For people who love cats, their feline friend is a part of their family. And when they go missing, people will go to great lengths to find them.
A cat owner did all the right things when her indoor cat escaped. But it turned out someone else was keeping her pet from coming home.
After she did what she needed to do to get her cat back, she faced some neighborhood chatter about the fall out. So she turned to the "Am I The A**hole" (AITA) subReddit for judgment.
Redditor mychickenmyrules543 asked:
"AITA for getting my neighbor's partner arrested?"
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
"About a week ago, my cat got out and went missing for a few days. I was heartbroken; I put his litter box outside, hung flyers everywhere, and literally cried non-stop."
"It was bad."
"Then I noticed someone was taking down my flyers. This made me really upset, so I started knocking on people's doors."
"One neighbor told me that she overhead her neighbor's kid excitedly thanking his mom for a new cat, and when I walked up their driveway, what do you know MY cat was sitting in their windowsill. He immediately starting pawing at the glass when he saw me, and it broke my heart."
"I knocked on the front door and explained to the lady that answered that this was MY cat, he's chipped and everything, so I have proof he's mine. She literally laughed in my face and slammed the door."
"I knocked again, and this time a huge dude answered and told me "this is my son's cat, now go away" and slammed the door in my face."
"I went home and bawled like a baby. I called my dad (he's the county sheriff) to tell him what happened and to ask what I should do."
"He told me to stay home, and that he would send over a deputy to take care of it."
"Well, apparently the deputy let it slip that I was the county sheriff's daughter, and now the catnapper lady is telling everyone in the neighborhood I'm a spoiled brat who went crying to her daddy. But the thing is, I would have called the cops regardless."
"The only reason I called my dad first is because I was bawling and didn't want to sob on the phone to a stranger if I could avoid it. Plus I wanted his advice on how to get my cat back."
"Apparently the kid's dad also went to jail because the deputy ran his plates and saw he had a warrant, so this woman is also telling everyone I got her partner arrested, too. But how was I supposed to know the guy had a freaking warrant??"
"I just wanted my cat back. AITA?"
The OP then added a photo of their cat.
Redditors weighed in and voted:
- NTA - Not The A**hole
- YTA - You're The A**hole
- NAH - No A**holes Here
- ESH - Everyone Sucks Here
"It's crazy the dude risked so much over a damn cat. Our local humane society can't give them away!"
"Like seriously, last time I went it was adopt a cat (the fee is like maybe $20?) And get TWO free kittens. Our local Facebook groups have at least five free kitten posts on any given day."
"He could have easily gotten a cat for little or nothing, not caused OP tons of distress, AND not gone to jail for hardly any more effort than it took to catch OP's cat. NTA OP, he made his bed he can lie in it." ~ EyesOfEnder
"Exactly. Catnapper could've just adopted a cat and paid a small fee for doing so."
"She could even get picky and choose a kitten or something. Except that she chooses to go the cheap route and steal a cat."
"Then refuses to give it back. Why do people do this?" ~ Sparklingemeralds
"NTA, they STOLE YOUR CAT. Whatever they get after that is completely their own fault." ~ Mis_Bee_Have
The takeaway is don't steal people's pets when you have an active warrant for your arrest. And if someone steals your pet, by all means call law enforcement or animal control to get your pet back.
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AMC