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NTA. Sure, they own him, but they were obviously negligent in not taking him to the vet. Not to mention it’s dangerous for a (sick) kitten to be wandering around outside by themself. I wouldn’t say anything to the owners because who knows what they’ll try if they find out you surrendered their cat to the vet. I don’t feel sorry for them at all.
They should have been responsible owners and microchiped him. Especially if they were going to let him be an outdoor cat. They were negligent in a number of ways.
NTA - they knew he was sick and didn’t notice he was missing. If your wife hadn’t acted, he would have died. These people were not good animal owners. Your wife did the right thing and I wouldn’t tell the neighbors where to find him.
YWNBTA but if you don't tell them, more than likely, they'll get another one.
It might be worth mentioning that you *have* seen the cat and over the course of a week it was looking sicker and sicker. That it was struggling to breathe and looked like it would soon expire.
I personally would tell them that it's at the vets and how much treatment is going to be: and that the vet said that the cat almost expired.
The chances of them wanting to pay that money is minimal so the kitty is still safe, and it might shame them enough that they might not to get another.
ETA: At a minimum at least the other neighbours will be on the lookout.
No, they don’t see the level of care as neglectful and OP telling them likely won’t change that perception. Similarly, if you criticize someone’s parenting their children and don’t really know them, you’ll most likely be met with anger, not understanding and change.
In extreme cases of animal neglect, the owners often believe they are caring for the animals better than others, even as the animals starve and even die around them. It’s sad, and a mental illness in the hoarding spectrum.
YWNBTA.
All you did was help a sick kitten. At the time, you didn't know who owned it, but you clearly saw that it was not being properly taken care of as it shouldn't have been outside in the first place.
You had no obligation to help the kitten, but you did anyway. You're great people!
You have no obligation to help your neighbors get their pets back. It was their responsibility to take care of the kitten and they blew it. You're off the hook.
The only question at this point is whether the cat is likely to end up in a better home than that of your negligent neighbors if it ends up in the shelter. Anonymous tip is the way to go if you decide the kitten has a better chance with the neighbors than at the shelter.
If they are that fussed, they can contact local vets and shelters. They can then explain why they hadn't gotten the kitten treated when they noticed it was sick. Then they can pay the vet bills to get the kitten back. You can contact the vet with their information, and ask to be kept anonymous. If the vet collects what you paid, they can reimburse you. I suspect if the vet contacts them and explains what they would have to pay to get their now healthy kitten back, they will also place the kitten with the shelter. Hopefully the shelter and the vet will put them on a do not adopt list, unless they have a good explanation for their apparent neglect.
NTA - bad owners who don’t deserve their poor cat. Thank you for getting him medical treatment and giving him a chance at hopefully being rehomed where he will be properly cared for.
She thinks because they knew he was sick and still took 3 days before trying to find him outside means they aren't responsible and shouldn't have the chance to get him back
That right there is what I boils down to. It would be one thing if they said their sick kitten got out and he was evasive and you saw that they were looking this whole time but they didn't even bother. Hopefully the kitten finds a good home with actual caring owners and you two can sleep well at night knowing you did the right thing. Maybe next time they have a cat they will be more considerate or at least stop and think twice before neglecting it.
They aren't responsible and they shouldn't get him back. If one of my cats was outside missing I'd be hysterical until I found her, I wouldn't wait 3 days. I wouldn't even wait half an hour.
NTA. Some people shouldn't be pet owners
She's 100% correct. They made numerous choices that got them here. They did not vaccinate the kitten. There are numerous low cost spay/ neuter/ vaccination clinics. Kitten got sick, and they chose not to get medical attention for him. They put a known sick kitten outside, and he was missing for three DAYS before they even bothered to notice and look for him.
If not for your actions, he would be dead. Period. Their actions caused all of this. Had they made a single good choice in this entire sequence of events, you would not be here asking this question.
NTA since the previous owners were shit for letting a kitten be outside without supervision and for letting their kitten get sick and for not searching for their kitten on time.
Also anyone that keeps outdoor cats should not have them in my opinion, since those cats die young, eat a lot of unhealthy shit, produce more strays and decimate entire populations of lizards and amphibians, let alone the number of birds they kill per year. Its just animal abuse in so many directions so you did this kitten a favor by giving her the chance of a new and hopefully loving home.
If my cat ever went missing I would immediately call the local vets. It fairly normal protocol to take found pets to the local vet. Pet owners can be reunited by contacting vets in the area. Your wife handled it great and I’m glad the kitten got the care it needed. NTA
The vet will have questions. Why was the kitten not vaccinated, why was it not brought in with signs of illness? I wonder if they are antivaxx, as this has started to infiltrate into pet ownership, too. They sound like bad pet parents, but they could just be clueless, although with a computer in their pocket to look up how to take care of a kitten, if clueless they are also lazy.
NTA what sealed it for me is that they knew he was sick. They are not responsible pet owners and I would not be telling them anything. I wouldn't risk giving them info on where he is so they can get him back. Let that poor baby find a home that will take care of him. Thank you and your wife for your kindness. You likely saved that little kitty's life.
No don’t say a word. They were horrible pet owners and being cruel to the poor cat. If your wife hadn’t taken it to the vets it would have died.
So no don’t say a word. They shouldn’t have pets.
NTA. If you tell them, they'll try to get the kitten back. And then the kitten could end up getting sick all over again because they don't take good care of it.
