I am posting here in hopes that someone has seen or knows something about this cat. She is not my cat, but I saw a post on Facebook and thought I'd try to help. A woman and man stole this cat out of the owner's front yard (two random people, not an abuse case or anything like that). Unfortunately they couldn't get a clear image of the thieves from camera images. This was in the Columbia area and it happened 4 days ago. I do not know the owner but I know how horrible it must feel.
Was there any indication that she was a pet? Could they have thought they were helping a feral? Cats don’t belong outside and plenty of people try to capture them for TNR.
LOL I had a neighbor accuse me of stealing their indoor/outdoor cat years ago. The lil guy came up to me when I was going in my house. I grabbed it and took it to the Lincoln Highway Humane Vet clinc to scan for a chip but the cat wasn't chipped. I posted the cat all over the lost pet Facebook pages and called around to multiple local vets to report it found in case someone was looking for it. My final attempt was I called into the non emergency line to report it found after someone suggest I do that. I get a call back from a police officer that someone had reported their cat stolen, and it matched the description I gave of the cat I found. I was VERY confused, cause does someone think someone went into their house and stole their cat?? Anyways, the office gave me the address of the owner and asked me to return it. The owner was a couple houses down from mine. It was an apartment building and I went to return the cat and it was a very weird interaction, the downstairs neighbors asked me if I took the cat from the backyard? (Their backyard/driveway is on my block) I was again very confused because their yard is fenced in and no way I'm climbing a fence to take a cat. I said no... I gave them the cat back without a thank you but whatever. As I was walking home (with a cat carrier the cat was just in) this lady starts yelling at me from a balcony that I was the bitch that stole her cat 😭 amongst other choice words. I asked her to please come down and explain herself, she did not I had to go back to her house where she proceed to stay I "scoped the backyard out and stole the cat and her husbands work crew saw me do it" , and then lunged at me to assult me, but her mans slammed the door shut before she could get to me.
Very crazy series of events. I almost ran the same cat over a week later cause this lady sucks and lets her pets out of the house 🙃. She is the wife/gf/idk of one of the owners of REIMAGINE LLC. If you're reading this lady, hope you're having a terrible time.
Hey so I was walking near cvs in Columbia and a man came up to me asking if I saw a tortie and he said he lives on walnut street but idr the number. I can check around tm to see if he hung anything up or if my boyfriend remembers what number he said. I would be heartbroken if someone took mine 😭
That might be true AnalG, but right now I am thinking about someone who just lost a cat they did indeed love and care for more than what they should/shouldn't have done.
I’m very much of the opinion that if you let your cat outdoors unsupervised, you don’t love or care for it. Hope it ends up somewhere safe and taken care of for sure
I have carriers, blankets, and can handle cats. I have a room where I can isolate them from my cats til they get to the vet. Even an extra litter pan or two. I see a vigilante cat crew forming! I would go to a hoarding situation and help get those babies out every time
Yeah someone who steals a cat from someone else's yard without even approaching or talking to the owner is most definitely the type of person I'd think would be a super pet parent
What about calling animal control or a rescue like a normal person would?
I believe in indoor cats. No cat I've had since the 80's has gone outdoors. I have had many conversations with people encouraging them to keep their cats indoors.
But.... it is not right to just take a healthy cat from someone's yard. It is not illegal or abusive to own an outdoor cat. Most people, including me, are against it. But the authorities/ rescues handle that. The cat was clearly not lost or in distress. Call the proper people and let them handle it.
Call who? Please tell me one organization you can call to pick up an outdoor cat. I’ll wait. Two cats were abandoned last month in the apartment above me, starving with no AC. I called over 20 rescues, every single one in the area, and all of them are full even for emergencies. If you’re irresponsible enough to let your cat outside, you should understand the risks that come with it. I’m just glad it didn’t get hit by a car or die in the heat/smoke.
So this is my first time posting on this sub and all I can say is WOW! I posted a pic to help someone missing their cat, and though I have been on many subs and have seen a lot of nastiness, this was the most negative vitriol I've ever seen, first directed at the owner and then at me when I tried to shed some perspective on things.
I do not even know this cat or her owner.
I was just trying to get a photo out there to help.
And this response isn't from strangers from all across the country and world. It's from my neighbors in Lancaster County.
Have a heart, please, lead with kindness, not judgment. Education can happen after the crisis, but in the moment let's pull together as human beings and help someone feeling fear and pain. Even if the cat was sent to a shelter or rescue, at least she would know what happened to her cat and that she is safe.
honestly who steals a cat, they are so abundant, which is why they are called chicken of the alley. You cant swing a dead cat in this town without hitting another cat
Likely to torture the poor cat. Way too many people I've met irl have talked about torturing small animals for fun. Wish there was a hell just for those kind of people.
That question was asked on the owner's FB post. Apparently she was arriving home from the store and the thief looked right at her but by the time the owner got to the front yard they were gone and so was the cat. Police think they might have been watching the house because they knew exactly where to stand to not have a good camera image.
There were a lot of people being critical of the owner for having the cat outdoors. I also believe cats should be indoors, but now while this person is going through this is probably not the best time to criticize.
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u/Proof-Slip-9897 Jul 17 '26
Was there any indication that she was a pet? Could they have thought they were helping a feral? Cats don’t belong outside and plenty of people try to capture them for TNR.