WWYD - lost cat, then found again

[Tohru]

We have 4 cats and I was thinking of finding 2 of them new homes. We always let our cats come and go as they want (the adults are fixed), but they generally come in throughout the day and sleep here at night. Well then our 4/5-month old black kitty went missing. She was gone for 2 days when we realized that she might have been cat-napped.

 

My son was sad and I was worried since she's black (people can be weird.) We posted lost ads and went to the humane society to file a lost report. After 3 weeks, we accepted that our kitty wasn't going to come home and hoped for the best for her.

 

Well last night she showed up at our back door, wearing a skulls and bones collar. The collar was one of those that goes around her neck and body in which you can attach a leash to it. She was also wearing a tag with a phone number.

 

What should I do?

Should I call the people and chastise them for stealing our cat?

Return her to them since I was wanting to find new homes for 2 of them anyway?

Or just ignore the tag and let her stay home with us until she decides she wants to leave again with the expectation that she might not ever return?

[Nakia]

I think you should call the new "owner" and explain the situation, without accusing them of stealing. I'm sure they did not steal your cat. Did it have a collar on when it left? If not, they probably thought it was a stray and gave it a nice home. If you don't want the kitten, take it to them, and tell them it's theirs. Either way, you need to call them because I bet they are very worried about "their" kitten.

[2cents]

I think you should call the new "owner" and explain the situation, without accusing them of stealing. I'm sure they did not steal your cat. Did it have a collar on when it left? If not, they probably thought it was a stray and gave it a nice home. If you don't want the kitten, take it to them, and tell them it's theirs. Either way, you need to call them because I bet they are very worried about "their" kitten.

 

:iagree:

[Lolly]

If you are thinking of getting 2 cats new homes, it looks like you have probably found one. If you don't want the cat, I'd call the number on the collar and return it to them. They are probably worried about it. If you do want to keep it, call the number and explain that it is yours, and you were looking for it for weeks. Thank them for taking good care of it and return the collar.

[Tap]

:iagree:

I think you should call the new "owner" and explain the situation, without accusing them of stealing. I'm sure they did not steal your cat. Did it have a collar on when it left? If not, they probably thought it was a stray and gave it a nice home. If you don't want the kitten, take it to them, and tell them it's theirs. Either way, you need to call them because I bet they are very worried about "their" kitten.

[4wildberrys]

I think you should call the new "owner" and explain the situation, without accusing them of stealing. I'm sure they did not steal your cat. Did it have a collar on when it left? If not, they probably thought it was a stray and gave it a nice home. If you don't want the kitten, take it to them, and tell them it's theirs. Either way, you need to call them because I bet they are very worried about "their" kitten.

:iagree: Growing up, we had probably 3 cats throughout the years show up with no collars or tags. And we kept them---for obvious reasons :tongue_smilie: Cats without collars or tags that wander are fair game for whatever, unfortunately. :001_huh:

[joannqn]

I would let them keep her since you are looking for new homes for some of your cats. I would call them and explain that she was your cat and has returned home, but they can keep her if they want. There's a good chance she'll return to you again; let them know you'll keep their number handy for when she does.

[Carol in Cal.]

I think that it's dangerous to send a cat out WITH a collar. Cats climb all the time, and can literally hang themselves by their collars. I would never do that unless it was some kind of quick release collar.

 

The cat was yours, and it came home to you.

 

I don't like the idea of the skull and crossbones on the new collar. It sounds to me like the cat was pretty restrained and got away and came back to you as soon as it could. As tame as it was, the new 'owner' had to have known that it belonged to someone who might miss it.

 

Under those circumstances I would keep the cat. If I called the number on the tag, it would be to say that this is our cat, and that you just wanted to make sure that they got their collar back if they wanted it. (Nicely, though.)

[Kate CA]

We had a cat like this. He would wander around and found himself a second home with a family one street over. He came home with a collar two different times (and two different collars since we removed the one when he arrived home with it!). When we figured out it was our neighbors, and that their little son was the one loving the cat, we all laughed about it. He remained ours, but I am sure he had love privileges at the other house. LOL

 

I think if you are serious about finding another home that you should call them and set up a time to meet. If they seem on the up and up, give the cat to them. If they are a concern to you at the meeting, tell them the story about the cat and let them know he is yours and that you are keeping him.

