Our cat rescue is a year old, and this is a first for us. Has anyone dealt with this type of situation?
We were called by a resident to rescue a cat that had been thrown from a car onto a busy 4-lane state road. She took it in and called us to come get it. We took it to our vet.
The cat is injured, has a mass on his leg that needs a biopsy, he needs surgery, needs to be neutered and vaccinated. We have this all scheduled.
We posted the story of the cat's rescue, and 3 people have claimed it's their cat. We posted additional photos and 2 changed their minds, but one couple claims it is their cat and demanded we return it immediately. The boyfriend has become belligerent and threatened to call the police, take us to court, and post online that we are a shady operation who steals cats. The woman says she just wants us to let her know when the cat has recovered from surgery, so she can see him and determine if it is hers - which we agreed to. We are now only answering texts from her, not the threatening boyfriend.
There are a number of things that don't add up about their story. This couple claims the cat got away from them in July. They said they went to a local vet and said we should check with the vet's office. According to that vet, their cat has not been seen there or vaccinated since 2023. The boyfriend claims they want to breed the cat and that's why he wasn't neutered. The vet said the cat is a mixed breed, although it looks like it's Siamese. They both say it was an inside cat, so it does not need vaccinations, although our state and city laws say that they do. They say they let the cat out in the yard and that's how he got away, which means he was not an inside cat. This couple said they foster for a local shelter, but when we called the shelter, their staff said they do not foster. Our vet says the age doesn't seem to match with what the couple claims is the age of their cat. So, a lot of inconsistencies.
Our vet says the cat's leg injury is an old injury and with the severe limp he has, that cat could not have survived outside since last June. Our vet is going to examine the cat again and look at photos the couple sent to see if it's possible it is the same cat.
We did a check on the couple, and the boyfriend has a list of violent offenses and DWI convictions, so we are a bit concerned with his threatening rhetoric. We are also concerned about the welfare of the cat if they were to take him.
Has anyone else been through something like this? Any advice on how to handle this?
If they take us to court, they have nothing to prove it is their cat. Our city animal control says if you feed a cat for 3 days, it's yours. Is that legally correct?
I'd appreciate your suggestions.
Kate
#LawsandPublicPolicy------------------------------
Kate Schlobohm
Secretary
Hagrid's Hope Cat Rescue
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