would turn the cat over to them. And the next time the cat showed up at my door, I would be taking it to the SPCA, offering to adopt it should it go unclaimed.
People who really don't care about their pets are unlikely to go looking for them when they are lost or go to any lengths to be reuinted with them, especially if you live in a place that might have fines for owners of animals found wandering.
Or maybe there really has been some mix up with chip numbers and someone thinks you have their indoor/outdoor cat who really never has gone missing. Maybe they erroneously got a call saying, 'Someone says your cat has been a starving stray for months and wants to keep it' and are upset and worried. And then their cat strolls in later this evening.
Hopefully you can get things straightened out.
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Mar 13, 2015 20:27:31 GMT
That!! IF I chose to return the cat my vet & care expenses would be reimbursed first. Quite honestly, there's no way I would freely return him. Do you have other vets, friends, neighbors who saw the cat's condition prior to him feeling & looking better? The lady two doors down from us was leaving food out for him too, she has cats of her own and must have realised he was hungry. Excellent! So you have a witness as to both the length of time and the condition of the cat when he found you. I would get a statement from your neighbor and start documentation. I would also probably discuss the nasty vet with a higher up (if there is one). That's just no way to treat another person, period.
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sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,594
Jun 27, 2014 14:04:01 GMT
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Mar 13, 2015 20:43:16 GMT
I'd ask to speak to the first vet that saw you.
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Mar 13, 2015 21:00:01 GMT
If you have Had the cat Outdoors, it very well could've been traveling among multiple homes. You said that the lady couple doors down was feeding the cat. It's possible the owners are close enough that the cat has been going home every day too.
Did you take the cat to the vet when it was in terrible condition? Do you have any evidence at all but it wasn't that bad of shape when you first started feeding it?
It is hard to believe that a vet would tell somebody just to put the cat outdoors, rather than having the owners come and get it. That makes no sense! IMHO cats do not belong outdoors.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:26:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2015 21:08:36 GMT
If you have Had the cat Outdoors, it very well could've been traveling among multiple homes. You said that the lady couple doors down was feeding the cat. It's possible the owners are close enough that the cat has been going home every day too. Did you take the cat to the vet when it was in terrible condition? Do you have any evidence at all but it wasn't that bad of shape when you first started feeding it? It is hard to believe that a vet would tell somebody just to put the cat outdoors, rather than having the owners come and get it. That makes no sense! IMHO cats do not belong outdoors. He does go outside, mostly just to wee and do kitty poops but he also likes to play in the garden. He comes straight back indoors when he's had enough. He has a habit of watching the window to make sure he can see someone inside, at least that's what it looks like to us. I don't think he has been going home. I was shocked the vet suggested kicking him out and ignoring him, she seemed totally uninterested in listening to anything I said and contradicted her own story many times to make it fit with what she was saying. The whole visit was just so upsetting and I'm ashamed that I lost my temper with her. I told her that when the cat was found starved to death I'd take great pleasure in taking her his corpse and thanking her personally for all she had done.
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Post by Lexica on Mar 13, 2015 21:15:09 GMT
Don't feel badly about how you handled the cat by treating the fleas and worming him yourself. That is exactly what I did with one who showed up on my doorstep looking very hungry. I continued to feed him because I can't stand to see an animal scared and starving. I didn't take him inside at first though. I already had 3 cats of my own and I didn't know what they could catch from the new guy.
So if you handled it the wrong way, so did I. In my case, I did eventually find out the story behind my stray. The cat was laying on a little bed I had on my porch for him when my next door neighbor's son came over. He had moved out of the neighborhood many months before. He recognized the cat right away and asked what he was doing down at my house. He filled me in on what he knew. His owner lived down the street from me. The man had cancer and was not going to survive it. He had made an agreement with someone to move into his house and take care of him until he died. He wanted to remain at home. I guess he really trusted this man, because he signed over a lot of rights to the guy. I guess as soon as this guy was in legal control, he put the neighbor into a facility, sold his house and belongings, and was gone. He probably never even thought about the cat. If you can do that to a sick friend, you aren't the type to care about a cat. I don't know how much time elapsed from when he moved away to when the cat showed up at my house. At least I now know his name.