 

With wanderers, it may happen again anyway.

[snickelfritz]

Since you want to find a new home for your kitties, call them. A skull and crossbones collar wouldn't be enough to concern me. On a black cat, they may think it's cool or goth... Or whatever. I'm not current on that stuff, but I don't think that's enough to convict them of sacrificing or abusing cats. If they immediately had bad intentions towards a black cat, I don't think they would have bought it a collar.

 

I'd explain things and meet them to make a decision. And I wouldn't assume they " stole" the cat.

[cjgrubbs]

definetly call them - it's just the right thing to do. Letting them keep the cat will probably make them happy and help you too, plus you might still get visits from this kitten which would be kind of neat.

[GnomeyNewt]

This exact thing happened to us. Cat showed up 6 months later and we took kitten in to get fixed. She went missing at about 2-3 months old. Turned out she was already fixed, so we let her go back outside. She showed up a few days later with a collar and it turns out our neighbor right next to us had her! Anyhow, she has returned to living at our house mostly. The neighbor says she will visit ~ and said a cat chooses its home ( and I wish it choose theirs). They probably thought we would be upset, but honestly I had 6 cats at the time so I would not have mind if she stayed over there! :c)

[RoughCollie]

My twin great aunts owned a cat who would go out during the day and stay inside at night. When the cat was around 10 years old, it happened to be in the front yard with them early one morning while they were gardening.

 

A couple stopped their car and called the cat. It turned out that for 10 years, their cat had stayed inside during the day and gone outside all night.

 

It was the same cat! They agreed to continue sharing it.

[Kim in TN]

I think that it's dangerous to send a cat out WITH a collar. Cats climb all the time, and can literally hang themselves by their collars. I would never do that unless it was some kind of quick release collar.

 

The cat was yours, and it came home to you.

 

I don't like the idea of the skull and crossbones on the new collar. It sounds to me like the cat was pretty restrained and got away and came back to you as soon as it could. As tame as it was, the new 'owner' had to have known that it belonged to someone who might miss it.

 

Under those circumstances I would keep the cat. If I called the number on the tag, it would be to say that this is our cat, and that you just wanted to make sure that they got their collar back if they wanted it. (Nicely, though.)

 

:iagree:

[fairytalemama]

I think you should call the new "owner" and explain the situation, without accusing them of stealing. I'm sure they did not steal your cat. Did it have a collar on when it left? If not, they probably thought it was a stray and gave it a nice home. If you don't want the kitten, take it to them, and tell them it's theirs. Either way, you need to call them because I bet they are very worried about "their" kitten.

:iagree:

 

I don't like the idea of the skull and crossbones on the new collar.

 

I seriously wouldn't worry about the skull and crossbones. Our cat Oliver has had a skull and crossbones collar for years because my daughter since age 3 has liked pirates. :D

Our other car Pumpkin has a nice acceptable pink collar.:tongue_smilie:

[Scuff]

Yeah, skull and crossbones seem ti be in rigbt now. My 16yo cousin got the new baby adorable little outfits with pink skull & xrossbones on it. Not my thi g and my baby girl won't be wearing it, but nothing evil was intended.

[Tohru]

Thanks so much for all the advice. The "collar" concerned me because it was more of a full-body harness, which I thought odd for such a small cat.

 

I did call the number and was on hold to metal punk music. lol!

The thing that bothered me about the conversation was the woman kept insisting that she'd come to my house to pick up the kitty instead of letting me know where she lives - she is only one street over.

 

We let the cat back out today and she played around in the yard a bit and came back inside. My husband thinks that the cat might have been confined for the past 3 weeks and yesterday was the first time she had a chance to leave. We are completely with the belief that no one can own a cat because they do choose who they want to live with.

 

After reading a lot of the comments here, we finally decided that if this cat wants to go back to the other lady, then she can whenever she wants. We aren't going to force her to stay, nor send her away.