<snip>

If you take the cats to the vet, give your name as owner and pay for all the
vetting, then I guess they would be yours.  Does the ex-roommate have any
vetting records or any kind of proof that these cats are his?  I doubt this
guy would care enough to take you to court over these cats.

I suggest that you email your ex-roommate and explain the upcoming expenses.
Tell him that you would like to adopt the cats so you can provide good
medical care for them.  There is already a trail of email, so you probably
cannot claim "ownership" at this time, although you might have a good case
for a claim of abandonment.  Still, I think you might win this thing with a
little diplomacy -- explain how attached you have become to the cats, you
want the best for them (but "it would be very expensive for the owner" to
pay for the vet bills), and you might even mention the hefty cost to fly
them to Switzerland.  This sounds like a case where the ex-roommate doesn't
really want them and might be willing to take "the easy way out."

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly:      >'o'<
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

...> My girlfriend and I love these cats, and we want very much to have the

Beauroland,
I think you need a lawyer if you want legal advice.
However, if I were in your shoes, I would go ahead and get the cat the
medical care she needs, because it is the right thing to do.
As for ownership, if your ex-roommate said you could have the cats, which is
what it seems you want him to do, you'll still be out the money you already
spent over the last couple of years plus the dental work, anyway.  If he
says no, you can't have the cats, would you give the cat to him, knowing the
cat is suffering, just because you put it off knowing he will not pay you
back?
As I said, I can't give legal advice, so this is my own opinion, and you can
take it or leave it.
I think you should stop offering the cats back to the roommate and take them
as your own. Don't email him and don't give him your new address if you
move. If he wants the cats, let him make the effort to come to you and ask
for them.  Tell him that if he can prove they are his cats, he owes you all
the expenses they cost you.  In the unlikely event he saved your emails to
him, I believe they are proof that you made your best effort to give him the
opportunity to take responsibility for the cats and he did not do so.
Cats are not like children.  Cats are considered property.  You have plenty
of proof that you have possessed and assumed responsibility for these cats
for a long time.  Consider them abandoned and consider them yours to love
and enjoy.
Annie

Bud, you ARE the official caretaker. You pay the vet bills and they live
with you. No court could possibly say otherwise. Possession is 9/10 of the
law, but paying for vet care and being in the same country as well as
providing a loving home is the rest. I would simply write ex-roomie and tell
him that you will be keeping the cats as you have formed a deep attachment
with them and due to health reasons, the cats should not be shuffled around.
I really highly doubt ex roomate will refuse and may even be hoping for such
an outcome.

Well what he is doing is abuse and yes your roommate has abandoned them. I
would email this person who doesn't seem to care about the cats and ask him
if he is willing to allow you adopt the cats. Explain to him you love the
cats and want to provide them a good and loving home. If after this he does
let you adopt them,  then move to your new home with the cats and sever your
ties and don't tell him where you live. If he isn't willing to allow you to
adopt the cats then he is financially responsible for those cats and might
possibly be cited for animal cruelty. Of course you'll be surprised how many
people such as your roommate will dump the cat on someone else, in the
shelter, or even on the street because they don't want to pay a vet bill
which is not only selfish but cruel.

I would consult a lawyer for all your legal options here. Also, consult an
animal rescue for advice on animal abandonment as well. Some animal rescue
groups like the Humane Society and the SPCA do work with law enforcement to
enforce the animal cruelty laws so you can probably file a complaint against
your roommate with them and give them the scenario here. I'd say that one of
the cats having to receive needed medical treatment (you said one of the
cats was bleeding from the nose) and your roommate not wanting to have the
cat brought in or refusing to pay for it certainly falls into the area of
medical abuse.

If this person gets touchy and threatens to take you to court then so be it.
At least you'll be prepared and of course keep a record of all the emails,
vet bills, food bills, and other information. Also, check with the city or
state you live in to find out the laws regarding animal cruelty and
abandonment. You were good to take these cats in and I hope it works out in
your favor. Your former roommate sounds like a selfish person who shouldn't
be having any animals here. You might find it tough to appeal to his better
nature here but when money is mentioned you'd be surprised how fast they
drop everything if they feel they are released from the financial burden.
Good luck to you and the cats.

Since cats are viewed as possessions and possession still
is "nine tenths of the law" I do not think you have a problem.
I would write him a letter (notarized) letting him know that unless he
reimburses you for what you have spent over the years
in food and vets for these cats, you are going to take
ownership of the cats as "reimbursement!" I wonder
what a court would place the value of the cats at?
In any case, do you really think this guy would care
enough to sue you? I would say that these cats are
yours.

Possession is 9/10 of the law, they say.  Use your name as owner at
the vet's, as someone else suggested.  I think by this point, it's
pretty obvious the cats are yours.  I would indeed cut off
communications with the former owner.  I'm speaking from experience.
In 1981, an acquaintance talked me into taking her/her roommate's two
cats for "six months".  By the time it had been a year, it was obvious
they were mine, and my acquaintance was sensible enough to simply say
"Okay, they're yours."  I simply refused to allow the roommate who was
supposed to move them to New York to even visit them.  And they lived
happily to 17-1/2 and 19 years old.

Best of luck to you,

Ginger-lyn

"beauroland" phillip@beaurolandband.com
writes

reimburse me for vet costs that I felt were necessary for the health of the
cats. He could give me

Well, at least you realize now, that you were put in a difficult spot. You
should've settled issues - regarding costs/reimbursements BEFORE he left..not
later. People who leave their pets (or take care of other's pets) for a very
long time should have a written agreement in place and realize that the party
taking care of the cats might grow to become very fond of the cats.  It is
unreasonable for this guy to think that you are going to take care of his cats
for free for whenever!

You should contact this person and say that you will not assume the financial
responsibility and be an unpaid caretaker any more.  If he fails to respond, I
would move and take the cats with you (or find suitable permanent accomodations
for them).

Tell your "friend" the cats ran away, then move with them and don't
leave any forwarding info.  Change your email address.  I bet he
wouldn't spend too much time looking for you.

<snip story of former roommate abandoning his cat>

This cat is in pain and at risk of severe infection/health problems if
the dental work is not done. This cat needs medical care *now* and what
you want has to be secondary. Your roommate obviously has no intention
of retrieving these cats, and my advice to you is to get this cat
treatment ASAP, get the vet bills and records for the cats in your name,
and cease all communication with him. If you look at his pattern so far,
it shows that it is highly unlikely he would take steps to retrieve the
cats under much more adversarial circumstances as he doesn't even bother
to check on them now or make any attempt to reimburse you for their
care.

Megan

                                   

You can try contacting your local humane officers, if you have any. Or your
local humane society or SPCA. They could tell you what legally constitutes
abandonment and may be able to give you some idea of what you can do. We've
certainly had that situation at work, where the animals that were abandoned
ended up at the shelter because the new caretaker couldn't take care of them
for such an extended period of time.

I know that if an animal goes to the emergency clinic as a stray and then
comes to us, if an owner shows up to claim the animal, they're responsible
for the bill from the emergency clinic and our fees before they can take the
animal home. There may be something similar in this case. Just make sure
everything is documented and certainly see if there's a lawyer in your area
willing to send a letter on your behalf. Even something as simple as "you
have this length of time to make arrangements for recovery of your animals
or ownership of said animals will go to Joe Q. Public." People who are as
unreasonable as you implied will NEED to have something set in stone for you
to fall back on.

Best of luck!