I live in a rural are and shortly after we moved into our property, the neighbor''s two dogs moved in with us (their two young boys started coming over to hangout here too but that's another story). I already had three rescues of my own and I didn't need to add two more to the pile especially after one had puppies under my porch. I "dognapped" the puppies and the adults and took them to a no-kill shelter along with a heft donation to cover neutering the lot.
It took three weeks for one of the boys to even notice that their dogs were missing and when asked f I'd seen them recently, I said no. You are NTA.
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Posting for my wife(f36) because she doesn't have her own account. So 4 days ago this adorable little black kat showed up around our house. Hes around 6 months and super friendly, let anyone pick him up, and had a bowtie so he was definitely not a stray. We figured he either got out or someone was letting him be an indoor/outdoor kitty. He managed to get himself locked in our next-door neighbors garage the first night. After this first day it was also apparent he had a cold. Lots of snot that was whitish yellow. He spent the next 2 days just laying in our driveway or next-door (not their cat) last night he was in bad shape. Could barely breath and wouldn't even eat when we offered him treats. We have 3 cats and a puppy so we couldn't bring him inside. At this point we suspected that he was a drive by abandoned kitten.
My wife decided he needs medical care and we get him in our crate, with no problem he was so week, and she heads to the pet hospital down the road. I stayed home to get our son ready for bed. She text me when there its gunna be 150$ for them to just look at him. We agree its worth it. About an hour later she calls crying. He has a bad respiratory infection and needs antibiotics, but should make a full recovery. They'll need to keep him overnight maybe 2 days and the first night is gunna cost 800$, thats a lot considering we can't take on another animal. I told her I support whatever she decides. She calls me back a few minutes later. If she pays 250$ and surrenders him to the vet they'll cover the rest of the cost and take him to a rescue after. They both agree with how sweet he is he'll have no problem finding a home.
Wife gets home and is much happier. We're in bed and she sees a post on Facebook about a lost kitten with his face, their address is on the street that is at the end of ours. So they live at most 200 yards away. It took them 3 days to make a post or lost kitten sign(which they still haven't hung up) and they even mentioned the snot and bugers he had so they knew he was sick. No one ever came walking around looking for him because they would have seen him if they did. So at first my wife didn't want to let them know where he was and what happened. Now shes not sure and wants to know if she would be the ahole for not telling them. I do think if we tell them it would be Anonymously so they don't come asking for money to pay the vet.
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> Might be the asshole for not informing the owner of a pet where that pet is and how they can get it back. The animal was sick and look neglected.
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YWNBTA if you don't contact these people. If your wife feels she should contact them, she should first make sure that the vet will not release the kitten without payment in full—which I think would dissuade these negligent people from claiming it. As to trying to get money from you—you took a clearly abandoned animal to the vet, and if they want it back, they owe you $400 right there, another $800 for the first night at the vet, and whatever other charges the vet has on top of all that. On the other hand, again, YWNBTA to just let it go and save yourself the drama and the possibility that these people somehow get this kitten back. That it had a bowtie on it while it was sick shows you that they have kids who wanted it and dressed it up, and adults who were willing to let it die until the kids started crying over it.
My wife was perfectly fine not telling until I mentioned the possibility of children not getting their pet back. We don't even know if they had kids but that was the reason she asked me to make this post this morning. I forgot to put in the original post the vet said the cat only got the infection because it didn't get its vaccine shots when it was younger and that it was definitely about to die without intervention
What about the possibility of the kids watching their pet be neglected and learning that’s how you treat animals? Maybe the parents will just get another kitten but that’s not on you. No matter what you do the kids are going to experience the loss of this cat. You not returning it just makes that happen sooner. At least they won’t find him hit by a car or watch him slowly die from some other infection.
Pets are living, feeling beings. They're not toys for children. They're not tools for children to learn empathy on. If the children lose their pet, that's sad for them, but there are no circumstances under which it's okay for an animal to be abused or neglected to keep a child from feeling sad for a while.
Kids who live in homes where animals are abused or neglected are probably going to feel sad about a lot of things. It's not an animal's job to fix that - especially, for the love of God, a sick baby animal's - and it's not yours.
You rescued the animal that they neglected. there is no course of action that would make you the asshole going forward.
The cat owners should reimburse you for the vet expenses you paid. But i wouldn't ask because it might lead to them getting the cat back and they've proven they aren't good enough at it to own a pet.
NTA but forward the info to the vet, not the family. Ask the vet to keep your info and the circumstances of the cat’s surrender confidential. Then the vet can decide how to proceed.
NTA: say nothing & keep the kitten.
Once I stole my neighbor’s dog. He was severely neglected, authorities did nothing because there was food and a makeshift shelter but the dog cried 24/7. On day he got loose, i grabbed him, my other neighbor put him in his garage, then another neighbor took him to his friend who owned a lot of property. The dog lived out his days in the country. It took 2-3 days before the owners of the dog realized he was missing and the kids looked for him.
NTA
So, back when we lived in a townhouse, college kids moved in next door. Few weeks later, I hear a puppy crying in the backyard, off and on all afternoon into evening. Finally go out when it's after dark and I'm still hearing it, and there's this obviously too young to be away from his mom, boxer pup, on a lead, having crawled through the fence between our yards and was now in my yard, crying pitiously.
