Should KittyPaws, the Himmy adopted out by mistake, be returned?

OMG - talk about a nightmare!!
I vote for returning to the original owners... I would be devastated if this happened to one of my kitties... I think the shelter needs to stand up to rectify this mistake - they first failed to check the lost book, and when they did check it afterwords, they didn't connect a himmy to a Persian? A himmy IS a persian!!
I feel bad for this poor couple, it is really clear that they deeply love this kitty...

I can sort of see both sides, but if it were me I'd return the cat.

You know, if my cat went missing, I would be calling animal services regularly with a full description and checking almost daily to see if anything remotely similar had been turned in. I think its 100% up to the new owners to return the cat, and that it means nothing negative about them if they choose not to. Here is their position: decided on adopting an animal from the shelter, went there and chose one. Adopted a new member to the family that they bonded with and fell in love with. Some time later (when is not clear by the story) it was "found out" to be someone else's cat "once upon a time", and all of a sudden now - long after the original family lost their pet, they are being harassed (and numerous phone calls and a home visit constitutes harassment imo) to return what they consider a loving member of their family. I dont think I would return the pet: imo, the original owners were irresponsible pet owners, who lost their pet for significant time. Loving the pet is not enough, and saying the original owners love trumps the new owners love is ridiculous. Maybe if the mistake were caught within a couple days of the adoption, I would CONSIDER the return pending SERIOUS evidence that the original owners were going to take proper care of their animal (eg microchipping, something to try to ensure it does not "escape" and take off, trying harder to find it on their own (before it was adopted out --neighbour found it a month later in the area???!?)). If any amount of time had passed to have my new kitty settle in - not a chance Id send it back, and no financial bribe would change my mind.

I would have to think long and hard about returning a cat I had adopted in good faith from a shelter after more than about 2 days.

At our shelter, we take lost reports over the phone, but we tell the people to come in and bring us a photo and we also take them through the cats that have been brought in to make sure it's not there - and were only a small shelter and generally know the cats we have.

As an owner, if any of my cats went missing, I would be giving photos to every vet and shelter nearby as well as checking with the shelters regularly. I'd love to know how long it was between them losing the cat, and it going up for adoption.

But then, if I adopted a cat and it was proven to be someone else's, I would give it back to them if I was fairly compensated. $650 is fair. A new kitten is fair. $650 AND a new kitten is more than fair!

If I'm reading it correctly, someone reported him as a lost Persian....the lost pets book was not checked, then it was checked and there was no lost persian listed.

IMHO: The mistakes started with whoever reported him lost, reported him as the wrong breed. The pound did not follow protocol, but when they did, there was no breed matches to the "postered" cat, and the woman did not have the poster with her so no visual confirmation could be made. The cat was at the shelter for 10 days.

Where were the cat's owners???? Obviously not checking the shelter otherwise this situation would not happened.

Does it say how much time passed between the cat being adopted and the new owners finding out it belonged to someone else? I couldn't find that info.

As pet owners we all know how attached we can become to our animals, in such a short period of time.

I have to agree with Februa's post/opinion. I would have a hard time giving up a pet that I adopted from a shelter.... out of many pets there, I picked that specific one, the bond was made. No amount of $ can buy that bond, nor can a "replacement".

If I were to throw blame at someone, it would be at the person who reported him as a missing Persian. Although Himmies and Persians are the same in type, they are different in eye colour and point coloration. Even if the pound had checked the book, it wouldn't change the outcome of them connecting the missing cat with the cat they had labled as a Persian.

If the cat (supposedly a pampered, loved pet) had had some ID, microchip and had been reported properly, none of this would have happened

Its a crappy situation all around.

The article says the cat escaped on Feb 16, and was at the shelter for March 8 to 18th.

But it doesn't say how long between the cat being adopted to realising it was the missing cat.

If the shelter held the kitty the legal timeframe waiting for owners to claim it - I don't see them at fault.

We've had stray dogs who after the 5 business days aren't claimed who get adopted on within a few days of becoming "available" (after the 5 day hold) that an owner will show up a few days after they are placed. Legally the owner has no right to get the dog back. As after 5 days, the dog is "property" (yes that's how it's written) of the shelter.

Another one of my pet hates (like DMH ) Pointed Persians being called Himalayans/Himmies - they are the same breed, IMO and here in NZ they are called just that - Persians with different fur colour. I don't like the term Himalayan. Can you tell?

