AIBU, which stands for 'Am I Being Unreasonable', is the perfect platform for sharing your thoughts and opinions! So, for today's AIBU discussion, we have this story from ApartmentMobile1299.

'So a feral cat colony lives in my neighborhood, and I often trap them to be spayed/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. 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 and kept him.'



'Fast forward nine months and 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 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 happened to him. I wish I could tell her that he’s safe, but I know if I did she would want him back.'

'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 ladies post she said her four yr old daughter misses him and that he was their beloved outdoor/indoor cat. 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.'

'He is just so happy with me and I would hate for him to end up missing/dead as a part time outdoor cat. So, am I being unreasonable for pretending like I never saw the post?'

'EDIT: a lot of people are wondering why I didn’t make more of an effort to contact the owners. Looking back I probably should have. In addition to the things I’ve already stated, he was infested with fleas, had scratches all over his face and ears, did not understand how to use stairs, and was terrified of my tv. His poor condition, slight under-socialization, and unfamiliarity with common household things led me to believe he did not have owners'