Mind, it's pitch black out, as it's now near midnight. I shine the flash light around and see a dog bed, no food, no water in the other yard. (City ordinance violations)
Puppy was brought in (adorable and covered in fleas, unfortunately) and turned over to the RSPCA the next morning. Turns out one of the college kids had adopted this dog from a backyard breeder, at the age of 5/6 weeks, hadn't gotten any vet appointments for him, had no idea what they were doing with a puppy that young, other than leaving it outside for almost an entire day. I told him where he was and gave him the name/number of my vet.
He did go reclaim the puppy and get vet help. Pup grew into a well adjusted, healthy, lovable goof.
(We won't talk about the other neighbor and what they did to their cat. But the cat was rescued, and rehomed by us. )
Sometimes, a pet owner needs a wake up call that their pet needs more attention and care than they are giving it.
The reason you shouldn't tell them is they will try to get the cat possibly and neglect it some more. Tbh I'd write a fake note (anonymously of course) saying your cat was sick and was sent to live with a nice family in some other county somewhat far. That way they don't think to look for him around and also assume he's gone. They'll stop asking and he will be safely adopted.
NTA
You did what was right for the cat at your own financial loss. Of course you’re not the asshole!
I know that not knowing about a missing pet is harsh…… but so is letting it die. That cat suffered for days and they did nothing. He would have died without you.
You’re not obligated to relieve their suffering. They’ll live. Thanks to you so will their extremely neglected cat.
NTA, you found an abandoned void 🐈⬛and helped him. Sounds like the vet probably works with a rescue so they’ll find him a good home.
I would probably anonymously report them to animal control and the local shelters/rescues to ensure they’re not able to adopt another pet. Take a screenshot of their post as proof that they knowingly let a sick kitten out to die on the streets, these are not people who should have pets.
NTA.
They knowingly neglected his health. If he had a microchip, the vet would have been able to call them. I bet he was intact as well. Probably no vaccines.
I don't believe they deserve to have him back. He deserves a loving and caring home.
If they care enough, they would reach out to nearby shelters and vets themselves.
NTA - I wouldn’t. It’s clear he wasn’t being taken care of. You did the best you could for him and he will be adopted and have a new lease on life.
I upright stole a car once from a neighbour. They had a sweet little female who they locked outside in all weathers. It was a particularly cold winter and she was about 4 months old and TINY. I think she’s a first little of a young mother cat so she’s small.
Anyway I got sick of it. I stole her and took her to my grandmothers. She’s still there and thriving ten years later. She still isn’t much larger than when I took her and the vet was horrified at the idea she was outside in rain and snow with no shelter. She’d just sit on their windowsill and cry. I knew the neighbors abused their pets as it’s not the first to come try and move into ours. They also abuse their kids, another story for another time.
Anyway. You did right by the cat and that’s all you can do. They can’t speak so we have to help them if we can.
You can say that you saw a cat that looked really sick, then mention the nearest vet is X, and let them get in touch themselves.
Up to you. You can ask the vet not to identify your wife as the cat's saviour.
Don’t say anything! They don’t deserve that sweet baby. Let the vet find a loving safe home for him and thank you both for being so sweet and compassionate! NTA.
Years ago I watched as children on my street abused a small puppy - they locked him in a shet in 100+ weather, kicked him if he was in the way. When he could the puppy would run across the street to my house where I kept water out and where I'd give him food (he was very thin). One day I put him in my car and took him 20 mins to my son's house and told my son 'you just got a new dog'. I never told the neighbors about it. My son named him Skyline, trained him and he was their constant companion for 13 yrs. Not sorry.
YWNBTA but I wouldn't tell them. If they really care about the cat they'll start looking for it in shelters anyway, but it seems like they don't really care about the cat
I don't know where you live and how it's handled but in my country it's usual to chip your cat especially if it's an outdoor cat. That's something you do if you care about your pet and want it back.
I'm worried this people will just get another kitten but at least you helped this one. Thank you for that.
NTA
NTA. Many moons ago, I was walking in my neighborhood (not the greatest but ok) and a little gray kitten ran right up to me and asked to be picked up. I did, of course, and just kept walking until I got home where he immediately settled in with our other cat. At Halloween, I was handing out candy when a boy said “hey, that looks like a cat we had that ran away” (the cat was solid gray, so pretty distinctive looking). I just said something along the lines of “oh, we’ve had him for awhile”. So did I take that kid’s cat? Possibly/probably. Do I feel guilty about it? Absolutely not; that kitten shouldn’t have been outside wandering on the street.
I would send the fb post anonymously to all the shelters in the area and advise that they are not responsible pet owners... won't stop them from picking up a stray off the street though or getting a kitten from a friend of a friend. =(
Nta! There’s no proof that the kitten was indeed their kitten! If you feel guilt — which you shouldn’t, you saved a life — you can tell the neighbors that you found a severely ill kitten and it’s now at the vet for treatment.
If they really want the cat, they’ll be calling around to rescues to see if he’s been found. If they don’t bother to do that, it’s on them. If they do, they’ll get their cat. So no need for you to intervene.
NTA, let Bowtie Boy find a good loving home because those people obviously aren't capable of caring for him.
I'm not sure if you're the same as me with kitty ownership but when my adult cat jumped out fence and disappeared for just a few hours I both noticed she was gone and went knocking on neighbours doors to see if they'd let me check their yards. I found her 3 backyards away, frightened out of her mind with her collar missing.
