# Someone is trying to steal my cat!! What do i do?



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

My cat Chester is a 5 year old Tabby. A beautiful cat, who has a tendency to wander from time to time (he is neutered). Before we moved house, he was being fed by a couple, who we had to tell to stop because he stopped coming home.
We moved house almost 2 years ago and in March this year, he began to disappear once again, so, we put him a bright red collar on stating that he is chipped, hoping that if someone was feeding him, they would stop knowing that he has an owner.
This has not been the case.
As the months have gone on, Chester spends less and less time at home and only visits us once a week, if we are lucky.
When he comes home, his behaviour is terrible. He is nasty ... Growling and spitting at us, hissing and attacking us if we try and go anywhere near him. And this is only if he comes in the house. He has now chosen to run up to the door, then run away, even if he can see that there is food for him.
A few days ago, I spotted Chester in the street and noticed that his collar had been changed!! My husband managed to pick him up and bring him inside the house. With great difficulty in trying to get anywhere near Chester, we managed to get the new collar off and put one of our own on, as we had another collar which states he is chipped.
We tried keeping him indoors, to no avail ... He was clearly becoming distressed being kept locked inside, so we decided to let him go out.
We didn't see Chester for another week.
I then saw Chester again in the street, walked up to him and found that the second collar we put on him has once again been taken off, but this time, leaving him with no collar on at all.
We have no idea who is feeding him! He is borderline obese due to whoever is feeding him and I am worried he may soon develop health problems.
I would go around knocking doors, but the person doing it might just say that it's not them!
What do we do???
I know cats are free roaming if they are allowed outside, but he is clearly being enticed and someone is deliberately trying to claim him as their own!
Is there any laws against this? Can this be classed as theft?
It would be great if someone could shed some light on my dilemma. Chester has always been a loving cat, but he just doesn't like us anymore, simply because of some selfish A-Hole who can't be bothered to get their own cat and would rather fuss and love someone else's, without the responsibility of being a pet owner!
Thanks!


----------



## Dingle (Aug 29, 2008)

Allowing your cat to roam is part of the problem imo


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

No the problem is, is that someone is trying to claim my cat as their own. This is surely theft??


----------



## Ang2 (Jun 15, 2012)

I feel your pain, I really do. What about attaching a note to the collar, asking whoever is feeding him to call you? Im at a loss as to what else to suggest, because cats tend to choose their owners. 

Other side of the coin - my neighbour, who has six cats, and feeds all the neighbourhood underfeds and strays, had a large ginger female coming every day starving. He has a cat flap and this cat would just let itself in, eat, and get on the sofa and sleep. He genuinely thought it was a stray. Then one day, a woman came screaming and shouting and calling him a cat thief! He most definitely isn't a cat thief - he has enough of his own. He just has a kind heart. The woman took her cat home and yet again it kept coming back and letting itself in. The woman came again and was very abusive and told him not to let her cat in or feed it. The result has been that he has had to reluctantly be horrible to this poor cat for fear of retribution. A sad case all round.


----------



## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

3 of my cats roam, its a risk I take. Years ago I had a cat that did similar to yours. He totally disappeared for 2 weeks then I spotted him 3-4 minutes away from mine sunning himself on someones balcony, complete with food dishes. I picked him up, took him home and I kept him in for a few days, spoiled him rotten then let him go, free to choose. He DID choose me which I was ecstatic about and while it would have been hard I would have accepted it if he had chosen the other household. I would have gone to see them to make sure they were taking him on fully (vet bills etc)...not just after a part time freebie cat.

You need to find out where he is going...theres a very good chance its more than one house though if he is getting obese...then take it from there. I firmly believe that you never own a cat...they choose to stay with you.


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

We were thinking of getting a tag with his name and address, but this person has taken two of his collars off .. What's to say they won't do it again! Anything is worth a try, so we are going to do what we can!


