A tense dispute concerning the care of two kittens has seen its conclusion within the confines of the Disputes Tribunal, culminating in an official establishment of the felines’ rightful owners.
The controversy unravelled when a resident accused her neighbour of luring her cats by deliberately leaving her door open and providing food. Frustrated by the constant disappearance of her furry companions, the resident sought legal assistance to deter her neighbour’s actions.
These two neighbours had previously found a litter of five kittens near their shared property. Coming to a mutual agreement, they decided one neighbour would adopt two kittens, even getting them neutered.
However, by March, the kitten owner stated her cats had ceased their habitual return home. Although they eventually turned up, the pet owner asserted her neighbour had intentionally been attracting these kittens to her flat by treating them to meals and flea prevention methods.
The accused neighbour, however, defended herself by stating she was simply caring for other stray cats by offering them food, denying any intention of pilfering the kittens.
Despite the mounting tensions, Tribunal adjudicator Elizabeth Paton-Simpson proclaimed that only limited actions could be ordered by the tribunal. She clarified the body had no authority to force the neighbour to keep her door shut or cease leaving food for the cats. She added that unless actual harm was done to the cats, such as a severe reaction to the flea treatment requiring veterinary care, actions for damages would remain unworkable.
Furthermore, Paton-Simpson elucidated that although the tribunal had the power to order property return, it was not applicable as she wasn’t technically detaining the felines. Ultimately, the caring neighbour admitted that she did not possess ownership rights over the kittens – an admission duly recorded by the Tribunal, leading them to not pursue any further actions.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first feline feud dealt by this adjudicator. Last year, a family lodged a complaint in the tribunal after their cat mysteriously disappeared. On placing a hundred posters around town, they found out their neighbour had taken the missing cat to a veterinary clinic. The cat was subsequently passed on to a feline rescue organization and found a new home with another family. The tribunal deemed the rescue organization as accountable for the loss, despite not having the capacity to order the return of the cat, as it was already in the custody of a third party.