LOL.....Yah but Sam, you know things are slightly weird on opposite ends of the big pond.

Agree with you Sam... On CFA for example, Himalayan is a color of Persians... If this cat was registered on CFA, it is registered as a Persian cat, and it might explain the owners description. Furthermore, IMO, if you work in a shelter, and Persians are the most popular breed in the country, you should know that.

You're assuming the shelter staff know their cat breeds How often are tabbies reported as Bengals? DLH's marked as Persians? Pointed DSHs as Siamese?

I think that is different though... They list DLH as Persians, and the other above examples as well, to make the kitties more enticing for adoption... It is unfortunate, but a lot of people will prefer a breed cat than a moggy...
And.... as far as the long hair cats being listed as Persians, one more reason to list this kitty as one...

This whole situation is unfortunate... I will be micro shipping my kitties pretty soon, I guess...

Just one reason why my cats are all 'chipped.

I think the original owners should get their cat back, and the replacement offer they made was more than fair.

I'm surprised they listed him as a Himmie, as said above 'all' long hairs are Persians. If the shelter knew enough to say Himmie, they should also know it's the same as a Persian.

I'm in the same boat! IMO they are the same breed (propably 'cause in Fifé they are the same breed and that's the association I'm most familiar with..).

I would return the cat to the original owner. They must feel horrible! This is a good reminder why people should get their kitties chipped.

This story breaks my heart on all fronts. I can't really choose between the previous owners, who obviously love and miss their pet, and the new family, who presumably have bonded with their new pet.

I do, however, think it would be great of the new owners to be a little more understanding and at least work with the city and the previous owners. Perhaps they felt threatened that they were going to be forced to give their cat back, but there are compromises that can be reached.

The article doesn't really state whether the Van Nuys have shown that they have bonded with the cat, or that the cat is even still in their possession. It doesn't say whether the Roaches have been able to see the cat to confirm that it is indeed KittyPants or to see how the cat is currently living.

Whatever the situation, and however it is resolved, I hope that the cat ends up in a good home and endures as little stress as possible!

I find that rather harsh. In our county, anybody adopting a shelter pet has to sign a document accepting that the pet doesn't become their legal "property" for six months, meaning if the previous owner can prove possession and that the animal wasn't abandoned (a timely report to the local police and/or shelter of the loss suffices), the pet has to be returned. This also permits the shelter to "repossess" the pet if they're not satisfied with its new living conditions.

The new owners can have the case reviewed by a court, but the original owners generally have the law on their side. I say "generally", because exceptions are made. We once took in a cat who had been left to her own devices when her owners went on vacation. On their return, they demanded her return (I'd distributed "found" flyers throughout the neighborhood, so it was easy enough for them to find us). We refused, and the matter went to court. We had witnesses to her temporary abandonment, and were granted permanent custody.

Interestingly enough, there's also a law here stating that anyone who has fed and/or "vetted" a stray animal for six weeks or more is considered its legal owner.

If I had adopted the cat, I would give him back to the original owners, minus the adoption fee. But that's just me. I am sorry for the original owners, who obviously care very much, but I don't think the new owners should be forced to give him back. They may have a child who has become attached to this cat. Ultimately, I think it should be their choice.

This is exactly what I think, too.

I think the new owners really should give the cat back, even if not microchipped/ID'd. NONE of my cats are microchipped and won't be - I don't believe in it.

But if the breeder can identify the cat with pictures and call the cat's name with response, the new owners should hand the cat over. The only thing is the cat IS spayed, so they can't breed this cat.

This is why you should take lots of pictures of your cat from every angle (front, back, side views). I can tell my cats right away by their markings/patterns.

A beautiful gray long-haired stray cat found us several years ago. He came right up to the kids - actually ran TO my then three-year-old son. My husband tried to feed him on the neighbor's porch - didn't work, he ran right back to us.

I put an ad in the paper, called Humane Society, called vets, but no one claimed him, so we adopted him. I bonded with him so quickly - and I fell hard - I remember thinking how horrible it would be if someone actually came out of nowhere and claimed him. I think I would have returned him, but it would have been very difficult. He arrived at an extremely difficult time in my life: I often wonder if Gray Gray was an angel in disguise, to help me through my turmoil.

I feel for ALL of these people. This is so sad.