Sometimes it’s really hard to know which decision is the right decision. For example, if you found a lost cat and thought you could give the cat a better home than the cat’s original owner, would you give the cat back?

This guy came across an adorable cat and doesn’t want to give it back to the owner. Should he?

Read the full story to decide.

AITA for not giving someone’s cat back?

Three weeks ago, I found a cat meowing on my back porch.

It was very cold outside, so I approached him, and he allowed me to pick him up and take him inside.

He knew he had to do something about it…

He had no collar and was not neutered, so I assumed he was a stray.

Regardless, he was clearly begging for my help.

That night, I fed him, gave him a warm bed, and purchased a cheap litter box.

I posted about him on Nextdoor, Ring, and Facebook groups for lost pets, but I had no luck finding his owner.

He did all he could for the pet!

The next day, I took him to a vet to get scanned for a microchip, but he didn’t have one.

After trying everything for a week with no success, I decided to invest in a better litter box, food, and a collar.

I also put down a nonrefundable deposit at a vet to have him neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.

UH OH…

However, last night, the night before his appointment, I received a message on one of the apps from someone claiming that he is their cat.

I asked for photos, and I could tell it was definitely him.

After digging a little deeper into his story, I learned that he is a strictly outdoor cat, but they allow him to sleep in their garage.

That sounds so bad!

We’re in the midwest where it is currently 8 degrees, and I live in a heavily wooded area where there are coyotes all over.. that made me uneasy.

He is such a loving cat, and I could tell when I brought him in that it was his first time being in a home.

I’ve continued to let him be an outdoor cat, and he shows up in my yard each night.

He’s gotten quite attached to the cat.

The owner is demanding that I return him and hasn’t offered to reimburse me for anything, not that I would accept it if she did; it’s the principle of the matter.

Plus, I believe it should ultimately be the cat’s choice.

I admit I’m biased because I want to keep him, but I genuinely want to do what’s best for him.

The owner really wants it back…

The owner mentioned that her kids have been crying and that their other cat has gone missing because they think he is out looking for his brother.

I told her I would return him tonight, but there’s a good chance she will never let him outside again, or he might come back to me, which would make things awkward.

I really wish I could keep him.

What would you do?

That’s a tough situation! It would be hard to give back a cat you started to think of as yours.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit think about this one.

That’s right! This user thinks pet owners shouldn’t leave their pets outdoors like that.

True that! This person knows the cat wasn’t being taken care of.

That makes sense! This user thinks lying about the whereabouts of the cat should solve the issue.

This user also suggests lying to the owners.

Exactly! This user knows that the cat was really being mistreated with the old owners.

Do what’s best for the cat.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.