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Imagine finding a stray cat in your neighborhood and trying to find out if the cat has an owner. If it didn’t seem like the cat had an owner, and if you adopted the cat, would you be willing to give up the cat if you later found out it did have an owner?

In this story, one person is faced with that exact dilemma. She wasn’t trying to adopt someone else’s cat, but now that the cat feels like a member of the family, she’s hesitant to reach out to the cat’s owner.

Keep reading for all the details and to decide what you think she should do.

AITA for adopting neighborhood cat that turned out to be someone’s?

There was a neighborhood cat who seem to be a stray.

He was super standoffish but eventually I befriended him.

He had fleas and it seemed to be malnourished.

OP did her due diligence to try to find out if the cat had an owner.

I took him to the Humane Society and he was not chipped.

I posted on Facebook groups for lost and found and neighborhood app, and no one came forward.

I decided to adopt him legally from the Humane Society.

But the cat does have an owner.

He has been with us for a week, gets along with my other cat, and feels like part of the family.

Now someone put up signs all over the neighborhood regarding a missing cat that fits his description.

I know legally I have no obligation to return the cat, and honestly I don’t want to. However does that make me a jerk?

Yikes! Why would the owner wait so long to try to find their cat? It certainly sounds like the cat wasn’t well taken care of. Should OP return the cat? Let’s see what Reddit thinks.

This person isn’t sure what OP should do.

Another person thinks OP should keep the cat.

This person thinks it would be illegal to keep the cat.

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If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who refused to let her neighbor have access to his spot, telling him to drive over the curb instead.

But maybe it’s not the same cat.

The last comment makes a lot of sense. Either the cat was neglected, or it’s a different cat. Either way, it seems like this cat is better off with OP. She was actually able to adopt the cat, so the cat is technically hers now.

I wouldn’t want to give up the cat either.

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Author

Jayne Elliott

Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

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