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Yes, it _would_ be theft if the intention of the person feeding your cat is to deprive you of him. But you have no proof of that, as cats are famous for "voting with their feet" and have been known to choose a new home for themselves for reasons often beyond the comprehension of humans. But if your cat has chosen another home I am puzzled why he bothers coming home to you at all, and why when he does he is bad tempered and unfriendly! I can only think he fears you will try and keep him indoors, preventing him going back to his other "home".

If this situation came about because your cat was hanging around a neighbour's door crying constantly, the neighbour may
have assumed your cat was a stray. The fact he was wearing a collar is not always indicative of an owner nearby. Quite a few stray cats are handed in to Shelters wearing collars. Even when there is an address/phone number on the collar nine times out of ten it leads nowhere.

Sadly the same is all too often the case with stray cats who are microchipped - attempts to reunite a cat with its registered owner usually leads to a dead end.

However, a responsible person finding what they assumed to be a stray cat, would get them scanned for a microchip, and only then if that (plus further enquiries) led nowhere, would they decide to assume ownership of the cat.

Your neighbour however, as you say, may not want the actual responsibility of owning a cat, because of the implications such as cost of veterinary treatment etc. Some people are just happy to feed what they regard as "stray" cats, without feeling the need to do anything further.

In some ways I cannot blame them as the Rescues are all bursting at the seams, so the person can't do the responsible thing and hand a stray cat into a Rescue unfortunately. Many Rescues will ask the person phoning to "carry on feeding the stray cat" for the time being, until there is a space in the Shelter (which may be months).

The fact your cat's collar is being removed and replaced with a different one is odd though, as that does suggest someone else regards the cat as theirs.

If you want to reclaim your cat you are going to have to be proactive. This means printing a flyer with your cat's photo and description and leafleting all your neighbours, not just your immediate neighbours, and include any whose gardens back onto yours.

Or you could knock on doors with your leaflets and ask people if they have seen your cat. Ask in a very innocent way, do not sound accusatory. You can say you are worried your cat is getting shut in somewhere.

If you do manage to track down the person who is feeding him then you have to try and convince them to stop doing so. Use reasons such as that the cat is getting overweight and the vet has advised a special diet. It may help if you were to buy one of those "Do Not Feed" collars, though on the other hand it may just be ignored.

Only you may have an idea why your cat may have felt the need to look elsewhere for company, food or shelter. I am not suggesting in any way you neglected him - you sound like a responsible owner. But if your cat likes company and you are out all day, perhaps he went looking for companionship elsewhere. Perhaps he got a bit peckish and went looking for food.

Or - does he have a cat flap? If not perhaps he got cold and wet one day and went looking for warmth and shelter. I am only saying this, because if you do manage to bring him home again, you may need to review how things are in your home, and maybe make some small changes, in order to prevent him wandering off again.


----------



## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

Dingle said:


> Allowing your cat to roam is part of the problem imo


I am going to say this just once, and it's not aimed at you specifically Dingle, but - seriously, guys? Sometimes it seems like anytime any one new posts here with a roaming related problem, it automatically attracts 'cats should be kept in, problem solved' statements, even when things like this:



n_v_g11 said:


> We tried keeping him indoors, to no avail ... He was clearly becoming distressed being kept locked inside, so we decided to let him go out.


indicate that _this particular cat_ is not suited to being an indoor only cat. I know what I'm talking about, as my Charlie-girl is 9yo and genuinely gets visibly depressed if she has to stay indoors for any length of time, such as the five weeks when she was recovering from her bitten tail, and at her age the chances of her changing into a happy innie are remote. Perhaps I'm overly cynical, but I sometimes wonder if I'd ever post on here if she did have an accident outside, for fear of 'No sympathy, you should have kept her in' responses.

n_v_g11, I feel for you, and yes it it attempted theft, but unless you can find out who is and get them to stop, I think you have a limited option set here.

