I'm suffering because of my cats.

[mooky]

[IMG]http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/Mooky_011/hemmyshome035.jpg[/IMG]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorri I just want to sound off about my situation with my cats. I ADORE my cats. It seems the older two don't love me. One is living under a nearby bridge and comes home once a day for food. The other Harry. I am very sad about. I also know I am being very possesive. A few of weeks ago he stopped coming home and has only popped in twice.I know where abouts he is so yesterday called him. He appeared in a garden of neighbours 1/2 mile away. I could see him and he could hear me, but a young teenage boy was preventing him from coming. I went into the garden to see the boy and tell him it's my cat, and his name is Harry.

Mother came out and said it's not your cat but ours now. I told her it was mine and gave her information on him, and that he was microchipped to my address. Harry bless him kept rubbing himself around the boys legs with tail up in the air. It was obvious he didn't want to come with me. So I told her where I lived, also that he had a vets appointment next weeks for his jabs. I just hope he will come back I love him so much. I do realise that because I love him I don't want to make him unhappy if he wants to be elsewhere.

I feel bereft. I have just been in the field nearbye and called him. He came out of a barn on hearing his call. Madame came out of the house and took him inside. My little siamese is sleeping in his bed because she misses him so.

Thanks for listening. I feel selfish being possesive, but I rescued the older two at five weeks old and they are so much my family.

 

 

[Frenchie]

Oh, this is very sad. Of course you love your cats, I understand !!

Some cats just have an independent temperament, and don't want to stay in the house, which does not mean they don't love you.

My parents have a cat who'sz like that, he almost comes home just for food  , but they really love him!

If the cat is yours, you can have him back.  Try and talk calmly to the woman, tell her; and prove , that the cat is yours, that you love him , that he is missed, even though hez is independent .

How long has he been away ? I mean, how long has he lived with this family?

Maybe the boy can visit  if they don't live far, to see the cat.

Don't get so stressed, there is certtainly a solution to this problem.

[Joy1]

Sorry to hear this Mookey, I know exactly how you feel! My beautiful ginger cat decided to leave home and live with a family one street away! I brought him home several times ( they didn't really want him) but each time I let him out he went back to his other home! The people had been feeding him because they thought he was a stray! We had had him from a small kitten and loved him for 5 years! In the end I took him to live 200miles away with my parents, where he remained until he died last year at 12 years old. He continued to prefer to sleep outside come rain or snow even when he was dying of kidney failure, keeping him locked inside just made him unhappy. We have no idea why he behaved this way, all I can say is cats will be cats! ( He was neutered by the way, so wasn't looking for a girlfriend!) I now have two female cats (here in France) and they seem to prefer their home comforts! Joy

[mooky]

In my hearts of hearts I can't just bring him home if he wants to stay somewhere else, and that is because I love him.

I just wish she wouldn't feed him. I need to get him for his annual jab. He's neutered, chipped, jabbed, everything.

What hurt was they had another name for him, so I told the boy his name. I said he is called Harry after Harry Potter, and his sister Hermione has left home as well, because she is sad. Hemmy popped in earlier for some food, and then went back to her yard.

The one thing I don't want is for him to be kept against his will.

[Catalpa]

Mooky, Harry is your cat and you can repossess him at any time if you choose to. I would definitely get him before he's due his jabs because if he changes his mind later and comes back to you, then his rabies etc will be out of date. I'd definitely put the need for him to have his jabs ahead of anything else. You could make this point to "the other woman" and if they do care about the cat they'll be happy for him to have his jabs and particularly for you to meet the cost.

Then - as I see it - you have two options. Let Harry make up his mind where he wants to live or you force the issue with him and keep him in for a few weeks. Yes, that will cause you some inconvenience providing litter trays and keeping windows and doors closed, but feed him lots, give him lots of attention and after 2 or 3 weeks, see what happens. If he goes back to the other house, well, as someone said, cats are independent and make their own decisions so there's probably not much you can do about it, particularly if the other people persist in feeding Harry. Still - if that's where he wants to be, it's better than him hanging out there and not being fed.

