ethics: The stray that wasn't..

About three weeks ago this nice little tom started visiting us. We
have two indoor cats and they were pretty agitated.

He kept coming around, and I took a good look at him. He was
un-neutered, looked to be a year or two old, was bedraggled and
riddled with ear mites. Other than that he was friendly and seemed in
good health. He didn't seem bothered by the cats trying to tunnel
through the picture window to get to him.. his response was to spray
our house. And our car. And our garden.. etc.

After a couple weeks, I decided I'd put some food out for him, which
he graciously wolfed down and asked for more. I put a cardboard box in
the shade for him to lay in, and he took up residence.

Well, to make a long story short, I checked the Humane Society, asked
around the neighborhood and put up posters, but no one recognized him.
So we made the decision to adopt him. Took him to the vet, got his
vaccinations, cleaned his ears, and got him fixed. About $450
altogether, which we could barely spare..

Today a kid bikes up to me and says "hey mister, remember that cat you
were asking about? Someone has a lost cat poster up at the rec center
and it looks like him".

Now.. if someone 'owned' him and let him rove freely, un-neutered, and
let the mites get to the point where his ears were running, should I
call them and tell them I found their cat?

Maybe there's a little kid who loves that (absentee) cat as much I
love my cats. Maybe they didn't know better.

If it turns out to be him, should I call?

Brian Link, Minnesota Countertenor
----------------------------------
"I think animal testing is a terrible idea;
they get all nervous and give the wrong answers."
- regmech

"Brian Link" <blink.TakeThisOut@visi.com> wrote in message
news:gpnse0t5i82a7pfniugb0cpg2uuib3suit@4ax.com...
> About three weeks ago this nice little tom started visiting us. We
> have two indoor cats and they were pretty agitated.
>
> He kept coming around, and I took a good look at him. He was
> un-neutered, looked to be a year or two old, was bedraggled and
> riddled with ear mites. Other than that he was friendly and seemed in
> good health. He didn't seem bothered by the cats trying to tunnel
> through the picture window to get to him.. his response was to spray
> our house. And our car. And our garden.. etc.
>
> After a couple weeks, I decided I'd put some food out for him, which
> he graciously wolfed down and asked for more. I put a cardboard box in
> the shade for him to lay in, and he took up residence.
>
> Well, to make a long story short, I checked the Humane Society, asked
> around the neighborhood and put up posters, but no one recognized him.
> So we made the decision to adopt him. Took him to the vet, got his
> vaccinations, cleaned his ears, and got him fixed. About $450
> altogether, which we could barely spare..
>
> Today a kid bikes up to me and says "hey mister, remember that cat you
> were asking about? Someone has a lost cat poster up at the rec center
> and it looks like him".
>
> Now.. if someone 'owned' him and let him rove freely, un-neutered, and
> let the mites get to the point where his ears were running, should I
> call them and tell them I found their cat?
>
> Maybe there's a little kid who loves that (absentee) cat as much I
> love my cats. Maybe they didn't know better.
>
> If it turns out to be him, should I call?
>
> Brian Link, Minnesota Countertenor


I guess I'd go check out the lost cat poster to see if this really could be
the cat you have.

Many times they have a date when the cat went missing on the posters which
might assist you in making the decision whether to call or not. If they said
the cat just recently went missing then I'd keep him. If they let the cat
get in this condition they shouldn't have a cat. If the poster has been
there a while then there is a possibility he just got out on them and has
been wandering long enough to get in this shape.

Legally I don't know if you can keep the cat or not if it is the cat on the
poster. But you might be able to recoup at least some of the money you spent
if you have to surrender the cat to the owners.

W