You could try keeping your cat indoors for a LONG time - months, not weeks. Yes, I know he hates it, but he seems to have an ingrained habit of going elsewhere now, and that's not going to be easy to break. Whilst he is in you'd also need to invest a LOT of time in him - buy a big cat tree and lots of new interactive toys (like the Flying Frenzy) and play with him a lot every day, plenty of treats etc. You have work hard to tempt him back to you, basically, try and get him to want to be at home again. You might also get 'missing cat' posters appearing...

You could cat proof your garden so he can't get out once you let him out again. It will be expensive, but it will cater to his desire to be outside whilst keeping him from going elsewhere.

You also need to bear in mind that roaming cats can and do vote with their paws, and if he is determined to make a life elsewhere, there may be very little you can do to stop him _other_ than keep him in 24/7, or make changes to his home life that make him want to BE home. As you say this is the second time he has been tempted to a different place, whilst that could just mean he's a Six Dinner Sid and goes where the most grub is, it could indicate there are elements of his current home life he _really_ doesn't like (maybe noises/smells?), and if you can work out what those are and change them you'd stand a much better chance of getting your friendly cat back.

Incidentally, what is he eating at home? Switching his diet might help improve his weight problem, a lot of supermarket foods have loads of unnecessary sugars and grains in them.


----------



## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

...they can't 'steal' Ur cat if s/he is in Ur home, or in a cat-proof garden with a locked gate.

i'm fully prepared for a barrage of rotten fruit & spoiled veg -
i'd suggest U keep YOUR cat at home, on Ur own property, rather than roaming.

Yes, it will mean changes - including a cat-proof fence in the garden.
U'll need to re-train Ur cat to enjoy home again, & U'll need to make active efforts to amuse
& exercise Ur cat - fishing-pole toys, scented things to play with or chew [culinary herbs, catnip,
spray-on catnip scent is great stuff], use Feliway on a cat-tree...

U *do* have a cat-tree, don't U?
And cat-toys for swatting, hugging & disemboweling, carrying about as 'prey', fetch toys?...

Cats need vertical space & hidey-holes; a maze of empty, clean, non-stinky corrugated boxes
can be a wonderful, safe, engrossing puzzle & retreat, *& it's cheap*. Don't use any box
that once contained cleaning chemicals, scented soaps, pesticide, herbicide, or any toxins;
empty paper boxes that once held a ream of office paper are great.

This won't be an overnight success; U will need to commit to making Ur cat *happy* to stay home,
& in their own garden, not other folks' homes & gardens. Good luck. :001_smile:
.
.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I thought Ur was an ancient city-state in Mesopotamia. Oh well.

Attach a note to the collar and on it put that he has a chronic health condition and needs a special diet and regular medication so please do not feed or let him in the house.


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

Thankyou for everyone's response!

Yes we do have a "cat tree" activity tree which has holes to jump through and balls on springs and hanging down. It even has a little box with balls inside to play with.
We have plenty of toys to play with, tunnels to run through, motorised toys, catnip toys .. Lots and lots! He has a specific mouse which he loves, he would carry it around with him and sleep with it, like a dog, so we kept these mice in good supply, coz he would end up attacking it and it would rip open and splay it's stuffing everywhere!
As for food and treats, we feed him on royal canin and then I'd get some James well beloved here and there which he enjoyed. Once a week I steam some fish as a treat and then he would have regular treats as well.
He was a spoiled boy! Plush beds .. Not that he used them, he always chose to sleep in the TV cabinet lol.
The only reason I can think home life isn't as good is that we have another cat. Dudley, my big British shorthair boy. We've had him from a kitten.
Dudley is now 4. He and Chester have been together since we got Dudley and although Chester wasn't Dudleys biggest fan, he tolerated him being around and just kept away from him.
Maybe Dudley being around has made it an easier decision for him to spend more time at this other house. 
This is the only thing I can think of that may be upsetting him at home.