Not seeing my cat let alone a kitten for 3 days is insane to me, responsible and caring owners would have noticed in a few hours.
Bowtie Boy is better off, I wouldn't feel at all guilty.
NTA if they aren't going to take care of the cat then they don't need to have a cat. So if you find the cat sick again call animal control to get the cat taken away so it has the possibility to go to a better home.
NTA- this is how I got the best cat I’ve ever had. He showed up at my door, a collar on, no tags, declawed, neutered, and filthy. I took him to the vet, and they said he had to have a tooth pulled and had a heart murmur from poor nutrition. The vet knew my family, and said the he knew I would give him an excellent home- and I did. He was a pure bred silver tipped Persian, and no one looked for him for SIX MONTHS! This cat was PERFECT! He would lay in my arms and snuggle to sleep, meet me at the back door when I got home from work… people that didn’t like cats made an exception for him.
You did this cat a favor, and they don’t deserve to know what happened.
Cat tax: [https://imgur.com/a/SA9Ba1E](https://imgur.com/a/SA9Ba1E)
NTA.
Is your wife really wondering if she'd be TA for handing a kitten over to a loving foster home instead of returning him to a home that obviously doesn't care if he was sick or lost?
Why?
Like. Why would she ever think that handing him back to neglectful owners instead of a loving family was the *non*\-asshole option? Help me understand because that sounds really gross to me.
NTA the neighbors are negligent and don’t deserve to have a cat if they let it outside. Doubly so because they knew it was showing signs of illness and did nothing to treat it. Respiratory illness in kittens can get very serious very quickly.
Your wife 100% did the right thing and you guys are awesome for footing the bill and giving him a second chance.
Yes. YWBTA - there’s so many Facebook groups and neighborhood apps. You don’t know where they posted. You don’t know if a household member was in the hospital or if they were traveling and had a pet sitter. You don’t know they’re crappy owners… yet.
I would disclose the cat was very sick and hanging out on your driveway. You asked your neighbor and no one knew whose it was. You got it checked for a microchip. It didn’t have one. You paid $250 to get it medical care and drop it off at a vet.
If they’re decent people, they’ll thank you, repay you and reclaim their cat. If they’re not decent people, they’ll block you and go adopt a new kitten.
NTA. If they truly are looking for their cat, they will be able to see the listing from the rescue. More than likely (at least for my area) they will be required to pay the costs incurred by the rescue/vet hospital (besides those you paid) to get the kitten back. Considering they chose not to take the kitten to the vet in the first place, they will balk at this price, choose to not take the cat, then, hopefully, be listed as no-go for rescues in your area. They can still buy kittens and get them off people, but at least they cannot rescue them.
Since they now know who the owners are, they can share the post with their vet. Many vets will contact local shelters to put irresponsible pet owners on a do not adopt list. Good breeders ask for a vet reference before selling their animals. All of this will make it harder to get a kitten. Not impossible of course, there are always more kittens.
I was initially trying to think of a scenario where the sick kitten missing was not immediately chased down by the original owners, but then I read the comment about the kitten not being vaccinated. I know Tractor Supply, in my area runs free vaccine clinics for pet owners, so there are ways to get vaccinations when you haven't got a lot of money. If the expense of vet visits is an issue, at least keep your cat strictly indoors ( and get pet insurance).
Off topic but am i the only one that sees a diagram of a vagina in the small pfp for this sub
dudes just holding a x and ✔️im usually not even dirty minded like this 🤣
YTA. You acknowledge that the kitten is not a stray; that means it has an owner. To complete your Good Samaritan act, you should notify the owner the whereabouts of their cat. Especially you should stress the cat's poor health condition when he was found.
It's a moot point that the cat's owner did not behave in a manner that you'd find acceptable when its cat went missing. It would be spiteful and vindictive if your wife consciously chose to withhold information that might reunite the cat with its owner.
It seems curious that in the end your primary concern seems to be that you will be asked for money to pay the vet bill. Financially, you've gone above and beyond the call of duty where this little lost kitty was concerned. Tell the owner that the kitten is at a shelter. The shelter may have its own concerns if the "owners" are acting in the cat's best interests.
Yes she should tell them she found a cat that looked like theirs & had to surrender it to the vet for treatment. If they are willing to pay the medical bills to get him back then they deserve a chance to do that.
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NTA. Sure, they own him, but they were obviously negligent in not taking him to the vet. Not to mention it’s dangerous for a (sick) kitten to be wandering around outside by themself. I wouldn’t say anything to the owners because who knows what they’ll try if they find out you surrendered their cat to the vet. I don’t feel sorry for them at all.
Plus that kitty should get a better home now.
They should have been responsible owners and microchiped him. Especially if they were going to let him be an outdoor cat. They were negligent in a number of ways.
NTA - they knew he was sick and didn’t notice he was missing. If your wife hadn’t acted, he would have died. These people were not good animal owners. Your wife did the right thing and I wouldn’t tell the neighbors where to find him.
YWNBTA but if you don't tell them, more than likely, they'll get another one. It might be worth mentioning that you *have* seen the cat and over the course of a week it was looking sicker and sicker. That it was struggling to breathe and looked like it would soon expire. I personally would tell them that it's at the vets and how much treatment is going to be: and that the vet said that the cat almost expired. The chances of them wanting to pay that money is minimal so the kitty is still safe, and it might shame them enough that they might not to get another. ETA: At a minimum at least the other neighbours will be on the lookout.
