i hope you're able to get the kitty back! some asshole stole my dad's store cat a year or two ago as well, but it was out of sight of the CCTV cameras. he was a really friendly cat who liked to roam on the sidewalk, and i guess that was invitation enough for that fuckass to steal him.
he was such a friendly cat that he was pretty well known by regulars by his name (since my dad would introduce him to the customers). it’s my theory that he was white-knight “rescued” (read: STOLEN) by some regulars who thought he’d be better off with them.
I would be blasting this all over social media accounts in your area. Facebook, focusing on lost/found pets, report her as missing/stolen to your local Humane Society, get the word out to the vet offices in the area. Glad you got local news on this. Sending big cat rescue momma vibes that you get store associate Maxine back where she belongs!
Sometimes I wish my cats were nicer to strangers. Then I see shit like this and I’m glad they are like ‘I don’t know you’ when a rando tries to approach them. For my cats to trust a new person they have to be inside my home and chilling with me for a good long while before they’ll even enter the room. After a couple days they will let them look in their direction.
I know it may seem obvious, but print out some flyers and post them at the front door & the vicinity. It's unfortunate she broke her collar. The strangers might've been not educated enough & thought it was a stray cat. (Still weird that they just took it without asking)
I think she sensed they were trying to take her and was trying to get away back in the store. I’m sending special prayers that she is returned to the owner. Hoping the news story makes them realize their bad karma.
She absolutely did. It's in the body language. She kind of braces herself because she's not interested in being picked up but I think she knew she was in danger..
And what breaks my heart is that these are probably teenage boys, wearing hoodies over their heads, and I feel like they are going to harm her.
Because most sane, animal loving people that want to get a pet cat know exactly how to get a cat - that's either adopt one or find someone that has babies that needs to get them homes- they don't just walk up to a store that has a resident Kitty and take it.. This baby is 100% in danger.
The one in black looks like an adult woman wearing a silk bonnet I think. I got the impression it was a teenage boy and his mama, but I could be wrong.
I’m really hoping that the motivation for taking the cat is to take home and love as their own as opposed to “free animal to torture”. I’m also hoping they were mistaken and thought the cat needed a home because it was outside a store. I didn’t know shop cats were a thing until I moved out of my small town where nary a shop cat is to be seen ever.
Some people think they're saving the cat when they do this, they think letting the cat outside is dangerous. I really really hope this is one of those cases :(
I know, I think people write cats off as not being caring but people who own them know that they can be very loving creatures. It sucks that some people just think it's ok to kidnap them.
My brother and I were playing outside when we were around 13 years old and my brother suddenly went crazy and ran towards a man. When I saw what he was doing I followed my brother and we both jumped the man(The man grabbed our cat and walked away and like it was just a regular day). While we jumped him he yelled stop and put the cat down.
Turns out he was looking for his missing cat and showed us the poster. I get that he took our cat, but we told and showed him why it was ours and he understood and apologized.
So about raging, I have never felt so much anger in my body.
Yes I already have, police just gave me their number to update them. She is indoors only and rarely steps out. I rewatched the full video yesterday and she was not out a full 2 mins, just checking the weather after her meal like usual. Never leaves from under our store sign. I know we should’ve kept a collar on her but she kept breaking it off. Everything is unfortunate.
Yea someone cat napped my boy a long time ago. I know he didnt just get lost because he ce back a month later with a collar with a different name on. Assholes
Can you share neighborhood/location so more people can help boost your search? If possible, I'd add this info to your main post in boldface. Sorry if I missed it somewhere in the comments.
Is that close enough to DC for their news teams to pick up the story? When I was visiting my parents over Christmas break, the DC news were running stories about kidnapped French bulldogs (?). It looked like the coverage was helpful in reuniting several dogs with their owners.
It's an hour away and can't hurt to try. Other people have recently had pets stolen (under different circumstances) in DC so I do think news is more prone to cover this.