----------



## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

I'm sorry if this sounds sarky - it isn't meant to be - but are you _sure_ it's your cat and not a look-alike? (Forgive me being insulting, but as a friend who worked in a kennel once said - "Loads of owners don't know their own dog, but the dogs always know their owner." - and it may be the same with cats if two look very alike). The fact that he seems to be actively aggressive to you seems strange, that's all.

Or maybe they've thought he was a stray, have adopted him and now think that _you_ are trying to steal him. Is there any way that you can find out who his other family is, and go to speak to them about it?


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

n_v_g11 said:


> <snip>
> 
> The only reason I can think home life isn't as good is that we have another cat. Dudley, my big British shorthair boy. We've had him from a kitten.
> Dudley is now 4. He and Chester have been together since we got Dudley and although Chester wasn't Dudleys biggest fan, he tolerated him being around and just kept away from him.
> ...


You could well have hit the nail on the head there. I'm not sure how old Chester is but Dudley is at the age to reach social maturity and cats that previously got on can fall out when that happens.

Do you have plenty of high-up resting places and cubby holes? Several litter trays? Feed in more than one place? Reducing competition for resources (which includes your attention) can help.


----------



## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

If the collar was changed, someone is definitely trying do deliberately claim your cat as their own, knowing full well he does have a home.

On the other hand, there must be something your cat likes about this other home (or maybe even more than one) that you do not offer. I don't know anything about your home and family, but maybe you have other pets or children, which he prefers not to share his territory with, or maybe he yearns for the kind of company your family cannot offer.

I once adopted a cat that came from a hoarder, and though Klaatu was quite happy to live with us at first, he soon fell into his old habit of claiming every house in the neighbourhood as his own. Especially houses with cats or dogs whose bowls he could raid, though he also stole meat for human consumption from any kitchen he could get into. The hoarder had no idea how many cats she had, or even if any particular cat, apart from a few predominantly indoor ones, were hers, so most of her cats were used to fending for themselves wherever they could gain entrance. 
Klaatu was causing a lot of trouble for himself, and in the end I had to rehome him to a farm with no neighbouring houses to raid. For his own safety, as some people were really angry about his raids on their kitchens and threatened to harm him if they ever caught him stealing their steak or roast again.

Once a cat has adopted this kind of lifestyle, claiming a home and a family that looks appealing to him instead of the home and family that first claimed him as their cat, it is very hard to change his behaviour. The only real option I can think of is cat-proofing the garden. Though it would be wise to try and find out what it is that attracts him so much about these other homes, and try to provide this for him.


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

No offence taken, don't worry!
Yea he's 100% our cat. If we see him in the street and call his name, he comes to us and he does occasionally decide to come home, once in a blue moon!
I have not seen any other tabby cats in the area. Most are black or black and white and there is one sandy coloured cat.
I think whoever is feeding him knows he has an owner. They keep taking off his collars. I think they are just being very selfish people! If they think he is a stray or lost, they should take him to get scanned, as his collars says that he is micro chipped. The first one and the second one they took off.
It's extremely annoying!


----------



## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

n_v_g11 said:


> No offence taken, don't worry!
> Yea he's 100% our cat. If we see him in the street and call his name, he comes to us and he does occasionally decide to come home, once in a blue moon!
> I have not seen any other tabby cats in the area. Most are black or black and white and there is one sandy coloured cat.
> I think whoever is feeding him knows he has an owner. They keep taking off his collars. I think they are just being very selfish people! If they think he is a stray or lost, they should take him to get scanned, as his collars says that he is micro chipped. The first one and the second one they took off.
> It's extremely annoying!


Are you sure someone is taking them off? Its quite common for cats to get them off themselves so someone out there genuinely might think he is a stray. You best bet is to go around and actually talk to all of your neighbours to see if you can find out who is feeding him.


----------



## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

I could never understand someone not knowing their own animal until I met my old cats (Puss) doppelgänger.

