Is it fair ???

[farthing]

I think legally the animal must be advertised for a week, before it can be kept by anybody else.

[Moli]

Think she should try to find its owner, they could be searching for it....I would advertise, in the papers, put up flyers even the local radio....

[dandysmom]

I am partially guilty on that count. Many years ago I found Misty as a little lost kitten wandering about the neighborhood (found out later she'd been doing it for quite some time). I took her in, put up notices all around the neighborhood and asked people. Back then I'd never heard of microchipping, it was not common here . I also checked the papers for a "lost kitten" notice. So, after about 10 days I was in love with her, took down the signs and kept her .....for 20 years!

I wouldn't do it today, would go the vet/microchipping route. But truthfully I'm not sorry I kept her.

[louise_81]

I don't think Laragreg is saying her friend should not keep the cat, but that her friend should search a bit harder for its previous owners. I'm sure if her friend had exacerbated all route she would be happy that the kitty has landed on its paws. (Correct me if I am wrong, Please)

[pcspik]

Legally the position for rescue is for 10 days, unless it is chipped.

I agree with the others: ask at any vets within the county (or if you live near another county, any ones located in that too within a reasonable distance), phone local rescues and ask neighbours and anyone in the local vicinity. Cats have been known to wander into vans, so once those venues have been exhausted then I would consider it mine.

But in reality, once you have heard nothing for a month I would consider it mine. For example we had once at our local CP a cat that had been handed into the vet severely injured. Although they checked the lost & found register and asked local vets, no owner came forward until a month later they put the cat in the local newspaper. The owner recognised the cat (they thought she was dead) and so the cat was returned back to her.

Also as I have said before: the chances could be that the owner is on holiday. If they are relying on a neighbour then that neighbour may not know what to do if a cat is lost and may be waiting until the owner comes back. That means 2 weeks may be gone before the owner makes any enquiries: by then someone could have taken her in. So it makes sense until a month has gone before claiming any cat as their own.

Tortoises can be chipped (but they have to be a certain weight and age) and so can ferrets.

[jan]

My Felix was found at roughly 9 weeks in a garage in Leicester on a busy council estate. He had fallen in the roof and it was the hottest day of the year about 90 degrees F. He was skinny, covered in fleas and had a blue collar on, no tag and not micro chipped. My daughters then boyfriend s little brother passed the garage and heard meowing, somehow got in and rescued him and took him home. My daughter begged me to have him but as I had 4 cats already I refused initially and relented to say I would have him over the weekend as my local animal rescue said they could nt take him til the Monday (this being Saturday evening ) and the rottweiller at my daughters boyfriends was terrifying the little kitten. So he arrived, and he stayed. And I am so glad as he is a beautiful friendly huge ball of fluff. I took him to the vets and no, not chipped. I then forgot it as I thought whoever let him out so young to get lost on busy roads in the middle of leicester did nt deserve to have him. He was thin as I said and covered in fleas. Monday I got him advantage, by a week or two he had filled out. No, I am not sorry I kept him as I think he has a better loving and caring home than he seemed, upon evidence of my eyes, to have had. I did feel sorry for whoever had lost him to a degree but my daughter said no one had advertised round where he was found and he most certainly would have died in that heat very quickly had this little boy not heard him meowing. He was dehydrated when he arrived to me and drank gallons water. I am very glad he was rescued and found his home here to be honest. Jan x

[dandysmom]

Jan, I agree you did the right thing there! I didn't say in my previous post that when I found Misty it was in the dead of Winter and snow/sleet was in the forecast. Anyone who'd let a kitten out in that sort of weather (she'd been wandering for several days) and not post "Lost Kitten" signs or take other steps didn't really deserve her IMO. And traffic is very bad on our street.

[Sequeena]

I think every avenue should be explored before they decide to keep the cat but there are some awful people in this world who go out solely for getting a cat and pick one up that they like the look of.

On the other hand cats should be tattooed and/or microchipped like dogs are. Collars I'm not too sure about as Lucius often went out with a collar and got stuck on branches etc so we decided to take them off him. All our cats stay close to home though.

[kado]

When i found my maisey i tried everything i could do as i did with gabby 2wks later. I informed all the rescue's, vets and pdsa and rspca in and not one cat had been lost. I took maisey to my vets and she isnt chipped at all. She was seen dumped in the local park and somehow dound my house. The RSPCA told me when i reported gabby that its 28 days from when you report them and then legaly the animal is in your ownership. All my boys are chipped i wouldnt let them out otherwise.

[pcspik]

I think there is a difference between finding one that is perfectly healthy (or a tiny bit thin) and one that is in a shocking state. If a cat is not reported missing and obviously not chipped (or wearing a collar with an address tag) but in a shocking state then if an owner is not found within 10 days then there would not be any qualms about keeping it.

But if the cat is perfectly healthy, and no obvious owner is found, despite all reasonable attempts to find one, then after a month I think it would be considered "yours".