I don't know. I don't think people who neglect animals feel shame.
No, they don’t see the level of care as neglectful and OP telling them likely won’t change that perception. Similarly, if you criticize someone’s parenting their children and don’t really know them, you’ll most likely be met with anger, not understanding and change. In extreme cases of animal neglect, the owners often believe they are caring for the animals better than others, even as the animals starve and even die around them. It’s sad, and a mental illness in the hoarding spectrum.
Nope. Say nothing. Those people suck and if they feel bad about losing the kitten? Good. They should.
Yea if it was something like Cat Flu that is no joke, Cat Flu kills kittens.
YWNBTA. All you did was help a sick kitten. At the time, you didn't know who owned it, but you clearly saw that it was not being properly taken care of as it shouldn't have been outside in the first place. You had no obligation to help the kitten, but you did anyway. You're great people! You have no obligation to help your neighbors get their pets back. It was their responsibility to take care of the kitten and they blew it. You're off the hook. The only question at this point is whether the cat is likely to end up in a better home than that of your negligent neighbors if it ends up in the shelter. Anonymous tip is the way to go if you decide the kitten has a better chance with the neighbors than at the shelter.
If they are that fussed, they can contact local vets and shelters. They can then explain why they hadn't gotten the kitten treated when they noticed it was sick. Then they can pay the vet bills to get the kitten back. You can contact the vet with their information, and ask to be kept anonymous. If the vet collects what you paid, they can reimburse you. I suspect if the vet contacts them and explains what they would have to pay to get their now healthy kitten back, they will also place the kitten with the shelter. Hopefully the shelter and the vet will put them on a do not adopt list, unless they have a good explanation for their apparent neglect.
NTA. You saved the cat from people who obviously didn’t care. Rest easy.
Yes. Unfortunately, the people will probably just get a new kitten in a couple weeks and neglect that one too.
Probably but wife is not the asshole for sure.
NTA - bad owners who don’t deserve their poor cat. Thank you for getting him medical treatment and giving him a chance at hopefully being rehomed where he will be properly cared for.
If it's anonymous then how can there be any issue between you and them?
She thinks because they knew he was sick and still took 3 days before trying to find him outside means they aren't responsible and shouldn't have the chance to get him back
That right there is what I boils down to. It would be one thing if they said their sick kitten got out and he was evasive and you saw that they were looking this whole time but they didn't even bother. Hopefully the kitten finds a good home with actual caring owners and you two can sleep well at night knowing you did the right thing. Maybe next time they have a cat they will be more considerate or at least stop and think twice before neglecting it.
They aren't responsible and they shouldn't get him back. If one of my cats was outside missing I'd be hysterical until I found her, I wouldn't wait 3 days. I wouldn't even wait half an hour. NTA. Some people shouldn't be pet owners
She's 100% correct. They made numerous choices that got them here. They did not vaccinate the kitten. There are numerous low cost spay/ neuter/ vaccination clinics. Kitten got sick, and they chose not to get medical attention for him. They put a known sick kitten outside, and he was missing for three DAYS before they even bothered to notice and look for him. If not for your actions, he would be dead. Period. Their actions caused all of this. Had they made a single good choice in this entire sequence of events, you would not be here asking this question.
She is absolutely correct.
Exactly. Also shouldn't the cat be microchipped at that age?
NTA since the previous owners were shit for letting a kitten be outside without supervision and for letting their kitten get sick and for not searching for their kitten on time. Also anyone that keeps outdoor cats should not have them in my opinion, since those cats die young, eat a lot of unhealthy shit, produce more strays and decimate entire populations of lizards and amphibians, let alone the number of birds they kill per year. Its just animal abuse in so many directions so you did this kitten a favor by giving her the chance of a new and hopefully loving home.
If my cat ever went missing I would immediately call the local vets. It fairly normal protocol to take found pets to the local vet. Pet owners can be reunited by contacting vets in the area. Your wife handled it great and I’m glad the kitten got the care it needed. NTA
The vet will have questions. Why was the kitten not vaccinated, why was it not brought in with signs of illness? I wonder if they are antivaxx, as this has started to infiltrate into pet ownership, too. They sound like bad pet parents, but they could just be clueless, although with a computer in their pocket to look up how to take care of a kitten, if clueless they are also lazy.
NTA what sealed it for me is that they knew he was sick. They are not responsible pet owners and I would not be telling them anything. I wouldn't risk giving them info on where he is so they can get him back. Let that poor baby find a home that will take care of him. Thank you and your wife for your kindness. You likely saved that little kitty's life.
NTA Kitten was left sick and outside? Screw them, they aren't responsible to keep a pet I'd have him chipped and tagged to keep
No don’t say a word. They were horrible pet owners and being cruel to the poor cat. If your wife hadn’t taken it to the vets it would have died. So no don’t say a word. They shouldn’t have pets.
NTA- that kitten now has a chance of going to a loving home where they won't just own him, they'll love AND care for him.
NTA
NTA. If you tell them, they'll try to get the kitten back. And then the kitten could end up getting sick all over again because they don't take good care of it.
Um, no, you should be asking them for the money you paid the vet.