Puss often followed me to the end of the road and when I spotted him on my friends doorstep (at the end of the road) I thought nothing of picking him up intent on carting him off home, however as I picked him up I realised he wasn't as weighty. My friend came out and asked why I was nicking her cat. Puss was a non symmetric tuxedo...nothing generic about him really but this cat was his absolute double. I don't think my friend fully believed me until I received a late night phone call to come to hers and on arrival she dragged me upstairs and on her bed were both of them...Puss was heavier (he was a 6 dinner sid) and had a slightly longer tail but otherwise they were identical. It then clicked with her that there had been times when she thought her cat was being too greedy but she'd actually been feeding two cats!

Years ago I found a *huge* black cat and thought I had found the owner through a lost ad, she came to mine to check and took 20 minutes before deciding he wasn't hers afterall, it was only him turning and showing his tom cat baubles that made her realise he wasn't her cat! So it definitely does happen.


----------



## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

OrientalSlave said:


> Attach a note to the collar and on it put that he has a chronic health condition and needs a special diet and regular medication so please do not feed or let him in the house.


This tag is quite popular for that sort of thing. The design gets the attention and stuff from the outset.


----------



## Misi (Jul 13, 2009)

lostbear said:


> I'm sorry if this sounds sarky - it isn't meant to be - but are you _sure_ it's your cat and not a look-alike? (Forgive me being insulting, but as a friend who worked in a kennel once said - "Loads of owners don't know their own dog, but the dogs always know their owner." - and it may be the same with cats if two look very alike). The fact that he seems to be actively aggressive to you seems strange, that's all.
> 
> Or maybe they've thought he was a stray, have adopted him and now think that _you_ are trying to steal him. Is there any way that you can find out who his other family is, and go to speak to them about it?


Do you know what, I was thinking the same thing. Years ago, my parents were asked to look after the next door neighbour's cat, so every day they fed him and let him in and out. When the neighbours returned from their holiday they knew it wasn't their cat in the house because it didn't bite them when it was stroked!


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Torin said:


> This tag is quite popular for that sort of thing. The design gets the attention and stuff from the outset.


It would but £5.99 if the cat keeps losing them?


----------



## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

OrientalSlave said:


> It would but £5.99 if the cat keeps losing them?


I didn't mean for this specific scenario, hence just quoting you rather than replying generally. Thought it might be useful info in general (as this topic sure does crop up a lot).


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

I completely forgot to mention, my memory was jogged when I read about the cat with the long tail .. Chester had an unfortunate accident when he was a kitten. It was summer and my mother in laws patio door was very stiff to open and close. When the patio door was open, we used to shut Chester in the kitchen. But one day, I didn't quite close the kitchen door properly and as I slammed the patio door shut ... Chester appeared from nowhere and took a run for the garden! I shut poor Chesters tail in the door and almost chopped the end off. He had to have an operation and had about 3 inches taken off, so his tail is quite noticeably smaller than a regular tail. 
As for losing the collar .. I did consider this, but as someone had put a collar of their own on him, then when we replaced it with another of ours, that disappeared too, I think it's someone taking them off!

Also .. I know this can be the case with dogs, but I'm not sure about cats .. I fell pregnant in May and it probably wasn't long after that he started becoming nasty towards us. I'm just trying to cover all bases. Although that doesn't solve the fact that him being fed elsewhere isn't helping!


----------



## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Pregnancy hormones do affect cats. Some get more cuddly and protective, but some don't like the hormonal changes in their slaves.
Were you pregnant as well during his previous disappearing spell, in the old house?? If that is the case, it may well be the reason he doesn't like your house right now...


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

No, this is my first pregnancy. But when he was going elsewhere before, he didn't turn nasty like this. He just stayed away. When they stopped feeding him, he kept returning to their house, but the lady told me that she gave him a fuss and sent him away. We then started getting phone calls from them, saying that he was being a pest and getting nasty with their own cats. 
I really have no answers. 
He used to be such a lovely boy, never keen on too long of a fuss, but let us know when he wanted kitty cuddles! Now he's like a demon cat!