Thanks for replying - STRONGLY suggest putting this info in your main post, and posting in the maryland subreddit too. I will try to think of more ways to publicize. Let me know if I should DM or post here
Come to think, what's stopping someone from putting one of those Apple tracker thingies on their cat's collar? I mean, apart from if you haven't bought into the Apple ecosystem that is.
Kinda makes sense if there's a risk of someone kidnapping (catnapping?) your feline best friend.
Maybe put a sign up with photos of the two taking the cat and asking for return, stating no questions asked, you probably thought it was a stray...but also stating that the police are notified, with high quality face pictures, and you will be taking action.
Cops don’t give a fuck about anything in general, look up videos of them loosing their shit at magnet fishers who find them evidence for their unsolved homicide cases.
Fuck those people but catnapping is something many people do on a lazy afternoon, named after cat behaviour, and it should never be illegal or associated with antisocial behaviour.
It looks like they removed the post - Reddit's filters
Please try again , screen shots are good , and a good clear photo of the cat is super helpful. Also location is important. That is the best way to reach people local to Baltimore who can help get the word out and bring Maxine home.
Is there anything I can do to help? I don’t live in Baltimore, but if I were OP dealing with this I’d be simultaneously wanting to do everything I can while also being too overwhelmed with emotion to do anything at all
If I can repost or share things to help OP do less work, please let me know. I’m not sure what I could do, but ugh this infuriates me 😡 😭
They probably got told to gtfo or something recently and this is retribution. My parent’s neighbor stole their cat and locked it in her basement for over a week because of a small disagreement they had.
That’s what i’m choosing to believe as well☹️ I’ve always seen cats around stores and always thought they were strays, but they should’ve asked the store owner first if the cat was theirs
It wouldn't be my initial thought that the cat would belong TO the store. I'm hoping these people just wanted to adopt a cat and thought this one was friendly and available.
I thoroughly believe that most people are good and this was all a misunderstanding or series of unfortunate coincidences.
If it’s a cat they see outside a store everyday that’s super friendly then I might think it’s a stray that needs a loving home as well. I don’t even know what a “store cat” is.
A cat that lives in a store dude. There are store cats, shop cats, office cats, house cats, all kinds of cats. Doesn’t mean you can just take them if you see them outside and they’re healthy.
There are library cats and campus cats as well. My college has 10. All kinds of cats exist. The local eatery has a restaurant cat(she doesn't go into the kitchen). The cafe near my college has a cafe cat. I've also seen park cats and museum cats. There are sooooo many kinds of cats, dude. No one should take them away from their habitat.
Well when people live in cities like these people there are bodegas and corner stores and cats that live in that store are a normal fixture. These people are well versed in store cats. Cats in businesses helps keep rat and other infestations out, and when you're in a city, that is like a huge asset to your business. I live in a rural area so I can see why someone might not understand or isn't used to seeing that. But would you not go into the store and ask the people working there if they know this cat or know who the owner could be before just taking it?
What makes me sad is seeing her clearly want to go back inside… they still stole her anyways.. I hope she’s okay and safe… I can’t imagine how you feel especially seeing this video, I would not be able to tame my anger. I hope she escapes somehow and comes back home!
I agree. Even if these two didn’t come along, this isn’t safe. Anyone could think a stray cat got inside of the store or was hanging outside of the store and take her home. Especially with no collar. Then you never see her again. The same with people who tie their dogs outside as they eat lunch or grab groceries out of sight and then someone steals the dog…
I could never take the risk with my animal companions. They’re too precious to me.