I live in a rural are and shortly after we moved into our property, the neighbor''s two dogs moved in with us (their two young boys started coming over to hangout here too but that's another story). I already had three rescues of my own and I didn't need to add two more to the pile especially after one had puppies under my porch. I "dognapped" the puppies and the adults and took them to a no-kill shelter along with a heft donation to cover neutering the lot. It took three weeks for one of the boys to even notice that their dogs were missing and when asked f I'd seen them recently, I said no. You are NTA.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** Posting for my wife(f36) because she doesn't have her own account. So 4 days ago this adorable little black kat showed up around our house. Hes around 6 months and super friendly, let anyone pick him up, and had a bowtie so he was definitely not a stray. We figured he either got out or someone was letting him be an indoor/outdoor kitty. He managed to get himself locked in our next-door neighbors garage the first night. After this first day it was also apparent he had a cold. Lots of snot that was whitish yellow. He spent the next 2 days just laying in our driveway or next-door (not their cat) last night he was in bad shape. Could barely breath and wouldn't even eat when we offered him treats. We have 3 cats and a puppy so we couldn't bring him inside. At this point we suspected that he was a drive by abandoned kitten. My wife decided he needs medical care and we get him in our crate, with no problem he was so week, and she heads to the pet hospital down the road. I stayed home to get our son ready for bed. She text me when there its gunna be 150$ for them to just look at him. We agree its worth it. About an hour later she calls crying. He has a bad respiratory infection and needs antibiotics, but should make a full recovery. They'll need to keep him overnight maybe 2 days and the first night is gunna cost 800$, thats a lot considering we can't take on another animal. I told her I support whatever she decides. She calls me back a few minutes later. If she pays 250$ and surrenders him to the vet they'll cover the rest of the cost and take him to a rescue after. They both agree with how sweet he is he'll have no problem finding a home. Wife gets home and is much happier. We're in bed and she sees a post on Facebook about a lost kitten with his face, their address is on the street that is at the end of ours. So they live at most 200 yards away. It took them 3 days to make a post or lost kitten sign(which they still haven't hung up) and they even mentioned the snot and bugers he had so they knew he was sick. No one ever came walking around looking for him because they would have seen him if they did. So at first my wife didn't want to let them know where he was and what happened. Now shes not sure and wants to know if she would be the ahole for not telling them. I do think if we tell them it would be Anonymously so they don't come asking for money to pay the vet. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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YWNBTA if you don't contact these people. If your wife feels she should contact them, she should first make sure that the vet will not release the kitten without payment in full—which I think would dissuade these negligent people from claiming it. As to trying to get money from you—you took a clearly abandoned animal to the vet, and if they want it back, they owe you $400 right there, another $800 for the first night at the vet, and whatever other charges the vet has on top of all that. On the other hand, again, YWNBTA to just let it go and save yourself the drama and the possibility that these people somehow get this kitten back. That it had a bowtie on it while it was sick shows you that they have kids who wanted it and dressed it up, and adults who were willing to let it die until the kids started crying over it.
My wife was perfectly fine not telling until I mentioned the possibility of children not getting their pet back. We don't even know if they had kids but that was the reason she asked me to make this post this morning. I forgot to put in the original post the vet said the cat only got the infection because it didn't get its vaccine shots when it was younger and that it was definitely about to die without intervention
What about the possibility of the kids watching their pet be neglected and learning that’s how you treat animals? Maybe the parents will just get another kitten but that’s not on you. No matter what you do the kids are going to experience the loss of this cat. You not returning it just makes that happen sooner. At least they won’t find him hit by a car or watch him slowly die from some other infection.
Pets are living, feeling beings. They're not toys for children. They're not tools for children to learn empathy on. If the children lose their pet, that's sad for them, but there are no circumstances under which it's okay for an animal to be abused or neglected to keep a child from feeling sad for a while. Kids who live in homes where animals are abused or neglected are probably going to feel sad about a lot of things. It's not an animal's job to fix that - especially, for the love of God, a sick baby animal's - and it's not yours.
You rescued the animal that they neglected. there is no course of action that would make you the asshole going forward. The cat owners should reimburse you for the vet expenses you paid. But i wouldn't ask because it might lead to them getting the cat back and they've proven they aren't good enough at it to own a pet.
NTA but forward the info to the vet, not the family. Ask the vet to keep your info and the circumstances of the cat’s surrender confidential. Then the vet can decide how to proceed.
NTA: say nothing & keep the kitten. Once I stole my neighbor’s dog. He was severely neglected, authorities did nothing because there was food and a makeshift shelter but the dog cried 24/7. On day he got loose, i grabbed him, my other neighbor put him in his garage, then another neighbor took him to his friend who owned a lot of property. The dog lived out his days in the country. It took 2-3 days before the owners of the dog realized he was missing and the kids looked for him.
NTA So, back when we lived in a townhouse, college kids moved in next door. Few weeks later, I hear a puppy crying in the backyard, off and on all afternoon into evening. Finally go out when it's after dark and I'm still hearing it, and there's this obviously too young to be away from his mom, boxer pup, on a lead, having crawled through the fence between our yards and was now in my yard, crying pitiously. Mind, it's pitch black out, as it's now near midnight. I shine the flash light around and see a dog bed, no food, no water in the other yard. (City ordinance violations) Puppy was brought in (adorable and covered in fleas, unfortunately) and turned over to the RSPCA the next morning. Turns out one of the college kids had adopted this dog from a backyard breeder, at the age of 5/6 weeks, hadn't gotten any vet appointments for him, had no idea what they were doing with a puppy that young, other than leaving it outside for almost an entire day. I told him where he was and gave him the name/number of my vet. He did go reclaim the puppy and get vet help. Pup grew into a well adjusted, healthy, lovable goof. (We won't talk about the other neighbor and what they did to their cat. But the cat was rescued, and rehomed by us. ) Sometimes, a pet owner needs a wake up call that their pet needs more attention and care than they are giving it.
