Hi everyone. Long winded story, but I really need some advice on how to handle a situation with a cat I just adopted. Any feedback or insight is really appreciated.
My girlfriend and I moved to a new house in a city on a busy street 2 years ago where we met a cat who would often come to visit. We jokingly named him Oscar because he looks like he just came out of a trash can — the fur was matted and full of knots, extremely skinny, his eyes were teary and dripping, and he’s missing part of his tail. I’ve had cats my entire life and he is by far the is the sweetest. Given his friendly nature, we assumed he had a home somewhere nearby and was just coming to say hi.
Fast forward to our first winter (live in New England) and we noticed Oscar would greet us on our back porch in the morning and after work almost daily. Eventually we came to see that he’s been sleeping outside in the snow and cold under our porch or behind our shed under a tarp. We decided to let him in the house where we’d feed him, let him sleep, and eventually let him back outside when he wanted. This relationship continued for months, but part of us still wondered if he had a home out there. We ended up talking to a few of the neighbors who have all noticed the cat around the neighborhood, but didn’t know who he belonged to. One neighbor even said he leaves part of his boat cover open so Oscar can find a dry place to sleep. Eventually he was coming over so often that we got him a bed, collar, cat food, toys, and let him stay for days on end.
My girlfriend and I decided we would move to another place in the city. However this place doesn’t allow animals, so we had decided that my mother would take care of Oscar. She lives 20 miles away on a farm and has a cat and dog already that have acres to roam and a dog/cat door to use at their discretion. She loves animals more than anything and treats them as her children, so I knew he’d be in great hands and an environment where he can spend his days outside and inside.
A week before leaving I decided to tie a note to Oscars collar that said “he has a home with us... but if he has another home out there, please call me at xxx-xxxx”. The next day both the collar and the note were gone. I didn’t receive any calls or texts so I didn’t think much about it at the time. Still, I had a weird feeling about taking the cat from the area, so I went door to door again asking neighbors about Oscar. I met someone who recognized him, and told me he had an owner at a house down the road. They followed this up by saying that his owners are drunks, they neglect this cat and their dog who is chained up outside, and will leave the cat outside year round for days and weeks at a time. They said Oscar would sleep on their front porch for weeks at a time during the winter. Without giving them any context, they told me I should find the cat a home with someone else without thinking twice. So that’s what we did. We took him to my mothers where we took him to the vet for shots, grooming, assessment, etc. and he’s been thriving ever since.
Yesterday I received a voicemail from someone claiming to be the cats owner. They said they were a neighbor, they received the note on Oscars collar from weeks ago, and wanted to know if I knew where he was.
I am so torn. Part of me feels so guilty for essentially stealing someone else’s cat. I’d be devastated if any of my pets went missing. But part of me knows Oscar had been neglected and is living in a much healthier and happier environment at my moms house.
What do you guys think I should do?
TLDR: I adopted a malnourished and neglected cat from my old neighborhood. When we moved I took the cat to my mothers where he’d be cared for, loved, and is given the freedom of going inside and outside when he pleases. I received a voicemail from the presumed old owner asking for information on their missing cat.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/d61yqd/need_advice/
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