'I don’t trust the neighbor with owning her again': Six months of care and cuddles after a couple rescues a stray cat, their neighbor suddenly claims ownership, but the cat has already chosen her furever hoomans

Author image for Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown • Writer and Editor
Aug 4, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

This tail begins with a scruffy stray. Filthy, knotted fur, and heartbreakingly underweight. She'd been lingering on the porch for a year, clearly auditioning for the role of house cat. One kind-hearted boyfriend and his equally feline-adoring partner later, and she was officially adopted. Fast forward: she's now a clean, healthy, floofy queen who follows her rescuer everywhere. Purrfect.

But just when the cuddlefest was in full swing... drama pounced. The boyfriend's roommate gets a message: a neighbor claims the cat is actually hers, backed up with old photos. Apparently, this supposed owner let her have multiple litters and roam the streets like a whiskered wanderer.

Now the question is clawing at everyone. Does someone who let a cat go hungry and live outside really get to claim ownership? The bond between cat and its chosen hooman is strong, and the thought of giving her up is pawfully upsetting. Legal meownuvers aside, she's clearly found her forever home. Losing her now? Total catastrophe.

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  • 01
    'She absolutely is in love with him'
    via Jakub Zerdzicki from Pexels / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    So about around February my boyfriend took in this stray cat, she is a black and white cat and is very cute. She had been living in her back porch area for about a year and she was filthy and skinny asf, like so skinny I could fit my hands around her waist basically and I have small hands.
    via Open-Ad-2288
  • 03
    When I got with him I told him he should bring her inside and keep her because cats shouldn't be outside! Also she would always try to come inside lol. (I believe owning a cat you shouldn't let them outside and should keep them inside) so he did and she absolutely is in love with him, and follows him around everywhere and just has bonded with him.
    via Open-Ad-2288
  • 04
    Fast forward to now she is a healthy weight and her long fur is all clean <3 but my boyfriends roommate texted me saying that one of our neighbors said that was her cat and showed photos of her to him, he said it looked a lot like her and apparently she had kittens more than once. I told
    via Open-Ad-2288
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10537860864
    via Open-Ad-2288
  • 06
    him that the cat when we found her was so malnourished and dirty that I wouldn't wanna give that cat up, especially if she let her have kittens?? No good cat owner adopts a cat and doesn't spay them.
    via Open-Ad-2288
  • 07
    I really want him to keep her because they bonded so much and are inseparable and I don't trust the neighbor with owning her again if she let her cat out and get malnourished. Am I over reacting to not wanting to give her up?? I'm scared we will get in trouble legally but idk what those laws are where I live (Washington state) Please help me, I don't know what to do...
    via Open-Ad-2288
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    Cheezburger Image 10537904384
    via Bia Santana from Pexels / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    Fabulous_Search... Do you have a series of photos takes from when you found her in bad shape and neglected to now? If she persists, I'd show them to her and remind her that animal cruelty is a crime, and does she really want to make an issue of this, given the condition of the cat when you took her in?
    via Fabulous_Search_1353
  • 10
    S... This is your cat. You have the vet bills to prove it. Neighbour doesn't.
    via Suspicious_Comb8811
  • 11
    Whomever's name is on the vet bills (as long as cat isn't microchipped) owns the cat. Realistically though, this cat owns your boyfriend. Even if for any reason the ab ive neighbour ends up getting this cat back, she's only going to get out and come back home to your boyfriend.
    via Suspicious_Comb8811

  • If you’ve been covering her vet bills, feeding her, and giving her a loving home, that neighbor doesn’t stand a cat’s chance in a dog park. She’s yours now.

  • 12
    If you haven't brought her to the vet yet, go now. Your boyfriend should pay so his name is on the file. If there's no microchip, vet bills prove "ownership" legally as far as I'm aware. Double check for your area though.
    via Suspicious_Comb8811
  • 13
    Edit: btw, I'm 99.9% sure this cat is a Norwegian Forest Cat. They were bred by the vikings. Go read about them... read about the differences between NFC & Mainecoons. I'm seeing characteristics of a Norwegian Forest Cat. They are prone to kidney disease
    via Suspicious_Comb8811
  • 14
    and diabetes so get those things checked asap and make that part of the routine checkup. And when it snows, get this cat on a harness & leash cause they're the huskys of cats and love the cold/snow, but go for a drive to play in the snow to avoid the nasty neighbour giving you trouble.
    via Suspicious_Comb8811
  • 15
    Visible_Attitude7... Lady cat been missing 6 months, and she didn't care? Someone tried that with a stray dog i took in. Found out they were lying
    via Visible_Attitude7693

  • Not checking on your cat for six months and then suddenly asking for her back? That’s pawsitively crazy. Commitment means more than just claiming ownership when it’s convenient!

  • 16
    Proverbs21-3 If you/your boyfriend have vet bills showing that you have been caring for cat, the cat is yours now.
    via Proverbs21-3
  • 17
    Do you have any photos from you first took her in? If so, they were be great ammunition should your boyfriend's roommate's neighbor try to say she is going to take you to court to get the cat. She will never get the cat back if you have proof of how neglected she was when you took her in.
    via Proverbs21-3
  • 18
    anxious_mess19 to be honest? if there's no chip? there's no proof. now, if that cat was well taken care of when found outside (or has been lost for a LONG time to be in that condition) then it might be a different story. BUT: malnourished, outside, unspayed, and not chipped??? that isn't someone taking care of another living being. you've taken her in, gotten her
    via anxious_mess19
  • 19
    healthy, she's yours. there's NO argument as to why the cat should go back to the neighbor. plus, she probably looks like a totally different cat from the neighbors pictures, knowing how mistreated she was. exactly like you said, if you give her back, it's gonna end up the exact same way. congrats on the cat distribution system blessing you! she's yours now, and don't feel ANY guilt.
    via anxious_mess19
  • 20
    Illustrious-Ad6568 If they can't afford to take care of their cat, they can't afford to take you to court. Keep the cat.
    via Illustrious-Ad6568
  • 21
    ZodiacOne1 You and your bf are wonderful for taking in this poor cat. Please keep fighting for her! We are routing for you
    via ZodiacOnel

  • You took her in, cared for her, and gave her a home. She chose you, not the neighbor. When a cat picks her humans, that bond is furever and can’t be ignored.

  • 22
    Sweaty-Dragonfly2... Get her chipped at the vet with your information. The woman can't take her without a whole legal intervention which she won't do. If she calls the cops or animal services the cat is chipped with your information and you have vet bills. Also no legal groups care
    via Sweaty-Dragonfly2218
  • 23
    QueenSmarterTh... I mean, absolutely get your ducks in a row for posterity's sake. But when it comes to cats, possession is 9/10ths of the law. I doubt people who were too lazy to properly care for a cat are going to put a lot of effort in to try and get her back. But still, get her a vet visit and paperwork.
    via QueenSmarterThanThou
  • 24
    ametsun Got the cat in February and just now the owner is coming forward. That's your cat now. The other owner obviously did not care about her.
    via ametsun
  • 25
    Odd-Fennel5806 Take her to the vet and get her chipped like immediately so they can't say she theirs.
    via Odd-Fennel5806

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Cats pets adopted cat owners feline pawrents stray rescue
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