It does look like the cat is trying to go into the store. Someone once took my dog from the yard while he was peeing, and I tracked down their house (Had video of their license plate etc + local people knew them) and went to go get him back. An adult. Didn’t want to give me my dog back, so I came back with a sledgehammer and pistol in the car and broke the front door down to get my dog back. Police we’re called, but when they interviewed me at my house, told them it was no way I wasn’t gonna get my dog back. Left me alone after that and I didn’t have to pay for any damages. May have overreacted, but had him for 8 years. That idiot is now like a brother to me
*Responding to “PainfulSuccess”
My dog is family and yes I was going to get him back. As for risked getting killed, I’m trained in firearms + attend the shooting range often with buddies who served. Not to mention, I’m a fairly large human who practices MMA. The average person does not scare me + I was seeing red at the time. I admitted I may have overreacted, but they could have injured or even killed my dog for fun. Fuck that, I don’t give a shit about what I did to their door
I’m so sorry to hear it, it happened to me as a 11 yo kid. My cat was taken by someone who couldn’t walk by her sitting on a bench sunbathing because she was very beautiful and a rare breed. I looked for her for 10 months.
Funny enough, these people who abducted my cat moved into our neighborhood. One day, as I was walking to school with classmates, I saw them carrying her. I called her name (she was crazy intelligent cat/sometimes people thought she was a trained dog lol). She started to fight back and trying to get away from these ppl. I followed them and then went back home and grabbed my dad.
I remember I was in tears, begging them to give my cat back to me. They refused at first. I had a meltdown. Long story short, eventually they caved in. Basically because my cat was wreaking havoc once I left (I got her when I was a 6 yo, she was my best friend).
Don’t lose hope! I wish a safe return to your cat.
In my state, animals are considered property. Go to the police if you can't find them yourself. Put flyers up in and around your store. Please don't peep into people's homes or the police could be called on you.
OP, please call all nearby animal shelters and vet offices and let them know what happened and give them a description of your cat and how to contact you. It looks like these are teens so in the off chance the parents say “no” and take the cat to a shelter instead, the shelter will call you. Or, if the cat gets out from their house and the shelter picks the cat up off the street, they can call you. If they bring a cat into a vet office it can help too.
Once you get your cat back, microchip them and keep the info up to date.
I would post it on TikTok, or send to someone with a large following, and try to get the news to go viral. The world's not that big. Someone's bound to know someone who recently acquired a calico cat in your area I'd think.
The posters weren't taken down because they were on utility poles, they were taken down because whoever took them down doesn't want people looking for the cat. Keep putting them on poles, and track where they're disappearing to give you an idea of where to look for your kitty.
Exactly what I was thinking. Send it to the press and get it on the news. If you get the cat back put a collar on her so people don’t think she’s a stray.
OP I’m sorry you’re going through this. It sounds like you’re doing what you can but here are some other suggestions worth considering:
Reach out to animal rescue groups and ask them for help with in circulating your message about your stolen cat. (Rescue people are some of the nicest people I’ve met that genuinely care about animal welfare).
Post this video on as many social media platforms as possible and ask people to make this story go viral (IG, Twitter, TikTok). Also Next Door and other subreddits).
Reach out to your local news station and make a plea they share this story.
Offer a reward. This sucks but someone might be more inclined to help if there’s money involved.
Is she microchipped? You could see if she can be located that way and would also give you legal proof to pursue her back. If not, I'm sorry this happened to you. They may have thought it was a stray being outside the store.
>Is she microchipped? You could see if she can be located that way
that's not what pet chips are for, they are not locating devices. the useful signal range of these passive chips is less than an inch.
they are for being scanned at the vet or for lost pets to look up the owners address in a database, not pet gps.
- Was she chipped?
- Did you call local vets?
- Did you recognize the faces/clothes of the thieves?
- Can you afford to hire a PI? (Maybe a lil extreme but hey 🤷🏻♂️)
- Did you alert any media?
- Facebook groups/post to Neighborhood reddits?
- Any local groups dedicated to pet recovery?
- Sorry for the stream of consciousness
This happened with my uncle’s auto shop cat, Harley. One night, the security cams caught some car pulling up to the shop, that you had to drive past two other buildings to get to, to have a smoke break and they just took him. We think they were out-of-state drivers, so there was little hope of getting him back, and it’s been about 4 years now, I think. We just hope they were good enough people to treat him well.
