Animals are known as property, I believe that this needs to change.

we recently took In a new cat who we believed was a stray, she came to us in such a state we had no reason to believe she wasn’t. All our cats apart from one have been stray. This cat who we call lulu, was filled with fleas and had tatty fur. She was very skinny as if she wasn’t eating properly and was constipated. Since we have taken in many strays in the past we decided to look after her. She was a very a shy cat, we found out she is afraid of loud noises, young children, fast moving objects and mainly the outdoors. When we found her she was hiding in our garage crying, my mother thought this was one of our older cats that might have fallen from the balcony so she quickly ran to the garage but to her suprise there was a little kitten who leaped into her arms. A few weeks later we decided she needed a friend, someone to play with as the older cats weren’t much company at the time. So we went out and bought a little kitten called boo! Lulu and boo quickly became best friends. Constantly playing with each other, sleeping together and grooming each other. These two little kittens brought so much life to the house that they encouraged the older cats to join in and start playing for the first time in years, it’s as is they brought life to the cats!

Moving forward a couple months, we decided to take them both to the vet (after gaining lulus trust) to get their vaccinations done etc. To our amazement lulu was chipped (although chipping does not prove ownership) the vet had to contact the original owners. We hoped and prayed that the original owners would have been pleased that lulu was safe and had been looked after and would have let us keep her. We weren’t shocked when we found out that they wanted her back as anyone would. But after explaining the situation and how lulu had a little cat family and had just started to learn to trust again that the family would put lulus best interest at first and let her stay. That wasn’t the case. After learning some more about lulus previous life and how far she had traveled we decided that we would put her interest at first and keep her here. We discovered that lulu had traveled over 4 miles minimum to get to us, across main roads and rivers! We were absolutely shocked to find out the journey she had made. 

A couple days later we received a call from the cat protection, they said that they heard we found a cat and wanted to know when they could collect her. After the cat protection had heard the full story and how lulu was being called property by this other family they seemed to be on the same page as us. They told us that they would talk to the other family and would ring us back In a couple days or so. We then never heard anything back from them so we thought maybe this other family had now agreed to let us keep her. ( we also offered to pay the other family any vet fees, and we offered the cat protection to visit us and see that lulu was okay)

Almost a month later we receive a call from the police saying that we have stolen a cat and must return her. Then after explaining the full story the police didn’t actually know what to do and said they have never actually heard of this. A week later we still haven’t heard from the police so we start to pray again that lulu is ours. However a couple days later we get a knock on the door from the police. They said they had to take this case to the chief, and now they have to apply law. Not the cats best interest. They explained the reason why we have to return her is because this other family had her first and had vet bills to show. It wasn’t the fact that she had been microchipped. It was the fact this family had her a couple months before us.

After a lengthy battle of fighting to keep her and putting her interest first, it all came down to the family having her first, regardless of how long they had her. 

We have had lulu for almost half a year now. We have looked after and given her a new family who she now trusts. I feel that taken her away from this will really traumatise her especially after what she has already been through. Not only will this affect her but it will affect our other cats especially the little kitten who we bought so she could have a friend.          These two kittens have become best friends and I feel that taking them away from each other would really hurt them both. unfortunately we do now have to give lulu back due to the law. 

Lulu is not this little kitten that this family once had, she is now almost a full grown adult cat who is very nervous and has a lot of worries. I hope that lulu remembers her old family as it might make the transition a little bit easier for her.

But these laws need to change! Animals should not be seen as property, they are living creatures and part of families. It should not been seen as a fight as who had the animal first. It should be what is best for the animal! I’m sure many families like us have been through this before, but I’d hate to see anymore families go through this! 

I am not fighting to get lulu back although I would be over the moon if we did. I am fighting for the laws to change. I am fighting so that animals are not seen as property anymore. The laws regarding animals are cruel and unfair and they need to change. It disgusts me that they do not put what would be best for the animal, instead they put whoever had the animal first. 

I have not put all the details about lulus previous life in here but all has been made clear to the police and the cat protection. I would also like to say that the reason we didn’t take her to the vet as soon as we found her was because we have always taken in strays and to us lulu looked like a typical stray, it is not a law that cats have to be microchipped and it’s very rare that cats actually are. So it didn’t once cross our mind to take her and get her checked.

The picture is of Lulu and her best friend Boo cuddling, very close to the time we first got them. Lulu is wearing pink and Boo is wearing orange.