The other thing is, has anything happened in your household recently to make Harry and Hermione feel like moving elsewhere? A new dog? A visiting tomcat? A change in the household atmosphere - more tension perhaps?

Remember, Harry is your cat and certainly if I were in your situation I'd reclaim the cat asap - via the Gendarmes by showing his paperwork etc if necessary - and then try and keep him in for a few weeks and break his habit of going to the other house.

Good luck.

[mint]

Mooky, how very sad for you.  I do understand completely your misery.

I had a cat who chose to come and live with me even though his own house was just a few doors away down the street.  Why did he choose me as I'd had nothing to do with cats at that time?  Who can fathom out a cat's thoughts?

Once I realised he had a real owner, I went to see the woman and I pledged not to let the cat in and not to feed him.  I felt terrible when I found out that Timmy (as I called "my" cat) actually had his own cat mother in this other house and went under the name of Smudge.  I'd grown to love him but I wasn't going to keep him from his real owner.

As luck would have it, the woman said I could "hang on to him" if I wanted to as she had this other cat, the cat mother of Timmy.  I couldn't believe my ears, she was so calm and off-hand about it.

To cut a long story short, Timmy lived to 18 over 5 different house moves in our family and eventually was put to sleep with kidney failure.

Another cat also came to live with me but he, as far as I could establish, was a stray.  And Thomas lived to 22 years old and was put to sleep when his lymphoma couldn't be cured and he was declining fast.

Why I tell you this is, although you are devastated, think how Harry might get to live to a good old age and be very happy in his adopted home.  And you'd still be able to see him and I am sure he'd always know you.

As for his sister, it could be a sibling thing; you know, my brother's left, so I will as well.

None of this is any consolation to you, I realise, but I just want you to know I sympathise with you completely and, should the eventual result not be in your favour, I'd be so, so sorry and I'd not even be able to post at that time. 

[ali-cat]

I agree completely with Catalpa's reply that Harry is your cat & you have every right to bring him home.  Take photo's of him to the "other family" to show that he is yours & if that fails return with all his paperwork & the Gendarmes, if necessary.  Without wanting to sound too blunt - they have literally stolen him.

Harry is probably being well looked after - but may be locked in at night & hasn't got the oppertunity to return to you.  Keep him indoors, if possible, for a few weeks & let him re-adjust to his home & familar surroundings, again.

Please let us know how things go & good luck.

[mooky]

I popped into the vets just, and burst out crying and said I want my cat back, he agreed that Harry is chipped, neutered, and innoculated. He also said it is your cat you have paid 376 in vets fees to prove it. I have just been around, but gates are now locked. Harry also  has quite specialised food because of an allergy. I don't want them feeding him. I need to get him to the vets for his jabs. I have decided to fight for him. I think they are locking him in so he can't come home.

My french is so bad I can't communicate this to them easily. Please, could anyone help me write a letter explaining this. I can get a replacement kitten for them if they wish. I love my boy and have had him from bottle feeding him. They can't have him;   

Please can anyone help me write a letter to them please.

[TWINKLE]

mooky!

Can you find your neighbours phone number in the telephone directory?  If you can then send it to me via a PM and I will call them and explain your story to them.  Don't worry I will be polite and won't cause you any problems with them.  I can be very persuasive.

[Richard T]

I can send the boys round if you like.

Richard T [:)]

[valB]

Richard

That is my ex army son's answer to every problem we have ever had. I have never taken him up on it though. Fight for your cat and as you pointed out..plenty of kittens needing homes.

[mint]

Right, Mooky, let Twinkle help you.

Do your utmost.  Don't want to sound a note of doom but, if Harry wants to stay with them, it's going to be difficult.

Cats cannot be "owned", they go where they want.  My son, 6 years at the time, found some "law" about this and told me all about it!

But, good luck, I hope and hope that you get him back!

[Frenchie]

Where are you in Dpt 79 ? I live in the same dept, I can make a phone call too, or write a letter, or even come round to help you get the poor little chap .

 Cheer up, we 're with you!

And you ll soon get ur cat back.

[mooky]

Hello folks, you are all so kind. I have emailed Twinkle.

[TWINKLE]

I can't get e-mails mooky. 