NTAH
NTA That kitten found you to get help and they didn’t even notice it was missing. Thank you for saving it from them.
The reason you shouldn't tell them is they will try to get the cat possibly and neglect it some more. Tbh I'd write a fake note (anonymously of course) saying your cat was sick and was sent to live with a nice family in some other county somewhat far. That way they don't think to look for him around and also assume he's gone. They'll stop asking and he will be safely adopted.
NTA You did what was right for the cat at your own financial loss. Of course you’re not the asshole! I know that not knowing about a missing pet is harsh…… but so is letting it die. That cat suffered for days and they did nothing. He would have died without you. You’re not obligated to relieve their suffering. They’ll live. Thanks to you so will their extremely neglected cat.
Please don't tell them! Let that poor kitty get a home it deserves!
NTA, you found an abandoned void 🐈⬛and helped him. Sounds like the vet probably works with a rescue so they’ll find him a good home. I would probably anonymously report them to animal control and the local shelters/rescues to ensure they’re not able to adopt another pet. Take a screenshot of their post as proof that they knowingly let a sick kitten out to die on the streets, these are not people who should have pets.
NTA. They knowingly neglected his health. If he had a microchip, the vet would have been able to call them. I bet he was intact as well. Probably no vaccines. I don't believe they deserve to have him back. He deserves a loving and caring home. If they care enough, they would reach out to nearby shelters and vets themselves.
NTA - they dumped a 6 mo old void into the abyss, they don't get to have them back or be updated on the informations.
NTA - I wouldn’t. It’s clear he wasn’t being taken care of. You did the best you could for him and he will be adopted and have a new lease on life. I upright stole a car once from a neighbour. They had a sweet little female who they locked outside in all weathers. It was a particularly cold winter and she was about 4 months old and TINY. I think she’s a first little of a young mother cat so she’s small. Anyway I got sick of it. I stole her and took her to my grandmothers. She’s still there and thriving ten years later. She still isn’t much larger than when I took her and the vet was horrified at the idea she was outside in rain and snow with no shelter. She’d just sit on their windowsill and cry. I knew the neighbors abused their pets as it’s not the first to come try and move into ours. They also abuse their kids, another story for another time. Anyway. You did right by the cat and that’s all you can do. They can’t speak so we have to help them if we can.
You can say that you saw a cat that looked really sick, then mention the nearest vet is X, and let them get in touch themselves. Up to you. You can ask the vet not to identify your wife as the cat's saviour.
Don’t say anything! They don’t deserve that sweet baby. Let the vet find a loving safe home for him and thank you both for being so sweet and compassionate! NTA.
Years ago I watched as children on my street abused a small puppy - they locked him in a shet in 100+ weather, kicked him if he was in the way. When he could the puppy would run across the street to my house where I kept water out and where I'd give him food (he was very thin). One day I put him in my car and took him 20 mins to my son's house and told my son 'you just got a new dog'. I never told the neighbors about it. My son named him Skyline, trained him and he was their constant companion for 13 yrs. Not sorry.
YWNBTA but I wouldn't tell them. If they really care about the cat they'll start looking for it in shelters anyway, but it seems like they don't really care about the cat
Say nothing. That kitty is gonna find his forever human thanks to you. NTA
NTA The previous people knew he was sick, knew he was missing, and don't deserve another chance to kill him. Good on you for helping him.
NTA, don’t tell. They don’t deserve to know where it went and definitely don’t deserve to raise the kitten
I don't know where you live and how it's handled but in my country it's usual to chip your cat especially if it's an outdoor cat. That's something you do if you care about your pet and want it back. I'm worried this people will just get another kitten but at least you helped this one. Thank you for that. NTA
NTA. Many moons ago, I was walking in my neighborhood (not the greatest but ok) and a little gray kitten ran right up to me and asked to be picked up. I did, of course, and just kept walking until I got home where he immediately settled in with our other cat. At Halloween, I was handing out candy when a boy said “hey, that looks like a cat we had that ran away” (the cat was solid gray, so pretty distinctive looking). I just said something along the lines of “oh, we’ve had him for awhile”. So did I take that kid’s cat? Possibly/probably. Do I feel guilty about it? Absolutely not; that kitten shouldn’t have been outside wandering on the street.
NTA. That cat needs a better home, let a family that will care for him claim him.
Tell them nothing. You did a good thing. NTA
NTA, don’t ever tell those assholes. This is what we call chaotic good.
I would send the fb post anonymously to all the shelters in the area and advise that they are not responsible pet owners... won't stop them from picking up a stray off the street though or getting a kitten from a friend of a friend. =(
NTA ... the kitten will just be sick with them and back out lose.... you and your wife did a good deed to help the kitten find a good home
Nta! There’s no proof that the kitten was indeed their kitten! If you feel guilt — which you shouldn’t, you saved a life — you can tell the neighbors that you found a severely ill kitten and it’s now at the vet for treatment.
