am i the asshole for stealing my neighbor's kitten?

[chase_acow]

Last night right at sundown, I was out with my animals: Dasher and Pepper in the backyard, Gray in the front eating grass, and Mackie on his leash getting a feel for outside. This kitten runs out of the bushes between me and the nice older lady's house wanting to play and get some attention. Usually, I'm pretty good at petting and talking to a cat, maybe bringing out some water or wet food depending, and then letting it get on with cat things. But she was just so little! Maybe 9 or 10 weeks, and not as fat as you'd like to see the babies. It was also supposed to rain a lot last night, so I brought her in, checked for fleas and let her hangout until bedtime when she got sequestered into the spare bedroom.

Dogs loved her, she's not too in to them yet. She and the cats were very skittish, but interested.

This morning I went to ask the next door neighbor if she'd lost a kitten. She said no, she was pretty sure it belonged across the street, but that she hoped I'd keep it. She has pretty strict ideas about cats belonging inside as beloved and doted on pets.

So the across the street neighbors are nice, but they've have a couple of outside dogs that bark at me no matter what time I leave for work: 0730, 1530, or 2330. They also have an intact male cat who cycles through looking way too skinny and way too smug - sweet cat, but I don't want to know how many kittens he's responsible for. I know they let him in sometimes, but not all the time like extreme heat, rain, and last winter even though it was mostly mild.

I don't want to put her back outside, and I don't want to walk over and ask if she's theirs.

This morning, she and Mackie and playing and chasing each other around the house, while the older cat Gray follows along to watch and growl under her breath from a distance. I could keep her, but I've also put some feelers out to see if any of my friend's friends group is looking for a sweet inside kitty.

AITA?

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I can understand your dilemma. Your comment about their cat reminded me of some neighbors I grew up near. They had an unspayed cat who had at least a litter of kittens every year who, as far as I know, were almost all taken to the pound. It's not like they couldn't have afforded to do so, so I found it inexplicable that they'd let that go on year after year.

[chase_acow]

I was still a little conflicted, but it's been several days, and they know I fed their big cat over the summer when it was so hot that I wanted to give him some wet food, but they haven't come over to ask about her. So, I've got her a vet appointment on Monday and if it goes well, I guess she's mine! \0/

[tabaqui]

People who don't take care of their animals don't get much sympathy from me, and if the kitten's been gone for several days and they're not even bothering to ask around....
Too bad, so sad, you have a new cat! :D

She's so cute.

[chase_acow]

Yeah, she's now the house darling. The dogs dote on her, she and Mackie are playing really well, and even Gray stopped passive aggressively growling at her. She's got some food aggression with anything of higher value than kibble, but I'm hoping that will ease off as she learns the wet food/pate and treats are plentiful.

[tabaqui]

Yay! :D

[peaked]

NTA! If she doesn't have a microchip and you feel she could be mistreated across the road, keep her. She feels safe and happy with you and I fully believe our domesticated animals are just as smart as our wildlife and know who is safe for them. (It also really angers me to know that this other cat isn't even let inside to stay cool during extreme heat. Don't have a cat if you're not going to look after it and give it comfort!)

My workmate had a dog appear on her front porch and found out it belonged to a neighbour a few houses down. (Before she did, she was considering keeping it since it gelled so well with her smaller dog.) That neighbour didn't rush to get the dog. They waited until later the next day to get it when they were fully capable of getting the dog as soon as possible and gave her the impression that they weren't fussed that they had lost their beloved dog. (She wishes she'd never found them so she could've kept the dog.)

Just keep the kitten. If it's theirs, they should be asking around.

Also your cat and her moustache... I perish at the cuteness... (OMG I just realised this is her??????? KEEP HER.)

[chase_acow]

Thank you! This kitten is just the opposite of Mackie, she's so soft and quiet - I can't imagine her living outside. I made her a vet appointment on Monday, so I'll make sure everything is good to go, and then the only problem with be figuring out what to name her . . .

Oh no, I have to name her.

[peaked]

And post pics of her! Lots and lots of pics for me...

I mean all of us. But mostly for me.

[dine]

totally NTA. if kitty doesn't stay with you, I hope your feelers result in a new good home for her

[chase_acow]

I . . . I think she's mine now.

[8hyenas]

Eh, whatever. I've definitely stolen dogs out of people's yards and my mom is involved right now in trying to seduce a cat away from the neighbor, even though it's a perfectly fine home. They have too many! She's bullied! (That's my mom talking)

They didn't ask you where their cat is? You don't know.

OH! And on the flipside I once found my "missing presumed deceased" cat over at the neighbor's house living contentedly. I never thought the neighbor did anything wrong taking her in.

[chase_acow]

Yeah, I would have no problem with someone keeping one of my lost beloved pets as long as they were equally beloved over there. She's having a good time following Mackie around the house, and he outweighs her by nine pounds, but she still pounces on him and tries to wrestle. I think keeping her would be good for both of them.

[svgurl]

Aww, cute cat is cute! I totally get why you're conflicted but considering those people are letting their kitten wander (I've never had a pet- should they even be outside that soon?), it doesn't sound like they're really keeping track and I can see the temptation to keep her. I hope you're able to!

[chase_acow]

Thank you! I mean, I might consider the possibility of accidentally having a kitten dash out the door, except that all their other animals are outside and she hasn't made a move to be interested in the door since I brought her in. I think she's probably mine.

[turps]

She's beautiful, and it sounds like you've been chosen.

Honestly, if they couldn't be bothered to look for her, or neuter their other cat, they don't deserve to keep her.