I changed e-mail address a while ago and the Living France software doesn't accept my new address.  You have to PM me.  Just press the PM box at the bottom of the screen - fill in a title in the subject box and write your message in the big box.

[Callie]

Poor Mooky, what cruel and thoughtless neighbours you have. Why don't they get their own cat - one of hundreds that are given away every day.

Fight for Harry - they are trying to walk all over you. It really is extraordinary behaviour. You have lots of support from people here. If your neighbour refuses to return your cat in front of a witness (preferably French speaking), then you have what you need to go to the Gendarmerie. You might find that a threat will be enough to get Harrt back.

Bear in mind about cats is that they have a God given right tyo change their minds about anything, whether it's where they sleep or what they eat. The other thing is that perhaps Harry doesn't want to share his home with other cats. That can happen - I heard a cat resuc woman say "Not all cats like a multi-cat household" !

So go for it, Mookie, and I hope you and Twinkle sort thatawful person out !

[mooky]

I hope I have just sent you an PM

[AnOther]

What a horrible distressing dilemma for you. Sadly it's true that cats have no masters and we ourselves experienced a similar situation a few years ago.

We brought 2 more cats, or rather twin kittens, into the house which one of the existing incumbents seemed to take umbridge to and disappeared. We searched for her with no success and eventually had to give up. Some 2 or 3 years later however she just turned up and it was obvious that she was being well cared for by someone. She walked in like she owned the place and had never been away, had a good wander around including an exchange of hisses with the now grown up kittens, then left never to be seen again !

We've been very lucky over the years during which we've had up to 9 cats at a time in that this was the only one we ever lost like this.

[mooky]

[IMG]http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/Mooky_011/newpictures012.jpg[/IMG]

I thought you might like to see my favourite picture of Harry. He had climbed into a cupboard, and got his head stuck in a lampshade. He was complaining badly. I thought he looked so cute. He was only a kitten . Tinkerbell did you get my PM

[TWINKLE]

I did get your PM and have replied.  I shall see if I can do something to get back your lovely Harry tomorrow.  If not I'm sure Frenchies kind offer of going around to your neighbour to explain in person is a good plan B.

Fingers crossed everyone[:)] 

 

[TWINKLE]

Could a lovely kind mod turn Harry the right way up please?[kiss]

[AnOther]

Not sure mods can do this but here you go [;-)]

[IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p123/biskitboyo/harry.jpg[/IMG]

[ali-cat]

What a fantastic photo!! ..... & what a fantastic response you are getting from everyone on here, including all the offers of help!! I wish I could do more than just keeping my fingers crossed for you – I do live pretty close to Dept 79 & although I don't speak great French I am rather big & can be very threatening looking if necessary (just ask my hubby!!) so let me know if I can be of any assistance!! [:)]  Things will work out, I know they will.

[anniefromwales]

Mooky, I love cats too - but one of the things I love about them is that unlike dogs they are independent, they think their own private cat-thoughts and, insofaras they can, make their own cat-decisions. This does sometimes extend to leaving home and deciding where to live next. Maybe Harry wants to live with that little boy, maybe he likes their garden better than yours, who knows, but I'm sure it hasn't entered his feline mind that he owes you anything. (They are never properly grateful for all the money we spend on them at the vets, are they!) I realise that I am rather at odds with everyone else in saying this, but if he has a good home, couldn't you at least consider letting him stay there - and go get yourself another cat or even cats. It seems such a shame for two families to be fighting over one cat when there are so many lovely cats and kittens in need of good homes. I'm sure Harry is a very very special cat ... but they're all special, in their own way, when you get to know and love them, and they all deserve a chance.

[Richard T]

[quote user="anniefromwales"]I realise that I am rather at odds with everyone else in saying this, but if he has a good home, couldn't you at least consider letting him stay there - and go get yourself another cat or even cats.[/quote]

From what we've read on this thread there is no evidence that the cat has gone to a "good home". Indeed the woman seems to be deliberately not co-operating with Mooky by actively preventing the cat from leaving her house and by enticing it further through feeding.

Whether or not cats can truly be owned is debatable but legally they can. This incident is one of theft and should be dealt with accordingly.

Richard T