Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Rob Loxley — Sat, 17 May 2014 11:31:14 GMT

[quote user="Jo Cobbett"]Those vets will not give the details of their owners to our owners, but have passed the details of our owners on to their owners (all very complicated!)[/quote]

Data Protection can be tricky to negotiate, but worth not getting wrong in such a case, the RCVS have a useful flowchart online for microchip disputes

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Jo Cobbett — Fri, 16 May 2014 15:14:55 GMT

The chip had not been registered yet, but Tracer told us which vets implanted it. I assume the registration papers are in the post or haven't been processed yet. Those vets will not give the details of their owners to our owners, but have passed the details of our owners on to their owners (all very complicated!). I have given our owners a printed copy of the history of the cat's primary vaccinations, but how can anyone prove (I can spell it properly now!) that it was the same cat?!

I think "can of worms" is definitely the phrase for this one....

As an aside, I wonder how many times this cat has been vaccinated and flea and worm treated? Our owners have been treating the cat regularly.

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Julie Innes — Fri, 16 May 2014 13:23:50 GMT

Martin, I had a similar cat- frequently saw him smirking out at me from other people's windows! I bumped into him on a rare night out locally, at the kebab shop, of all places. Apparently, he went there every Friday, and was extremely popular with staff and patrons alike, and had a particular love of chicken tikka kebabs. Kind of negated the obesity control I was feeding him at home.....

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 16 May 2014 10:50:24 GMT

[quote user="Sammy82"]

The owners could also put a collar on him with a message to the other "owners" who got him neutered to get in touch. Obviously this won't work if they insist to be the rightful owners.

[/quote]I did just this with one of my cats that from its increasing girth was obviously being fed locally. The label said: 'Please don't feed me I have a serious illness that requires a special diet and you are killing me'. Although it could have been he was just going in and nicking another cat's food, that worked.

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 16 May 2014 07:20:13 GMT

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

David Mills — Fri, 16 May 2014 00:20:41 GMT

Just say it needs a large surgery, with big bill attached, and then you will find the rightful owner soon enough.

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Rob Loxley — Thu, 15 May 2014 18:03:01 GMT

The Theft Act 1968 says cats are regarded in law as the ‘property’ of their owner. The theft of a cat is treated as an offence under the Act, in the same way as theft of any other property is. A cat that is lost or has strayed is generally regarded as the property of the original owner.
If they have a receipt for the kitten (from the breeder/ rehoming centre) then it's surely pretty cut and dried; your vaccination record would be strong evidence of ownership but maybe not conclusive, if it all got messy... I'd suggest they hold on to the cat and get the database to deal with registering it in their name. Hopefully it'll get sorted amicably!

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Sammy82 — Thu, 15 May 2014 15:51:25 GMT

The owners could also put a collar on him with a message to the other "owners" who got him neutered to get in touch. Obviously this won't work if they insist to be the rightful owners.

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Toby Birch — Thu, 15 May 2014 15:32:20 GMT

Joyce got there before me. The microchip company will tell you where the batch of chips where sent. You should be able to then get them to search their database. If your client is willing their details could then be passed on to the other owners to hopefully get in touch.

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Joyce Whitehead — Thu, 15 May 2014 15:15:28 GMT

Usually the chip company can tell you who bought a particular batch of chips if you phone pet log or anti base so that at least might give you a practice to phone to see who castrated him?

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Miriam Lodewyks — Thu, 15 May 2014 13:31:27 GMT

I saw a cat last week for a "booster", who I'm sure I vaccinated for another "owner" a few weeks earlier. Only I can't remember who that was, nor do I wish to open that can o worms.

So I smiled and gave it another booster. Not microchipped, so who knows...

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Bob Russell — Thu, 15 May 2014 12:30:29 GMT

Take it at face value. Suggest the owner registers the chip under their details and Robert is your uncle as they say!

With all and sundry chipping with dirt cheap and unregulated chips this is how it is! If there is a custody battle just write a statement confirming this cat has microchip number xyz and it has not been able to identify an owner on a database!

The profession had the opportunity to control microchipping 25 years ago and ballsed it up. Where was the insistence that this was a surgical procedure (albeit minor) that required veterinary involvement at all stages?

Some form of veterinary certificate of competence could have been created to allow non-veterinary staff within the rescues to do the day to day implantation similar to vaccination. It would have stopped the lady down at the groomers becoming a mini (and often not competent) vet.

Re: Who owns this cat?! And how do they proove it?

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 15 May 2014 11:15:22 GMT

This is the classical Six Dinner Sid situation each 'owner' is as convinced as the other that it is their cat.

You say that that you saw this cat to be vaccinated as a kitten but can you be 100% certain its the same cat?

AFAIA there is no legal status for 'ownership' of a cat unlike a dog. If the competing parties can't come to an amicable arrangement I fear if they are that concerned it would have to go to a civil law case with balance of probability. But if the cat keeps wandering off it is making its choice of owner which surely is most valid anyway.

I had a situation with one of my own cats which would often go off for 24 hrs at a time and we found after enquiries, when he went off for several days, that he was being fed by a do-gooder neighbour who thought 'she' was a stray (he is a neutered male)! Once informed they had the good sense to stop feeding him and he hardly goes anywhere now. Equally I found a 6 week old kitten under hedge in lay-bye last year, assumed it was abandoned and adopted it so am I guilty?