I Need Help!

[Jonathan Randall]

As some of you know, I took in a cat my neighbor abandoned when she moved about 6-8 months ago. Before that, I had been feeding him and sheltering him in my apartment during storms. Now, she wants him back. What legal ground, if any, does she have? Morally, I give her none. If I thought she would provide a good home for him, I'd give him to her in a heartbeat as I never intended upon taking on a cat. Howeverr; if I did give him back to her, it would put him in a bad situation, IMO. Thoughts? What should I do? Thanks in advance.

 

[BrandiJo]

id say after 6 months the cat is yours, and if she really fights it she abonded it you found it as a stray and took it in the cat shoudl be yours after that amount of time...but i dont know about legaily
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[Kacey]

If she was not taking care of the cat properly before she moved (and it sounds like she wasn't) and left it behind when she moved, I would not want to give it to her. However, from a legal standpoint - does she have any proof of ownership? Proof of vet care? Do you have any proof of these items? If you do, and they are more recent than hers (especially if someone local can vouch for how you acquired this cat - maybe the vet's office?) and support that you took the cat in after she abandoned him, I think you're fine legally. I would suggest calling either the vet's office or a local shelter for advice, as I suspect this happens more often than most people realize.

Good luck, and kudos for being so concerned about the cat - past, present, and future!

 

[Rich Parsons]

As some of you know, I took in a cat my neighbor abandoned when she moved about 6-8 months ago. Before that, I had been feeding him and sheltering him in my apartment during storms. Now, she wants him back. What legal ground, if any, does she have? Morally, I give her none. If I thought she would provide a good home for him, I'd give him to her in a heartbeat as I never intended upon taking on a cat. Howeverr; if I did give him back to her, it would put him in a bad situation, IMO. Thoughts? What should I do? Thanks in advance.

Tell the neighbor that if they wish to take it to court, you will press charges for cruelty to an animal and also bring a suit against them for the complete cost of the pet care and all legal expenses.

If the person walked away from the cat before, they most likely will walk away again, in particular if you make it difficult for them.

****

People who abandon children and animals have special place where I wish them to go.

 

[tshadowchaser]

keep the cat
I agree that if they abandoned the cat once they might do it again
If they want a cat people are always giving them away or they can go to a sheltor and buy one

 

[shesulsa]

I would report them to the local humane society, write up a statement about what happened with the cat, take it to the humane society. If you do this and show proof of veterinary care, and get the cat micro-chipped they should let you keep the cat and prevent these goons from adopting an animal from their shelter.

 

[evenflow1121]

Legal ground would be hard to give, but I dont think it is that difficult an issue, after all your neighbor abandoned the cat and you took it in, fed it, kept it well for 6 months. What more would you need?

 

[Bigshadow]

What is that old saying "Posession is 9/10s of the law"? It may be just a difficult to prove the cat is hers (considering the cat is in your care) than it is to prove it is NOT yours. I would tell her that she is lucky you didn't turn her in for animal cruelty and to beat it.

Barring vetinary documentation or previous micro chipping I doubt she has much to fight with considering the cat is in your care and has been.

 

[Swordlady]

Ditto what everyone else said. I would NOT give the cat back to your neighbor. I think she would be VERY hard-pressed to find any "legal" claim to the cat, and as Rich already pointed out, she could get busted for animal cruelty instead.

I am wondering...why exactly does your neighbor want the cat back, after leaving him six months ago?

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Thanks all for the responses. While I certainly would NOT have given him up without a court order, I also didn't want a big battle either. Per research that I've done, guided by some great responses here, I've found that animal abandonment is a Class C misdemeanor in Sacramento County, California and, right now, there is stepped up enforcement on the cat issue (for a variety of animal rights and public health issues). I can document purchases of cat food going back 18 months, veterinary bills in the hundreds of dollars, and the neighbors upstairs (who are related to this woman, but, unlike her, takes care of HIS cats) say, no, she ABANDONED that cat a long time ago and it's yours.

Why now? I don't know. Perhaps she saw a cute and (now) healthy cat in my window and figured it would be nice to play with - until she got tired of it again.

He's my best buddy now. We've been through so much together. He wasn't even supposed to survive his Kidney infection and UTI and parasite issues. Also, his back leg got torn up in a fight with a racoon last year, which I rescued him from, and she won't help him with that, I'm sure. He did survive, and he's mine.

 

[Cruentus]

Tell the neighbor that if they wish to take it to court, you will press charges for cruelty to an animal and also bring a suit against them for the complete cost of the pet care and all legal expenses.

If the person walked away from the cat before, they most likely will walk away again, in particular if you make it difficult for them.

****

People who abandon children and animals have special place where I wish them to go.

I completely agree with Rich. **** her dude; if she's going to abandon her animal, it ain't hers anymore.

 

[Kensai]

I cannot abide cruelty to animals, be it in the form of neglect, beating or abandoning. I know nothing about US law, much less how it relates in this case, but I have a feeling it won't go that far, and she's just trying to ***** you up. Stick to your guns, draw a line in the sand, and keep your little buddy. Sod her and the donkey she rode in on.

 

[MJS]

Tell the neighbor that if they wish to take it to court, you will press charges for cruelty to an animal and also bring a suit against them for the complete cost of the pet care and all legal expenses.

If the person walked away from the cat before, they most likely will walk away again, in particular if you make it difficult for them.

****

People who abandon children and animals have special place where I wish them to go.

I agree with this 100%

How could someone leave behind a pet for that amount of time, and suddenly they want it back??:idunno: Why? So the next time they move they can leave it behind again?

Mike

 

[terryl965]

As some of you know, I took in a cat my neighbor abandoned when she moved about 6-8 months ago. Before that, I had been feeding him and sheltering him in my apartment during storms. Now, she wants him back. What legal ground, if any, does she have? Morally, I give her none. If I thought she would provide a good home for him, I'd give him to her in a heartbeat as I never intended upon taking on a cat. Howeverr; if I did give him back to her, it would put him in a bad situation, IMO. Thoughts? What should I do? Thanks in advance.

Johnathon keepthe cat it is yours now and if she persue the matter any more ask if she would like to be reported to the SBC for her crimes against animals, with that being said she will leave you alone.
Terry

 

[hemi]

I got my cat in pretty much the same way. My neighbor left a kitten outside and went on vacation for two weeks. They didn’t leave food or water and left it to fend off their three large dogs.

Well long story short I happen to be outside the day after they left town and saw a commotion and went to check it out. It turned out their chow had this kitten in his mouth and was chewing this poor cat up. Well I was able to get the cat out of his mouth and took it to the vet. And at first all was well I took him home and raised him. Then after about a year they decided wow he looks good but we would like him back. And again long story short I told them it was not happing.

Now I have had him for two years and he is my 3rd kid. And I don’t think he ever forgot what I did for him. If I am in the house he in with me where ever I go in the house.