----------



## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

n_v_g11 said:


> ...
> He used to be such a lovely boy, never keen on too long of a fuss, but let us know when he wanted
> kitty cuddles!
> 
> Now *he's like a demon cat!*


2 suggestions -

A, take "the demon cat" to the vet, & check that the microchip [if there is one] is the same as that
U had inserted into YOUR cat, just to confirm who's who.  Match the numbers.

B - put a ribbon-bow on his collar, with a gift-tag.
Deed the "demon" to the family who wants him [theoretically] & whom he wants [theoretically]
more than he wants a life with U. :thumbup1: Give him up; it seems he's happy, presumably they're
happy to have him.

It's better than being snarled at & bitten or scratched by an unhappy, defensive, cranky cat -
who rarely comes round to visit, & isn't happy to see U when he does. ::Shrug::
.
.


----------



## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

After we had Bob for a while he began going missing for several hours at a time, previously he would be back often for a snack and then out again but never for long.

He started coming back with the tag missing from his collar, replaced it, it went again, then the collars went. I kept a look out and found out which direction he came back from when he returned.

Eventually due to demolition of some farm buildings to make way for a house we decided it would be safer to keep him in, endless trucks, lorries, vans to get underneath or into, stuff being stolen from the site and his tendency to get hurt, so built him an outdoor run and that was that.

The people that had been trying to take him in proceeded to get their own cat, and it looked like him.

If you can reclaim your boy you may have to do something drastic if you want to keep him, maybe build him a run, cat proof your garden and make sure he doesn't get out.

Where I used to live the neighbours had a big cuddly BSH and he would force his way into the houses, he was a devil to get out and would bash on the door to get back in. I saw someone else carrying him out of their house one day. He eventually turned up wearing a disc that read 'Don't take me in, I have a home'. He would just choose a house with someone home and walk in, find a place to sleep and that was it. He didn't take kindly to being put out until he was ready to go home.

Some cats just want company, maybe yours is like that too.


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

He used to live in a cat run in my old house, not long after he first came to us. I used to have a Persian who I couldn't let out to roam, but was desperate for company, so Chester was just that! He hated being cooped up. Every opportunity he got, he escaped. He would wait at the door when I went to feed them, then press his way through.
He's a fully outdoor cat!
He doesn't like to be indoors for a lengthy time. But at least before he was being fed elsewhere, he would enjoy our company!! And he wasn't the _demon cat_ I described him as.

If this person is willing to take him on, then so be it!! But they can't just pick and choose when they want to take on and feed a cat, that is clearly someone elses! He had a bright red collar on for goodness sake, that clearly said "I AM CHIPPED" and when they changed it and we put another of our own on, they should've realised that what they are doing is wrong.
If he chose to go to them, then fine! But they have to put food down for him to start with!
We have a fat black and white cat come running to us when we pull up to the house, she has a lovely nature, but I don't take her in ... I can see she is well fed and she has a collar on! It's just something you don't do and to change his collar is wrong! TWICE!!
It's a concern to think he is overweight and this person does not know when his booster jabs are ... they are coming up in the new year. As we don't see Chester very often, it is difficult to book him vet appointments, unless we book the same day, which can often prove tricky. Therefore when his boosters are due, we may not see him for a couple of weeks, resulting in him missing out and not being vaccinated. Then him having to have a full set of jabs, costing us more!! This is why I get so angry!! These people have got no consideration when it comes to being a responsible pet owner. They just want the fun of a cat.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It sounds like you do need to proceed a.s.a.p. with the plan to find out who is feeding him and taking him in. Then you can discuss with the person the option of adopting him officially from you, if you decide that is the most sensible solution for the cat.

As you say, the person given that option may not want the full responsibility, but at least you will know then how things stand. Without moving things forward you have little hope of resolving the problem.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

n_v_g11 said:


> <snip>
> As for losing the collar .. I did consider this, but as someone had put a collar of their own on him, then when we replaced it with another of ours
> <snip>


Did you put a contact number on your collar? I'm guessing there wasn't one on the other collar.


