I just found this site and it is amazing. The amount of advice and help is remarkable.
Two months ago my son and I found two stray kitties. One was about a year and a half and the other was approximately 4 months old according to my vet.
I took the kitten in as the older cat did not want to be indoors at all, though I still fed her outside, as most others in my complex did too.
I tried to find their owners. I placed flyers in local grocery stores (small town, only 2 grocery stores), posted on fb cat rescue pages, contacted animal control and reported the lost cats.
For two months I heard nothing. I called AC a couple times a week to see if anyone had called about the missing kitties and no one did.
Three weeks ago I moved out of the complex to a different, larger city in Florida and I took the kitten with me. Everyone else caring for the outside kitty said they'd continue to do so as she became the community kitty. No one wanted her taken to AC as its a very high kill AC.
After moving I got the kitten fixed, dewormed and immunized as I decided to keep her. My 3 other kitties love her, she loves them and she loves my son and I as we love her.
I've been in my new place for 3 weeks and tonight I get a text from my ex neighbor, saying she found the two cats owner and that I had better call the woman and give her back her kitten. She stated the owner lives in the complex I just moved from, but when I received a text from this so called owner, the address she gave me to her house is 6-7 miles from where I found the kitten. Both stories were conflicting.
My ex neighbor is a heavy drug addict and will do anything for money.
I looked up the woman claiming to be the owner and what I found floored me.
In Aug 2016 this lady and her husband were arrested on 3 felony counts of animal cruelty and 2 counts of animal abuse. Per the news article this couple had been caught conducting dog fights, using small animals as bait and cockfighting. Per the judge in the case, neither are allowed to have pets or any animal in their care.
My ex neighbor unfortunately handed the outside cat over to this lady today, without having proof that she's the owner.
The lady claiming to be the owner got my number from my ex neighbor and texted me saying she's been frantically looking for her cats and that I'd better bring the cat to her house and give her back.
When I responded I asked only 3 questions....1 how old is the cat she lost...2 what breed is the cat she lost and 3 is the cat she lost male or female??
The Lady never texted back with answers to my questions. The only text I received was another from my ex neighbor saying if I do not give that lady her cat back then they are prepared to call me in for animal cruelty.
I'm still trying to figure that one out.
My question is, I did EVERYTHING to locate the owners to the kitten for 2 months with no avail. I want to keep the kitten as she's become a special member of mine and my sons little family.
Can this lady do anything legally to me to get this kitten back? What can I do legally to keep the kitten?
I haven't told my son because I know it will worry him, he's autistic and has bad anxiety. And he's become very attached.
I've since blocked my ex neighbor again (blocked her weeks ago but she used a different number tonight).
I just know that in my heart even if the kitten was hers, she's not safe with these people. And the lady isn't able to provid me with any proof that the kitten is hers.
I love this kitten so much and want her to be safe and loved.
Two months ago my son and I found two stray kitties. One was about a year and a half and the other was approximately 4 months old according to my vet.
I took the kitten in as the older cat did not want to be indoors at all, though I still fed her outside, as most others in my complex did too.
I tried to find their owners. I placed flyers in local grocery stores (small town, only 2 grocery stores), posted on fb cat rescue pages, contacted animal control and reported the lost cats.
For two months I heard nothing. I called AC a couple times a week to see if anyone had called about the missing kitties and no one did.
Three weeks ago I moved out of the complex to a different, larger city in Florida and I took the kitten with me. Everyone else caring for the outside kitty said they'd continue to do so as she became the community kitty. No one wanted her taken to AC as its a very high kill AC.
After moving I got the kitten fixed, dewormed and immunized as I decided to keep her. My 3 other kitties love her, she loves them and she loves my son and I as we love her.
I've been in my new place for 3 weeks and tonight I get a text from my ex neighbor, saying she found the two cats owner and that I had better call the woman and give her back her kitten. She stated the owner lives in the complex I just moved from, but when I received a text from this so called owner, the address she gave me to her house is 6-7 miles from where I found the kitten. Both stories were conflicting.
My ex neighbor is a heavy drug addict and will do anything for money.
I looked up the woman claiming to be the owner and what I found floored me.
In Aug 2016 this lady and her husband were arrested on 3 felony counts of animal cruelty and 2 counts of animal abuse. Per the news article this couple had been caught conducting dog fights, using small animals as bait and cockfighting. Per the judge in the case, neither are allowed to have pets or any animal in their care.
My ex neighbor unfortunately handed the outside cat over to this lady today, without having proof that she's the owner.
The lady claiming to be the owner got my number from my ex neighbor and texted me saying she's been frantically looking for her cats and that I'd better bring the cat to her house and give her back.
When I responded I asked only 3 questions....1 how old is the cat she lost...2 what breed is the cat she lost and 3 is the cat she lost male or female??
The Lady never texted back with answers to my questions. The only text I received was another from my ex neighbor saying if I do not give that lady her cat back then they are prepared to call me in for animal cruelty.
I'm still trying to figure that one out.
My question is, I did EVERYTHING to locate the owners to the kitten for 2 months with no avail. I want to keep the kitten as she's become a special member of mine and my sons little family.
Can this lady do anything legally to me to get this kitten back? What can I do legally to keep the kitten?
I haven't told my son because I know it will worry him, he's autistic and has bad anxiety. And he's become very attached.
I've since blocked my ex neighbor again (blocked her weeks ago but she used a different number tonight).
I just know that in my heart even if the kitten was hers, she's not safe with these people. And the lady isn't able to provid me with any proof that the kitten is hers.
I love this kitten so much and want her to be safe and loved.
