Doing the right thing for animals is not always as simple as it seems.

If you found a stray cat and started caring for it, what would you do if you found out the cat had an owner already?

Would you return the cat or keep it?

This woman rescued a trapped adult tuxedo cat and brought him to the vet.

She kept him and cared for him until her friend told her that the owner had been looking for her cat.

Now, she feels torn about what to do.

Read the full story below.

AITA for not giving the stray cat I found back to his original owner

A feral cat colony lives in my neighborhood, and I often trap them to be spayed or neutered.

In December 2024, I trapped an adult tuxedo cat.

I was planning on neutering and releasing him, but he was so loving.

I brought him inside for a flea bath, and he would not stop hugging me. Like literally putting both arms around my neck.

This woman learned that the owner of the cat was looking for it.

After taking him to the vet, I saw he wasn’t neutered or microchipped and had tapeworms.

I assumed he was a friendly stray who lived in the colony, so I kept him.

Fast forward to nine months, a friend sent me a Facebook post on a local community page of a woman claiming she was missing her cat.

A picture showed a male tuxedo, and she even said he loved to give hugs.

I knew it was him because he has a distinct white spot in the middle of his forehead.

I was shocked.

She feels guilty and wants to tell the owner that her cat is in good hands.

She said she knew it was a long shot since he went missing in December, but she was not aware of the lost pet Facebook page, only the local shelter who was not much help since he never made it there.

He made it in my house instead.

I feel so guilty because she is probably thinking the worst has happened to him.

I wish I could tell her that he’s safe, but I know if I did, she would want him back.

Even her friend tells her that giving the cat back is the right thing to do.

My friend thinks giving him back is the right thing to do.

But he has the best home with me and has bonded with my cat and I.

In the lady’s post, she said her four-year-old daughter misses him and that he was their beloved outdoor and indoor cat.

However, she thinks that the woman isn’t a good cat owner

I truly feel bad for the owner’s daughter.

However, the woman does not sound like a good cat owner.

It is not legal in our city to let your cats roam, and it is extremely dangerous for them.

Also, he was in bad condition and not neutered, so I think it’s very irresponsible she was letting him outside to reproduce and expand the colony near our homes.

So she plans to pretend like she didn’t see the post at all.

He is just so happy with me, and I would hate for him to end up missing or dead as a part-time outdoor cat.

So, am I the jerk for pretending like I never saw the post?

Should she give the family their cat back or keep it in her home?

Let’s see how others reacted to this story on Reddit.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

The cat is better with you, says this person.

This person calls the owner irresponsible.

Here’s an honest opinion from this person.

Finally, short and simple.

What feels kind isn’t always what’s right.

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.