In your case, I would continue to keep the cat inside and feed it. I really think the people who claim it is their cat either have another one that looks like this one or somehow two cats were given the same tag number. If you've had the cat for 3 months, why haven't these owners been putting up signs and actively looking for their cat? Something is fishy about their story.
And for the vet to tell you to just stop feeding the cat and let it go outside, that is the worst recommendation I've ever heard! If I owned the cat in question, I'd be furious that he told you to just let it outside. They should have taken custody of the cat right away, and called the original owners to come identify him, or called the owners with your information and had the two of you discuss the details of getting the cat back home. I'm just not believing the actions of this last vet.
I'm assuming the vet has your address, right? I would still continue to keep the cat inside and safe and wait for the original owners to contact you. I would think you would be within reasonable rights in taking that stand. Tell them you were afraid the cat would be injured if turned outside since these people swear it was an indoor only cat. Make them show up with some type of confirmation that it is theirs and have them reimburse you for the last 3 months of care. If they don't willingly do that, they are not the cat lovers they claim to be. If one of mine were missing for 3 months and someone had been giving her great care, I'd pay them back and offer them a reward as well. I can't believe the authorities would expect you to just open the door and kick the cat outside, hoping it returns to the house it left 3 months ago. That's just outrageous advice.
My guess is no one contacts you for the cat and you get to keep him, finding a new vet to use from now on too.
Oh, and Tiger has been living inside my house for the past year. He will sometimes dash out the front door when someone has it open to come or go themselves, but then once outside, he just lays in the sun on my porch. He doesn't leave my front yard. And as soon as anyone opens the door again, he runs back inside. It seems like a game to him. And even with him going outside for a bit of sun each day, he is never outside at night. Both he and I agree on that. I won't go to bed until he comes inside, and if it is starting to get dark and I haven't gone out front to call him in, he will jump into my backyard and go to my back sliding door to meow at me. He has figured out that there is usually someone in the rooms on the back side of the house all the time, and he just has to catch someone's attention to get us to open the door for him. He's a really cool kitty that I've become very attached to.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:26:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2015 21:20:47 GMT
Thank you all for being so kind and not telling me I'm a total idiot, though there is still time I suppose. I'm just heartbroken at the thought of letting him go, I love him to pieces and he trusts me so much.
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Post by Yubon Peatlejuice on Mar 13, 2015 21:30:21 GMT
He is your cat now. Get a new vet. Don't let the cat outside again.
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Post by Lexica on Mar 13, 2015 21:31:07 GMT
You are definitely not an idiot, and I'm betting that no one shows up to demand the cat. Just keep on doing what you have been doing with him. And don't even consider putting him outside and stopping to feed him. Stupid vet. And if someone does show up, just ask them where they've been for the last 3 months.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,738
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Mar 13, 2015 21:41:37 GMT
Find a new vet. Have all the records transferred to the new vet. This!
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Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,313
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on Mar 13, 2015 21:41:49 GMT
TIt's the law that so many days have to pass before a cat can be registered to another person. I never heard of a cat registry.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 12:26:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2015 22:02:12 GMT
I never heard of a cat registry. I'm in the UK so it might be different but a micro chip means the cat is registered to a specific person, they are responsible for the cats welfare.
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Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,313
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on Mar 13, 2015 22:32:54 GMT
I know a person can buy a chip but I didn't know it went into a big registry with rules about how long you could own a pet before you could do that. I think I somehow misread that the OP had to have the cat registered before it could be considered her cat as if it was mandatory for ownership. I am familiar with voluntarily having a pet chipped.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 13, 2015 23:46:30 GMT
When did you put the cat in as your avatar? There has to be some sort of internet fingerprint from when you uploaded the picture that proves that you have been in posession of this cat and negate their lies.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 13, 2015 23:57:06 GMT
Are you really in southern ireland? If so, I've got nothing
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Post by chaosisapony on Mar 13, 2015 23:59:46 GMT
This just doesn't make sense at all. I'm thinking maybe it's a mistaken identity thing too. In any case, I would just make him an indoor only cat and find a new vet.
