I'm glad her son is being reasonable as well. Always helps to have a family member on side. But shows she is manipulative of the whole thing. Poor Dobby. Ok now I have the whole Dobby is a free elf going round my head (anyone else?)
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Our neighbour hadn’t actually seen Harry Potter her grandchildren had named him, so she didn’t understand why at Christmas when she’d bought him one of those cat stockings why everyone was saying master has given Dobby a sock to her
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What a weirdo 
Also interested to know where she’s got covid from if she never leaves the house and is on her own
Also interested to know where she’s got covid from if she never leaves the house and is on her own
Thats another reason to keep your cat away from her. You dont want her germs near him. x
It would be rude not to
I was just about to comment that she doesn’t strike me as someone who cares what you have to say to her and you’ve just confirmed it.
Glad your husband is on your side and the woman’s son can see it too. Dobby deserves to be a freeelf cat without fear of being snatched by the crazy lady. I just don’t understand why she won’t get her own goddamn cat. I’ve heard so many scenarios like this, it would boil my blood.
Glad your husband is on your side and the woman’s son can see it too. Dobby deserves to be a free
Yeeeeeeeeessesssss
Same here and they always say they don’t want their own. But they will happily steal someone else’s. They don’t call em crazy car lady’s for nothing
Sweet old lady my ass. You’ve been more than reasonable with her previously, at this stage she’d be getting a kick in the c*** if she carried on trying to snatch my dog.
I’ve never had a cat that goes outdoors that doesn’t do this to some extent. They are very manipulative and will always get their own way in the end...sorry not much help I know.
Definitely. Mine is fed by numerous neighbours (thankfully none are weird or try to steal him) and every summer he brings things back he has stolen from their bbqs
- my favourite being the kebab he stole last year complete with metal skewer!
As other people have said cats do eventually get used to being inside. We had a couple of cats growing up who were outdoor cats and at the age of around 6 one was killed by a car so the other became a house-cat so that the same thing didn't happen again. She wanted out a lot initially but eventually got used to it and lived to be 16 before eventually dying of old age.
If you give Dobby lots of play-time and things that he can focus his attention on he should be okay.
If you give Dobby lots of play-time and things that he can focus his attention on he should be okay.
Practice fake crying, then rub your eyes so they're red and go round minus Dobby. Say you need to talk. Then cry and tell her you took him to the vets (take him for a drive in the car ahead of time so she can see you going out) and he's got a serious heart condition. Tell her that he can be treated, but needs meds that cost £250 a month and ultrasounds every 3 months which cost £400 a time. Tell her he could have a thrombosis at any time and if he does he'll be screaming in agony and will need immediate veterinary assistance, even if it's 2.30 in the morning.
Say the vet says he can't be stressed, so that means he has to have only one home as he can't go between you and her as he needs his meds 3 times a day and a calm and stable life. That it's cost you £950 already, (but luckily you have him insured), just for tests and meds. Cry and say you're scared you'll find him screaming in agony with a thrombosis at any time, because the vet said this is very likely to happen out of the blue. You're sure she'll understand that he cannot visit her again, because of this. Unless she can afford the horrendous bills and living in terror, in which case, she should say, because this needs to be sorted out once and for all. But, what if being in two homes brought this on? Cry A LOT.
I think this should solve this once and for all.
P.S. This is completely true, it happened to one of my cats. It was horrifying. She's a manipulative nasty woman who has tried to steal your cat and she needs to learn that there are consequences to behaving in this disgusting and thieving way.
Just been thinking. She may have been refused a cat by a rescue. There no reason why she couldn't have adopted one, surely? So maybe they said no for some reason.
I have cat proof fencing. It keeps them safe and away from evil cat nicking old ladies!