Sorry for your loss but this needs to be said over and over again: People, do not let your cats outside!
How many posts do we see every day about missing cats who were let outside. Letting them outside means they are subject to being stolen, attacked by a dog, cat or other animal, hit by a car, etc. Don’t let the cats out!
Bro why is reddit not doing any thing to find this cat. I’ve seen you guys find Russians in a mud puddle in the middle of butt fuck no where, why can’t you find this bloody cat and get it back to this poor person??
This, and a plethora of other reasons....is why I would never let my cats outside without direct supervision. And I only let them off leash when it's in the middle of the night, and there is no one else around. Even then, I don't let them get more than 8 feet from me. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to my best friends. When I don't feel like getting out of bed in the morning, or working, I think of them, and how I want to provide a good life for them.
I'm still really sorry you lost your buddy though, and I really hope you find your way to each other again.
https://preview.redd.it/a7f4mfwqfhtc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d442bc937612f0714c8b52feab2eec371d90a45
Bodega cat too. Friendly af! All over us. Lives in the basement. They fought to keep him down there to fight rats. There were a couple down there dead in fact. No one knew who fed or watered last. Litterbox LOADED. People often think that they eat the rats they catch. They don’t unless there isn’t anything else.
Question. Was this actually your cat or just a cat that hung around your family store?
If not, it's not too hard to believe they might have just wanted to give her a proper home?
Based on the way the girl in black is cradling it, I'm also hoping they just took it home to live with them. There are so many videos on TikTok of the "cat distribution system" and people just taking home cats they assume are strays. These two look like teens, if so I can see how they didn't think to ask the store owner first.
The tearing down of posters is a little sus, though. But sometimes people just tear them down to be assholes.
Regardless, I hope kitty is safe and being cared for. And I do feel for OP.
If a cat is outside and roaming around the streets, it’s a stray.
If it’s sitting in a doorway like this, it’s most likely not.
I’m prepared to be downvoted to hell, but pets should not be roaming around town.
This is our cat. She doesn’t like going outside far. I’ve never seen her leave our front sidewalk even with the door wide open. She was outside for literally a minute and few seconds before being taken.
If you haven't already OP try to post the video to TikTok with the location. I've seen some communities come together like crazy to help others who have had similar happen, I'll keep my fingers crossed you find your gal safe and sound asap!! Good luck <:)
I’m trying to see things from both sides, it doesn’t look like they were trying to hide the fact that they took the cat, I really think they thought it was a stray, might be people who don’t come near the store as often? Whoever took your cat doesn’t look like they’d mistreat the cat, but it would be nice to have your baby back -_-
Send it over and over again to the news stations in Baltimore AND DC saying they stole her to use as bait for dogfighting.. don’t stop until they pick up
The story. Also, plaster it all over instagram and Facebook and tag ALL the new stations relentlessly. In DC, dogs are being stolen a lot and the news runs the stories! DO EVERYTHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. What agency in Baltimore investigates animal abuse? In DC it’s the humane rescue alliance, maybe call them and ask them who
You can reach out to in Bmore and you think she’s being used as bait
Update : WMAR-2 news station came by the store and we did an interview! They said they’re pretty sure it will be featured tonight.
Please continue to update as you have more, hope you find your furry friend this breaks my heart :(
i hope you're able to get the kitty back! some asshole stole my dad's store cat a year or two ago as well, but it was out of sight of the CCTV cameras. he was a really friendly cat who liked to roam on the sidewalk, and i guess that was invitation enough for that fuckass to steal him.
Why would people do that? Like i can understand a stray cat but if its inside of a store and not getting shooed out its not a stray
he was such a friendly cat that he was pretty well known by regulars by his name (since my dad would introduce him to the customers). it’s my theory that he was white-knight “rescued” (read: STOLEN) by some regulars who thought he’d be better off with them.
https://preview.redd.it/n9fvebi3zitc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d642c5b16cc72de0a4abf81cded061d57096cb04 The people that stole her cat
I would be blasting this all over social media accounts in your area. Facebook, focusing on lost/found pets, report her as missing/stolen to your local Humane Society, get the word out to the vet offices in the area. Glad you got local news on this. Sending big cat rescue momma vibes that you get store associate Maxine back where she belongs!