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Post by laureljean on Mar 14, 2015 0:08:26 GMT
I would keep him...you care..they didn't That's what I would do. And find another vet. The "family" does not deserve to have him.
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Post by Skellinton on Mar 14, 2015 0:12:54 GMT
We had a cat that used to live down the street, when we would come home she would run down the sidewalk and meow like crazy to us. She would sit in our lap and purr like crazy. This went on for a few months and one day she just followed us into our house. We knew where she had lived before and according to other neighbors she had been an inside cat until they had a baby and apparently she was sent outside. After she followed us into the house she just stayed with us. The old house where she lived never looked for her, never asked, never posted pictures. She lived the rest of her life (just over 9 years, we think she was 8 when she came) being loved and spoiled and adored by us. No way in hell would anyone been able to take her from us after 3 months, heck after one week of them not even looking for her we wouldn't have given her back. I would keep the cat inside and find a new vet.
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Mar 14, 2015 0:13:23 GMT
If you have Had the cat Outdoors, it very well could've been traveling among multiple homes. You said that the lady couple doors down was feeding the cat. It's possible the owners are close enough that the cat has been going home every day too. Did you take the cat to the vet when it was in terrible condition? Do you have any evidence at all but it wasn't that bad of shape when you first started feeding it? It is hard to believe that a vet would tell somebody just to put the cat outdoors, rather than having the owners come and get it. That makes no sense! IMHO cats do not belong outdoors. He does go outside, mostly just to wee and do kitty poops but he also likes to play in the garden. He comes straight back indoors when he's had enough. He has a habit of watching the window to make sure he can see someone inside, at least that's what it looks like to us. I don't think he has been going home. I was shocked the vet suggested kicking him out and ignoring him, she seemed totally uninterested in listening to anything I said and contradicted her own story many times to make it fit with what she was saying. The whole visit was just so upsetting and I'm ashamed that I lost my temper with her. I told her that when the cat was found starved to death I'd take great pleasure in taking her his corpse and thanking her personally for all she had done. There is a vet I will not see. In my opinion she totally mishandled the situation with my dog overdosed on his NSAIDS.... He nearly died from the bleeding ulcers which she did not even warn me to look for. I still go to the same practice but will not see that particular doctor. Fortunately, after a week in intensive care at the emergency vet clinic, he seems to come through it with no permanent damage.
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Post by brynn on Mar 14, 2015 0:13:53 GMT
The cat is safe and well fed and taken care of in your home. The cat and you have adopted each other--he know he is "home" with you.
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Post by pjaye on Mar 14, 2015 0:52:15 GMT
I agree that it does sound strange and except for the missing tail, I'd say it was two different cats as well. Personally I'd take him to a shelter and make it clear that if he is not claimed that you want to adopt him. Not sure if that it how it works where you are, but here if a micro chipped animal is taken to a shelter, then they have to contact the owners and there is a certain time frame they have to come and get him (7-10 day?...not 100% sure) If they don't come in that time then the shelter can access the micro chip derails and change them and he can then be legally adopted out - and if the person who found him wants him, they get first option. If the owners don't come and get him, then he will be legally yours. If they do go and get him, then perhaps they really do care and him getting out was some strange accident?
There is no way I'd just put him out on the street and stop feeding him...no way. I'd try to handle it in a legal way that has the safest outcome for you (they aren't coming to your house to get him) and potentially ends up with you owning the cat legally and thus avoiding any future issues with the previous owner or another vet.
If they don't care about him, it's likely they won't go and pay to get him out. I've got a couple of friends who have adopted strays they found this way - found them on the street, either no M/C or M/C but owners didn't answer or didn't collect, they had their names down to say they definitely wanted the animal if they weren't claimed and they got them.
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