Family with autistic daughter wants to keep found cat; owner calls the cops.
'WIBTA if I refuse to give back my ‘neighbors’ cat?'
So my parents for my birthday got me a kitten. I adored this kitten, he was like my best friend, followed me everywhere I went and always slept on my pillow next to my face.
My mom has this friend that lives two streets over, she and her daughter comes over a lot. The girl has autism, but that’s irrelevant why I don’t like her. Now back to my cat, when the temps are cool at night we open our back doors which leads to a big screened in patio. O’Malley (the cat) loved that room, it was his outdoorsy time to get fresh air.
Late one evening, O’Malley vanished. We were baffled, there were no holes in the screen, nowhere he could have gotten out. Regardless, we spent weeks looking for him. I completely broke down one day, realizing he’s gone forever. I felt like I mourned him.
Fast forward a few months, my dad and I are coming home one evening. We drove past a lost cat sign and both of us freaked. It looked SO much like Thomas O’Malley, just a bit older version of him. My dad wrote the number down, thinking maybe he’d call. Out of curiosity he looks up the number to find out, it’s the friend of my mother that lives two streets over!!
My dad and I decided to go start looking for him again. Nothing, then a few nights later I hear a faint meow coming from the backyard. IT WAS O’MALLEY!
I was so happy I was crying, he was so happy he was vibrating because he was purring so loud. I thought it was a happy ending, I had my best buddy back that I never thought I’d see again. I so missed him, he went right back to sleeping on my pillow with me.
That was until my mother decided to allow the mother cat thief and her demon spawn into our house. Thomas O’Malley saw them and ran off. I went after him, took him in my room and barricaded us in there. An argument pursued, then it stopped.
My mom came to my door and said we have to give him back. NOPE, ain’t no way in hell. I was prepared to find out if Amazon could drone deliver us food to my window before I ever open that door again.
Cat nappers called the cops. My dad produced adoption paperwork with his microchip that is still registered to us. They produced recent pics of O’Malley with vet records. The cop said it’s a civil matter, take it to the courthouse.
They’re claiming O’Malley is the autistic girl’s ESA, and that they found him in the woods. Lies. My mom does not want this escalating to the court and says I need to give O’Malley back. She said I need to consider the girl’s disability and the fact they had O’Malley longer than I did (barely).
Like let’s just ignore the fact THEY STOLE HIM. My dad says it’s my decision and he’ll support me in whatever I decide but then also said behind mother’s back to ‘eff them people.’ I don’t want to give him back, it’s not fair, he is my cat. He doesn’t even like them and plus they named him FooFoo. Like…just no.
Here's what people had to say:
nifty1997777 writes:
If they took the cat to the vet, the vet probably told them the cat was microchipped. At that point, they knew it was someone's cat and probably knew it was your cat. Do not give the cat back!
donttakemycatthanks OP responded:
I asked my dad about that. I was thinking their vet records were fake. He reminded me when we had my dog (he died of old age two years ago) the vet never checked him for a microchip. I guess they only check if the person specifically asks.
idontcare8587 writes:
Info: how long was the cat with you versus them? Are you saying they came to your home and stole the cat?
donttakemycatthanks OP responded:
I got him on my birthday February 7th. He was 8 weeks old. He went missing in July. He came home January 6th.
breathemusic14 writes:
NTA. There are a million free kittens available from all over the place with people trying to find them loving homes. They could have easily gotten a kitten from someone without stealing one. And they can get a new non-stolen kitten now.
donttakemycatthanks OP responded:
My mom actually used this point on me. I was baffled. So I should get another cat. Nooooo like wtf. She can go get another cat. Yeah there’s literally millions of them in the world. Why my cat. I mean I know he’s the best but geez.
NeeliSilverleaf writes:
INFO is there a chance that your mom might have given them the cat in the first place?
donttakemycatthanks OP responded:
I don’t think so but omg if she was I don’t know how I’d ever talk to her again. The night it happened the doors were open and we all were right there in the living room by the doors. We heard a little noise but brushed it off as O’Malley.
I was heading to bed and called him in, usually he comes running but wasn’t there. I mean someone had to of opened the door and took him. He’s very friendly and usually is nice to strangers too. So I’m sure he walked right up to them. Idk if it was the girl or the mother.
True-Part8637 writes:
DO NOT GIVE THEM THE CAT YWNBTA!