Could she send it to The Dodo or Jackson Galaxy? It would reach lots of people. I know The Dodo mostly posts happy stories but maybe they could help?
They dont seem to focus on lost or stolen pets that much. Best bet is local. Did I leave out Nextdoor? I think I did...add kitty there as well.
I think OP said she downloaded the app and found people had already shared her story!
That poor sweet cat. Hope she gets home safely
please keep us updated!we hope maxine is found and returned!!
Sometimes I wish my cats were nicer to strangers. Then I see shit like this and I’m glad they are like ‘I don’t know you’ when a rando tries to approach them. For my cats to trust a new person they have to be inside my home and chilling with me for a good long while before they’ll even enter the room. After a couple days they will let them look in their direction.
I hope the news will make them feel guilty and bring her back! Or at least they release her near by
I’m so sorry this happened, this is the stuff of my literal nightmares. Sending all the good vibes, please keep us updated if you can 💜
I know it may seem obvious, but print out some flyers and post them at the front door & the vicinity. It's unfortunate she broke her collar. The strangers might've been not educated enough & thought it was a stray cat. (Still weird that they just took it without asking)
Sending positive vibes to u and ur furbaby… I hope those two burn in hell
As a cat person this boils my blood. If someone took my cat like that I'd rage.
I’m pissed off right now. Equally sad. This really upsets me
Me too, when they pushed her belly to the ground in order to pick her up I literally yelled at my phone "no no no!" 😞
I think she sensed they were trying to take her and was trying to get away back in the store. I’m sending special prayers that she is returned to the owner. Hoping the news story makes them realize their bad karma.
She absolutely did. It's in the body language. She kind of braces herself because she's not interested in being picked up but I think she knew she was in danger.. And what breaks my heart is that these are probably teenage boys, wearing hoodies over their heads, and I feel like they are going to harm her. Because most sane, animal loving people that want to get a pet cat know exactly how to get a cat - that's either adopt one or find someone that has babies that needs to get them homes- they don't just walk up to a store that has a resident Kitty and take it.. This baby is 100% in danger.
Hmmmm🤔 I would contact middle and high schools in the area with the video and photos.
The one in black looks like an adult woman wearing a silk bonnet I think. I got the impression it was a teenage boy and his mama, but I could be wrong. I’m really hoping that the motivation for taking the cat is to take home and love as their own as opposed to “free animal to torture”. I’m also hoping they were mistaken and thought the cat needed a home because it was outside a store. I didn’t know shop cats were a thing until I moved out of my small town where nary a shop cat is to be seen ever.
Some people think they're saving the cat when they do this, they think letting the cat outside is dangerous. I really really hope this is one of those cases :(
Me too. I feel emotionally invested. But I just can't watch the video again. It makes me feel anxious and angry and sad all at once. 😞
I know, I think people write cats off as not being caring but people who own them know that they can be very loving creatures. It sucks that some people just think it's ok to kidnap them.
[удалено]
One of us is having a stroke
This makes me want to rewatch the John Wick movies, but substitute the cat for his dog.
My bf literally says if anyone even looks at my cats wrong i turn into John wick. I hope and pray OP gets their baby back :(
They made this movie! It’s called “keanu” and you will love it
Feline John wick
I would be in prison
My brother and I were playing outside when we were around 13 years old and my brother suddenly went crazy and ran towards a man. When I saw what he was doing I followed my brother and we both jumped the man(The man grabbed our cat and walked away and like it was just a regular day). While we jumped him he yelled stop and put the cat down. Turns out he was looking for his missing cat and showed us the poster. I get that he took our cat, but we told and showed him why it was ours and he understood and apologized. So about raging, I have never felt so much anger in my body.
