Cat suspected stolen, returns home looking well fed after three years away from pawrents and feline brother after being spotted across the road, cat pawrent says: ‘We had already experienced one set of neighbours trying to steal both of our cats.’

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
May 21, 2026 12:45 PM EDT

Sometimes a cat gets stolen, other times they are cheating on you with other familes…

Cases such as the one we are about to read about in this story are tough. There is no clear cut way to say that this happened or that happened. And from the side of the cat pawrents who are telling this story, it obviously looks like their cat child had been stolen and held against his will for several years. But what this family have forgotten to take into account is that a prowling male cat can have just as many hooman families as they might have female partners. Which is to say there can be several of them and none of them need be the wiser about one and other.

Something which is rather obvious when you consider that this catto strolled back into his original home looking incredibly well fed after three years. So what we might actually be looking at is a case of a cat who was fed up with one of his families and decided to take a nice little multi-year vacation from them.
 

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  • 01
    "Lo and behold who did I see running out of my opposite neighbour's yard across the street? My cat Simba!"
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  • 02
    So just like it says my cat Simba went missing three years ago. He's a big sweetie, really affectionate, easy to love and he was my daughter's first pet.
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  • 03
    We searched everywhere for him posted on forums, checked the pounds and even put up a notice on our community missing animals board.
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  • 04
    After 2 years with no sign of him we'd honestly given up hope of finding him alive but before this Simba's collar kept getting taken off seemingly someone
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  • 05
    with opposable thumbs took them off because they weren't the breakaway collars since after the first two breakaway collars we initially started with and
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  • 06
    realise that OK well maybe he's messing around (play fighting with his brother) and they're getting caught and they just keep breaking off but we
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  • Oooohh, this is one of those seriously frustrating situations. Cats are such free roamers, such playboys and girls that they can easily be living with several different families at the same time without either family realizing that is the case. It could be just as possible that the other person who was removing the collar thought that another family was trying to lay claim to the stray cat who they have been building a relationship with. In the end the cat wins from all angles, getting food and a safe place to stay from all parties. Such sneaky stuff…
     

  • 07
    could never find them. After getting the alternative collars there was no doubt that someone was taking it off of him. We had already
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  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10632475136
    via Africa Studio via Adobe Stock

    Cute funny cat isolated on white background

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    experienced one set of neighbours trying to steal both of our cats. We have we have two cats they're twins him being the eldest of them. And they're indoor outdoor cats.
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  • 10
    However we thought once those neighbours had moved away (they were renters) that we would no longer experience this issue. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
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  • 11
    And being an indoor outdoor cat, he hated being cooped up for too long and it just it just felt cruel to keep him indoors. He hated being on a leash and at the time we weren't in a
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  • 12
    place to create a catio for them despite our best efforts he'd get back out and then he just went missing. Lo and behold who
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  • Look, you give a cat a name like Simba and you expect him to remain beholden to one household? You just gave him a name fit for an animal king, so of course he would not be subject to the leash of another, nor to being kept indoors. His life is to prowl his territory, keep it safe from invading felines and to enjoy the spoils of his kingdom. Those spoils essentially being access to whatever cat loving household opens their doors to him. Sounds like a pretty good life if you ask us. Where can we sign up?
     

  • 13
    did I see running out of my opposite neighbours yard across the street? My cat Simba! How did I know for certain considering he was overweight? Aside from the fact
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  • 14
    that I raised them since they were 6 weeks old. He gotten in a fight with a dog and survived, but not without a few very obvious unique
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  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 10632475648
    via visitr via Adobe Stock

    Orange cat lazing on its side between two wooden posts.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 16
    scars. I now have him back inside our house. He remembers us but does not seem recognise his brother in fact he's trying to start a fight
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  • 17
    with him (I understand male cats can be territorial even with family however they were both neutered early??). He is walking around the house occasionally
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  • 18
    meowing wanting to get out or get into the room where his brother is. I'm at a loss. I've never been in this sort of situation before. Can anyone
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  • 19
    give me any advice and what to do going forward? At least for the next few days till we can get a catio built. Side note: we
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  • 20
    haven't built the catio before now because his brother is happy being an indoor cat. He rarely goes outside and we decided not to get another cat.
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  • 21
    Edit: We have a brick wall around our property and ficus growing over top and a sliding iron gate (sits flush with the driveway and the slats are too close
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  • 22
    together for a even a kitten to get out) and never in all the years we've had cats have we ever had an issue with our pets getting out and leaving our property. It has just never
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  • 23
    Cheezburger Image 10632475392
    via otsphoto via Adobe Stock

    Long hair orange cat sitting outdoors

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 24
    happened till this little escape artist. So either he found a way out or someone came in and took him. The yard is clear of any debris and
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  • 25
    anything that could cause their collars to catch hence my switch to Elastic collars to test the theory of them possibly being removed safely.
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  • 26
    Playing DoomOr We had already experien ced one set of
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  • 27
    neighbo rs trying to steal both of our cats. All the more reason to keep cats indoors.
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  • 28
    It's best for their health, it's best for the environment. I'm glad you got your cat back. Keep him inside now.
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cat suspect stolen spotted brother reddit story years cat story feline pawrents return home
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