Say the vet says he can't be stressed, so that means he has to have only one home as he can't go between you and her as he needs his meds 3 times a day and a calm and stable life. That it's cost you £950 already, (but luckily you have him insured), just for tests and meds. Cry and say you're scared you'll find him screaming in agony with a thrombosis at any time, because the vet said this is very likely to happen out of the blue. You're sure she'll understand that he cannot visit her again, because of this. Unless she can afford the horrendous bills and living in terror, in which case, she should say, because this needs to be sorted out once and for all. But, what if being in two homes brought this on? Cry A LOT.
I think this should solve this once and for all.
P.S. This is completely true, it happened to one of my cats. It was horrifying. She's a manipulative nasty woman who has tried to steal your cat and she needs to learn that there are consequences to behaving in this disgusting and thieving way.
Just been thinking. She may have been refused a cat by a rescue. There no reason why she couldn't have adopted one, surely? So maybe they said no for some reason.
I have cat proof fencing. It keeps them safe and away from evil cat nicking old ladies!
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no offence, but wow
this is old cat-stealing-psycho-biddy level crazy. 
no need for any lies. why get tangled in a web of cuckoo.
this made me laugh out loud by the way
I loved my neighbours car but I’ve never thought of taking a crowbar to the driver side window and hopping inside to hotwire it.
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What's a web of cuckoo? I've never heard this phrase.no offence, but wow
no need for any lies. why get tangled in a web of cuckoo.
It's a bit complex, but there are numerous ways to deal with people, particularly if we are attempting to change behaviours. It's particularly challenging when someone is in complete denial, as this lady is. The OP thinks Dobby wants to be with her and that she has the better home as she is around all the time and Dobby gets lonely on his own.
She is ignoring and rebutting attempts based on ownership. An alternative strategy needs to be used, one which puts at the heart of this matter, not the ownership of Dobby, but his safety and well-being, based on issues other than whether he's lonely. In certain instances, it's necessary to go in hard. By focussing on his health, the OP is reinforcing the fact that it is she and her husband who know Dobby's health situation, not the old lady and this further reinforces the fact that they have this knowledge because he is their cat. Including a vet in this scenario is also important. Vets are professionals, they are authority figures and most people recognise them as 'truthtellers'. If a vet says Dobby needs to be kept in one home, he should be. Also, it is now practically impossible for her to claim she looks after Dobby better than the 'neglectful' OP, because he having ongoing treatment with a vet.
Yes, it's a lie, but it's more than that. It's a manipulation of a manipulator. The old lady has lied repeatedly, discussion over a period of time has been unsuccessful. This situation needs shutting down and for that, they need to present a faits accomplis.
As I said, I know psychology can be quite complex, but I hope I've explained it as simply as possible. When discussion is unsuccessful, you need to create a dead end. Something along the lines of a serious health issue would work, because the old lady can't argue against it.
I can't remember whether Dobby's microchipped? He needs to be and I would probably contact all the local vets and explain the problem you are having with this lady trying to claim ownership of your cat and ask them to check the chip of any cat matching Dobby's description prior to treatment.
Yes he is microchipped, it would actually be a good idea to invent a medical problem if I thought it would make a difference however I’m 99.9% sure she could be told Dobby will spontaneously combust if he steps a paw into her home and she’d still let him in, it seems to go in one ear and out the other, not to be rude but I get the impression she’s away with the fairies a bit.
I don't think lying is the right way to go about it, if I'm honest. Lying lets her think that but for whatever fabricated reason is given, what she's doing is ok. It isn't. OP might think it's not her place to tell the old lady this, and I would understand that. However, there is really no reason to make up any crazy reason why OP gets to keep her own cat. That is the reason. Cats are legally considered property and OP can enforce her rights if she wants to. This cat thief shouldn't be encouraged to go out and steal someone else's cat because OP has fed her some crazy lie about why she can't steal this particular cat in my opinion.
Thank you for this I never thought about the knock on effect it could have for another cat & owner by doing this.
Why is it always old women who nick other peoples cats. Its mental we used to have one up the road, and there was one when i was little.