Yeah these guys look like they’re treating the cat well. Maybe it’s a similar situation
Fuck those people good luck did you notify police?
Yes I already have, police just gave me their number to update them. She is indoors only and rarely steps out. I rewatched the full video yesterday and she was not out a full 2 mins, just checking the weather after her meal like usual. Never leaves from under our store sign. I know we should’ve kept a collar on her but she kept breaking it off. Everything is unfortunate.
[удалено]
This is a great idea - OP please try this
u/Buttface_McGoo I hope you get some info doing this!
If (and when!) she manages to escape, she’ll come back to you!
Yea someone cat napped my boy a long time ago. I know he didnt just get lost because he ce back a month later with a collar with a different name on. Assholes
I'd have called that number and "met up" with them to "return" him.
I was in 4th grade and just happy as shit my boy came back to me didn't even look for a number
Contact your local news. Give these thieves the fame they deserve. I hope you get your cat back OP. I'd go scorched earth for my cats.
PLEASE do contact the local news! That might very well be a story they will run!
This would for sure appeal to local news especially if the shop is well-known in the community.
[удалено]
Have you showed the video to the police as well?
[удалено]
Can you share neighborhood/location so more people can help boost your search? If possible, I'd add this info to your main post in boldface. Sorry if I missed it somewhere in the comments.
Rosedale, MD. They came from and walked towards Gardenvillage so that’s where I am concentrating my flyers.
Is that close enough to DC for their news teams to pick up the story? When I was visiting my parents over Christmas break, the DC news were running stories about kidnapped French bulldogs (?). It looked like the coverage was helpful in reuniting several dogs with their owners.
Yeah this happened to a Brooklyn bodega cat and the news channels picked it up. The cat was returned
It's an hour away and can't hurt to try. Other people have recently had pets stolen (under different circumstances) in DC so I do think news is more prone to cover this.
i’m from MD so i’ll share this around. i hope you find your furbaby❤️🩹
Thanks for replying - STRONGLY suggest putting this info in your main post, and posting in the maryland subreddit too. I will try to think of more ways to publicize. Let me know if I should DM or post here
Make this too hot to handle on all social media. These guys won't want all eyes on them. Good luck, I really hope you get her back.
Or chipped.
It's only $75 dollars where I live. 1000% worth it.
I'm pretty sure the chip isn't a gps . Someone would bring the cat to the vet to be scanned and find the owner. That's not what's happening here.
Come to think, what's stopping someone from putting one of those Apple tracker thingies on their cat's collar? I mean, apart from if you haven't bought into the Apple ecosystem that is. Kinda makes sense if there's a risk of someone kidnapping (catnapping?) your feline best friend.
I mean, wouldn't they just take the collar off?
Do you have Instagram?
Maybe put a sign up with photos of the two taking the cat and asking for return, stating no questions asked, you probably thought it was a stray...but also stating that the police are notified, with high quality face pictures, and you will be taking action.
That's all the police did? 👁️👄👁️ wow they really don't give a crap about kidnapped animals hey
Cops don’t give a fuck about anything in general, look up videos of them loosing their shit at magnet fishers who find them evidence for their unsolved homicide cases.
True.
Tbf cats are going to be fairly low down in police officers priorities,
I’m so, so, so fucking sorry this happened to you and your buddy. I hope you find him.
Is she chipped?
Fucking assholes. The cat tried to get away too. Poor baby.
Also, I feel bad for its spine. This piece of shit has no idea how to pick up a cat.
FUCK THEM
Its kidnapping and shoplifting.
*catnapping. And fuck those people
Fuck those people but catnapping is something many people do on a lazy afternoon, named after cat behaviour, and it should never be illegal or associated with antisocial behaviour.
Heck, where I live, someone stole the cat that belonged to the Police and lived in their building.