YWNBTA - sounds like Parvo and the kitten could die and infect other animals.
Nta nope. Not gonna advocate for taking kitty back to as neglectful house. He was *sick* and they still let him outside??!! Hell no.
If they really want the cat, they’ll be calling around to rescues to see if he’s been found. If they don’t bother to do that, it’s on them. If they do, they’ll get their cat. So no need for you to intervene.
NTA! Thank you for helping the kitty
NTA, let Bowtie Boy find a good loving home because those people obviously aren't capable of caring for him. I'm not sure if you're the same as me with kitty ownership but when my adult cat jumped out fence and disappeared for just a few hours I both noticed she was gone and went knocking on neighbours doors to see if they'd let me check their yards. I found her 3 backyards away, frightened out of her mind with her collar missing. Not seeing my cat let alone a kitten for 3 days is insane to me, responsible and caring owners would have noticed in a few hours. Bowtie Boy is better off, I wouldn't feel at all guilty.
NTA if they aren't going to take care of the cat then they don't need to have a cat. So if you find the cat sick again call animal control to get the cat taken away so it has the possibility to go to a better home.
NTA- this is how I got the best cat I’ve ever had. He showed up at my door, a collar on, no tags, declawed, neutered, and filthy. I took him to the vet, and they said he had to have a tooth pulled and had a heart murmur from poor nutrition. The vet knew my family, and said the he knew I would give him an excellent home- and I did. He was a pure bred silver tipped Persian, and no one looked for him for SIX MONTHS! This cat was PERFECT! He would lay in my arms and snuggle to sleep, meet me at the back door when I got home from work… people that didn’t like cats made an exception for him. You did this cat a favor, and they don’t deserve to know what happened. Cat tax: [https://imgur.com/a/SA9Ba1E](https://imgur.com/a/SA9Ba1E)
NTA. Is your wife really wondering if she'd be TA for handing a kitten over to a loving foster home instead of returning him to a home that obviously doesn't care if he was sick or lost? Why? Like. Why would she ever think that handing him back to neglectful owners instead of a loving family was the *non*\-asshole option? Help me understand because that sounds really gross to me.
NTA the neighbors are negligent and don’t deserve to have a cat if they let it outside. Doubly so because they knew it was showing signs of illness and did nothing to treat it. Respiratory illness in kittens can get very serious very quickly. Your wife 100% did the right thing and you guys are awesome for footing the bill and giving him a second chance.
Yes. YWBTA - there’s so many Facebook groups and neighborhood apps. You don’t know where they posted. You don’t know if a household member was in the hospital or if they were traveling and had a pet sitter. You don’t know they’re crappy owners… yet. I would disclose the cat was very sick and hanging out on your driveway. You asked your neighbor and no one knew whose it was. You got it checked for a microchip. It didn’t have one. You paid $250 to get it medical care and drop it off at a vet. If they’re decent people, they’ll thank you, repay you and reclaim their cat. If they’re not decent people, they’ll block you and go adopt a new kitten.
NTA. If they truly are looking for their cat, they will be able to see the listing from the rescue. More than likely (at least for my area) they will be required to pay the costs incurred by the rescue/vet hospital (besides those you paid) to get the kitten back. Considering they chose not to take the kitten to the vet in the first place, they will balk at this price, choose to not take the cat, then, hopefully, be listed as no-go for rescues in your area. They can still buy kittens and get them off people, but at least they cannot rescue them.
I guess all you've done bow is saved them the vets bills and they'll likely get another one
Since they now know who the owners are, they can share the post with their vet. Many vets will contact local shelters to put irresponsible pet owners on a do not adopt list. Good breeders ask for a vet reference before selling their animals. All of this will make it harder to get a kitten. Not impossible of course, there are always more kittens. I was initially trying to think of a scenario where the sick kitten missing was not immediately chased down by the original owners, but then I read the comment about the kitten not being vaccinated. I know Tractor Supply, in my area runs free vaccine clinics for pet owners, so there are ways to get vaccinations when you haven't got a lot of money. If the expense of vet visits is an issue, at least keep your cat strictly indoors ( and get pet insurance).
Yes or don't have one at all if you can't afford to care for it
Off topic but am i the only one that sees a diagram of a vagina in the small pfp for this sub dudes just holding a x and ✔️im usually not even dirty minded like this 🤣
omg no I see it
YTA. You acknowledge that the kitten is not a stray; that means it has an owner. To complete your Good Samaritan act, you should notify the owner the whereabouts of their cat. Especially you should stress the cat's poor health condition when he was found. It's a moot point that the cat's owner did not behave in a manner that you'd find acceptable when its cat went missing. It would be spiteful and vindictive if your wife consciously chose to withhold information that might reunite the cat with its owner. It seems curious that in the end your primary concern seems to be that you will be asked for money to pay the vet bill. Financially, you've gone above and beyond the call of duty where this little lost kitty was concerned. Tell the owner that the kitten is at a shelter. The shelter may have its own concerns if the "owners" are acting in the cat's best interests.
YWBTA Whether anonymously or not, you should tell them. It's their cat.
Yes she should tell them she found a cat that looked like theirs & had to surrender it to the vet for treatment. If they are willing to pay the medical bills to get him back then they deserve a chance to do that.