There is a cat that lives in a home which is known to be very aggressive and territorial. The owner loves her but notes that she can be mean. They also feed a neighborhood cat named Tula outside their house, which attracts many other cats. One of these cats is Chompy, who showed up in their yard about six months ago and quickly became a regular visitor. Chompy is described as the sweetest cat the owner has encountered, being very friendly and submissive. However, he often gets bullied by other cats and lacks survival skills; he will sit in front of a moving car without moving, putting himself in danger. The owner has saved him from being run over multiple times.
Chompy does not appear to be a stray cat, so the owner asked neighbors if they knew where he came from. They discovered that he actually belongs to a neighbor, who they contacted to inform her of Chompy’s presence. The neighbor reacted angrily, accusing them of taking her cat. It turned out that when Chompy first arrived, the neighbor had gone on vacation for a week and asked her son to leave food outside once a day. This is when Chompy found the owner’s house to get food. The owner explained that they did not intend to take Chompy; he simply looked hungry, so they fed him. Chompy does not come inside because of the owner’s aggressive cat.
After some time, the neighbor took Chompy back, but he returned to the owner’s house just two hours later. She suggested that if they wanted him so badly, they could keep him. The owner reassured her that they did not want to take her cat and advised her to keep him inside if she did not want him coming back, especially since they regularly leave food out for Tula. Since this incident, Chompy has appeared dirtier, leading the owner to believe that he is not being well taken care of. He seems neglected, and after a night of rain, he cried for help, which upset the owner. Although they cannot bring him inside, the owner’s boyfriend’s sister expressed willingness to take him in. The owner is unsure whether to talk to the neighbor again, as it appears the neighbor may have given up on Chompy. They are concerned about the cat’s wellbeing, feeling that not caring for him could be considered animal cruelty. What should they do if the neighbor refuses to cooperate?
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Reddit source: Reddit, shared by u//u/littlemissblonda