Caring for sick animals is a pure act of kindness.

The man in this story mistook a dirty and thin cat for a stray, so he took it to the vet and called the RSPCA. But then he became the “bad guy” when people started calling him a cat thief.

Read below for the full story.

AITA for unknowingly taking someone old and sick cat?

Yesterday, I saw a seemingly stray cat. It was EXTREMELY thin and dirty and smelled of poop.

I, without hesitation, took it home to give it food, and then called RSPCA, who referred me to take it to the vet.

The vet said that the cat has clearly not eaten in a while, but not much more. They said that they’ll keep it for a week, and if no one calls to ask about it and collects it after that time, I can take it home.

It wasn’t hard to find out who the owner was.

So I made a post on Facebook looking for the owner.

Turns out, everyone in the area knows the owner, and the cat is 17 years old.

I’ve been called a cat thief and even threatened, as someone wanted to call the police on me for “stealing” a cat (which I obviously not wanted to steal.)

This man is unsure if he did the right thing, taking in a frail cat.

I’ve messaged a lady who knows the owner, the number to the vet’s, and the case number from RSPCA. She’ll pass this on to the owners, and they’ll likely collect the cat from the vet’s.

I am worried, though, about the cat’s condition, as I called the vet this morning, but they said they can’t tell me any more information and that the owner needs to call.

The vet was very rude and implied that I’ve done the wrong thing even though I was looking out for the cat.

It wasn’t the same vet.

Mind you, this was a different vet than the one I met yesterday.

The vet from yesterday seemed very concerned and told me that I’ve done the right thing.

Everyone in the Facebook comments said that it’s well taken care of, but this was not a well-taken-care-of cat. So, am I the jerk?

Looks like even the kindest acts may come back to bite you.

Other people on Reddit weighed in.

This person is siding with him.

More commendations for him.

A vet chimes in with useful information.

And here’s a valid argument.

Protect the cat first, worry about the keyboard warriors later.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.