Hi guys, I have lost some sleep the past two days over this.
I adopted a cat from a craigslist ad back in July, to be a companion for my first cat. The owner responded to my email by texting me and I picked up the cat from her the same night. I later learned she bought this cat from a breeder who fooled her saying cat was a Turkish breed, but the vet records say american domestic. I gave her $100 in cash rehoming fee and was given toys and treats, his ASPCA neuter documents, microchip information, and collar and leash. Owner said she was rehoming him because she was moving to a place that did not allow pets. Seemed like a legit reason so I agreed. The cat is almost two years old.
Fast forward to two days ago I get a text and call from a random number and it is the previous owner asking to FaceTime me to check up on the cat. After seeing him, she asks if she can get him back. Even went as far to say "How about double the price you paid?" "Triple"? I told her firmly it was not about the money and for her to give me some time.
She proceeds to send me blocks of texts begging for the cat back. She goes on to tell me about her divorce and how she thought her and her 5 children will need to move to public housing, but now everything settled and she is staying in the same house. She also said she has a 7 year old son with ADHD who is "being destroyed" by the fact that the cat is gone and all his bad symptoms are now coming back. Despite all the kids being present when I picked up the cat and they all said goodbye to cat with no reluctance.
Now, please hear me out about why I refuse to give this cat back to this family.
First thing I noticed when I went to pick him up from previous owner was the way they treated him. The cat was extremely nervous and kept running and hiding, so the owner clipped a leash onto him and kept pulling him forcefully so he will go into my carrier. This was a red flag to me because the leash was simply clipped to the collar, and we all know cats need a harness to be leashed. The collar they had on him was incredibly thick, like one you use for a dog.
Second, there were at least 5 small kids all under 10 years old running about the house. One of them even picked a bag out of the trashcan and ate chips from it. Now, I know kids are kids, but it was not the best impression of the household.
Third, when I brought the cat home and started getting him used to my bathroom (needed separation first before introducing him to my first cat), I noticed that he was rather thin and his coat was a bit rough and matted. He felt greasy, dirty. She told me he only likes dry food, and gave me a bag of Friskies. He also has bad breath and his gums are not in good condition. His nails had not been trimmed for a very long time. I was also surprised there were no other receipts of vet visits other than his neutering. All of this told me the owners did not know how to fully care for a cat.
Lastly, this cat seemed very, and I mean very, wary of males. He did not get along with my boyfriend at all until recently. Any time another male comes into our home, he immediately runs away to my bed and does not come out. But when we have females over, he is willing to be in the same room as them. This made me suspect this cat was mistreated by a male in his previous home. Previous owner denies any mistreatment. But my suspicions are maybe her son with ADHD mistreated the cat from time to time without knowing.
Fast forward to now, the cat has gained healthy weight and his fur is so much softer and shiny. He has bonded very well with my other cat and they play, groom, and nap with each other. He cuddles with me, my boyfriend, and my roommate on the couch whenever we are home. He LOVES the wet food I give him (Fancy feast), gobbles it up every time and meows and begs me every meal time. I notice he still gets triggered by certain things, but he has made huge progress since coming to my home.
I sent a long text to previous owner saying I will not give him back no matter what she offers because I felt uncomfortable with what I saw in her home. She even went as far to say she will adopt a kitten and EXCHANGE it for him. Ridiculous. I refused. The previous owner has since tried to text, call, and leave almost 20 voicemails from 4 different phone numbers. I had calls coming in consecutively by the minute. Her voicemails were almost aggressive, saying how mean it is of me to block her, how she is mentally ill and depressed due to this, and how I am destroying her children. I finally replied in text saying this is harassment and if she continues I will file a police report. She denies harassing me. Says in another voicemail she will look into other ways to get him back.
This goes on for the entirety of yesterday and this morning I get an email from the original craigslist post, basically her begging me again and putting on a pity party. I was unconcerned until she said she "does not want to resolve to hiring an attorney to get him back". Now, I'm a bit nervous. I know I have the receipts of my email, our texts, and the cat's records proving that she consented to me adopting cat. Would I lose the case, if she decides to file one? Should I file a police report on how she is harassing me? Is it wrong of me to want to keep this cat, who is very sensitive and does not deserve to be swapped around like this? I am struggling, please give me some advice! Thank you...
TLDR: After almost 3 months, previous owner begs for the cat I adopted back. I refuse because I don't think this cat was well taken care of by her family. She has resorted to harassing me through 4 different phone numbers, multiple calls and voicemails through the day, and finally emailing me threatening to use legal action. I have all the online exchange receipts and vet records other than payment, since I paid in cash.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/dela59/adopted_a_cat_on_craigslist_in_july_owner_is_now/
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