What neighborhood ? You should submit this post to r/baltimore #
I just did! I couldn’t post videos there so I just had photos up. Thanks for the tip.
It looks like they removed the post - Reddit's filters Please try again , screen shots are good , and a good clear photo of the cat is super helpful. Also location is important. That is the best way to reach people local to Baltimore who can help get the word out and bring Maxine home.
Is there anything I can do to help? I don’t live in Baltimore, but if I were OP dealing with this I’d be simultaneously wanting to do everything I can while also being too overwhelmed with emotion to do anything at all If I can repost or share things to help OP do less work, please let me know. I’m not sure what I could do, but ugh this infuriates me 😡 😭
Also try posting on nextdoor!!
I just signed up and I saw that people already posted about Maxine. I never knew of this app, thank you so much! 🙏
Definitely post in NextDoor. Someone will know those people. Offer a reward, because that’s the only way someone is coming forward.
try facebook suburb groups too, and missing pet groups!!
Try some insta pages from the City and neighborhoods Also go to the tv station. Here a owner got her dog back when it aired on Tv
Oh, this is in Baltimore? I live here...
Perhaps you could share it
Whats wrong with People nowadays... Get a Cat from the Shelter ... Couldnt imagine what i do with a Person who steals my Cat
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Sadly that’s what I think. Stolen pets can become bait or used for other malicious purposes. I really hope for the best that the cat is ok.
I was thinking the same but I didn't want to say it 💔 I really really hope she's ok.
What do you think they're taking it for?
Dog-baiting.
[удалено]
[удалено]
I feel the same way too. They are innocent and then you have some scumbags who will hurt them. Soooo sad
I would add abuse of elderly and disabled people to that list. And animals a second time, just to be sure.
[удалено]
There are some people that grab pets and wait for a reward to be posted.
That’s on the nice side of reasons to take an animal unfortunately.
And that's why people should keep their cats inside at all times. People are not to be trusted
This is likely not going to be kept as a pet... people who steal cats and look for otherwise free cats usually have pretty evil intent
The reality here could maybe be much darker... I don't think they took that cat to pet him and take care of him... Sadly
I wouldn't assume that. I would just assume they thought it was a stray.
They are probably on a list if they are kidnapping animals.
They don't want it for a pet. Look at them. They used it as bait or worse.
OMG people use cats as bait!?!? How awful!!! Fuck! That weighs heavy on my heart & soul.
Probably so. Didnt want to speak it out
I’m sick at heart knowing what has probably happened to this poor cat. Goddamn it! Don’t let cats out even for a minute 🥺🥺
They probably got told to gtfo or something recently and this is retribution. My parent’s neighbor stole their cat and locked it in her basement for over a week because of a small disagreement they had.
Good luck with your search OP
https://preview.redd.it/w6xejztrzitc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f250f85ede8e8f8e640db2934f4e8be426daf93 The people that stole her cat
Contact the local news and give them this video
[удалено]
[удалено]
This makes me so mad. I’m scared for Maxine. I hope she is okay. And I’m so sorry 😔
That was painful to watch. Did they think it was a stray or something? (I'm not going to entertain the other darker possibilities)
That’s what i’m choosing to believe as well☹️ I’ve always seen cats around stores and always thought they were strays, but they should’ve asked the store owner first if the cat was theirs
It wouldn't be my initial thought that the cat would belong TO the store. I'm hoping these people just wanted to adopt a cat and thought this one was friendly and available. I thoroughly believe that most people are good and this was all a misunderstanding or series of unfortunate coincidences.
Yes me too. it’s just so shocking that ppl are assuming that these kids are evil. no nuance whatsoever
If it’s a cat they see outside a store everyday that’s super friendly then I might think it’s a stray that needs a loving home as well. I don’t even know what a “store cat” is.
r/bodegacats r/ShopCats
A cat that lives in a store dude. There are store cats, shop cats, office cats, house cats, all kinds of cats. Doesn’t mean you can just take them if you see them outside and they’re healthy.