----------



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Hello. Firstly Welcome to the forum. 

I am sorry to hear about what is happening, must be very unsettling for you.

The fact that the collar is being changed sounds like it would be classed as theft to me, as it is clear he already has an owner. As others have said the best option would be to cat proof the garden, plus I would suggest getting him checked at the vets to see if something physical could be causing the 'demon cat' problem, however it could be due to your pregnancy (congratulations by the way!) and will hopefully stop once the baby is here. 
Maybe you could buy feliway to try and help calm him down.

I hope this gets sorted.


----------



## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I agree with this, one of my cats escaped years ago, and vi put notices up saying needs medication, i had an idea where sge was, and within a very short time she was back, people wont want the expense of an ill cat,might work
You could even attach a note saying whoever is feeding this cat,pleae know he needs medication, [not naming any] i am not giving it anymore as he seems to have a new owner now responsible for any vet fees


----------



## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

you could try investing in a gps tracker for your cat

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=cat+gps+tracker

When you find out who's been trying to steal him, pay them a visit and kick the **** out of them.


----------



## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

jaycee05 said:


> I agree with this, one of my cats escaped years ago, and vi put notices up saying needs medication, i had an idea where sge was, and within a very short time she was back, people wont want the expense of an ill cat,might work
> *You could even attach a note saying whoever is feeding this cat,pleae know he needs medication, [not naming any] i am not giving it anymore as he seems to have a new owner now responsible for any vet fees*


I wouldn't put the bit in bold as it might cause the opposite effect, the person he is going to might decide 'oh that's OK then, he is mine' or they might be angry that he isn't getting his medication and keep him with the idea that he'll have a better home with them.


----------



## n_v_g11 (Apr 3, 2008)

The Feliway idea is a good idea. We have some on its way that we have ordered.
He didn't have a tag on his collar. I was in two minds whether to have one engraved, in hope that it would make them think twice, but in fear that it will just be taken off again. But like I said before, anything is worth a try!!
My hubby wants to buy a tracker collar. The cat wears the collar and you have a device that lights up when you are near the cat! Sounds like a brill idea ... for £60 something :blink:
So I think that would be a last resort for us lol!

Although ... I think I have sussed the house he is going to! I was in my bedroom and by chance I glanced out of the window and spotted Chester sitting on a wall over the road (I've seen him sitting there a few times). 
A car came around the corner and pulled up outside the house that the wall is outside of. Chester jumped down, hung around a bit then went up to the door with the man. I could see he hadn't let him in, because I could just about see Chesters tail waving around. Then when the man came back out again (I think it was just a visitor) Chester had disappeared.
I got my shoes on and walked down the road, calling him and clicking my fingers, because for a cat that doesn't seem to like us, he will come over if we call him. Chester was nowhere to be seen!! I looked under cars, looked around the area I saw him and he had gone!
My guess is that when the man left, Chester ran into the house!
I was tempted to knock on the door, but in my current condition, I'd rather not stress myself out with an argument.
My hubby is more level headed than me and will be able to handle the discussion better.

So hopefully, we have our culprit! And if it is them, lets hope they listen to us! And if not, we'll discuss them taking him from us, but with the hope that they look after him as well as we have!!


----------



## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

n_v_g11 said:


> But like I said before, anything is worth a try!!
> My hubby wants to buy a tracker collar. The cat wears the collar and you have a device that lights up when you are near the cat! Sounds like a brill idea ... for £60 something :blink:


you can get them for half that price


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Well done OP - your detective work has paid off and at last by the sounds of it you may have the culprit! :thumbsup: Bear in mind there may be more than one house your cat visits though. Some cats have been known to have up to 3 different alternative homes, plus their original one!

Hopefully your OH can speak to the neighbour and get to the bottom of what's been going on. I recommend a conservative approach though until you are certain of the facts.


----------