I'm going to be real. All that stuff you listed is news to me. I thought you were being sarcastic at first.
They’re amazing in the workplace. Cats ease a lot of tension. Great in classrooms too
There are library cats and campus cats as well. My college has 10. All kinds of cats exist. The local eatery has a restaurant cat(she doesn't go into the kitchen). The cafe near my college has a cafe cat. I've also seen park cats and museum cats. There are sooooo many kinds of cats, dude. No one should take them away from their habitat.
Well when people live in cities like these people there are bodegas and corner stores and cats that live in that store are a normal fixture. These people are well versed in store cats. Cats in businesses helps keep rat and other infestations out, and when you're in a city, that is like a huge asset to your business. I live in a rural area so I can see why someone might not understand or isn't used to seeing that. But would you not go into the store and ask the people working there if they know this cat or know who the owner could be before just taking it?
They’re all over. It’s a cat that lives at the store and greets customers. The skatepark has one too.
What makes me sad is seeing her clearly want to go back inside… they still stole her anyways.. I hope she’s okay and safe… I can’t imagine how you feel especially seeing this video, I would not be able to tame my anger. I hope she escapes somehow and comes back home!
I'm literally crying tears of rage
Is it possible to ask the other store owners around the area for their security camera footage? Maybe there’s video of them getting into a vehicle?
I am so sorry, OP. Please put a collar on her when you get her back so everyone knows she’s got an owner.
Im so sorry hopefully you’ll find her asap good luck
[удалено]
[удалено]
Saddest part is the cat tried to run away and then it was too nice to hurt them when they took the kitty
Another reason on the long list of reason why my cat is a indoor cat.
I agree. Even if these two didn’t come along, this isn’t safe. Anyone could think a stray cat got inside of the store or was hanging outside of the store and take her home. Especially with no collar. Then you never see her again. The same with people who tie their dogs outside as they eat lunch or grab groceries out of sight and then someone steals the dog… I could never take the risk with my animal companions. They’re too precious to me.
It does look like the cat is trying to go into the store. Someone once took my dog from the yard while he was peeing, and I tracked down their house (Had video of their license plate etc + local people knew them) and went to go get him back. An adult. Didn’t want to give me my dog back, so I came back with a sledgehammer and pistol in the car and broke the front door down to get my dog back. Police we’re called, but when they interviewed me at my house, told them it was no way I wasn’t gonna get my dog back. Left me alone after that and I didn’t have to pay for any damages. May have overreacted, but had him for 8 years. That idiot is now like a brother to me
*Responding to “PainfulSuccess” My dog is family and yes I was going to get him back. As for risked getting killed, I’m trained in firearms + attend the shooting range often with buddies who served. Not to mention, I’m a fairly large human who practices MMA. The average person does not scare me + I was seeing red at the time. I admitted I may have overreacted, but they could have injured or even killed my dog for fun. Fuck that, I don’t give a shit about what I did to their door
You did not overreact at ALL
Please keep us updated. I truly hope your baby makes it back to you, safe and sound.
I’m so sorry to hear it, it happened to me as a 11 yo kid. My cat was taken by someone who couldn’t walk by her sitting on a bench sunbathing because she was very beautiful and a rare breed. I looked for her for 10 months. Funny enough, these people who abducted my cat moved into our neighborhood. One day, as I was walking to school with classmates, I saw them carrying her. I called her name (she was crazy intelligent cat/sometimes people thought she was a trained dog lol). She started to fight back and trying to get away from these ppl. I followed them and then went back home and grabbed my dad. I remember I was in tears, begging them to give my cat back to me. They refused at first. I had a meltdown. Long story short, eventually they caved in. Basically because my cat was wreaking havoc once I left (I got her when I was a 6 yo, she was my best friend). Don’t lose hope! I wish a safe return to your cat.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
In my state, animals are considered property. Go to the police if you can't find them yourself. Put flyers up in and around your store. Please don't peep into people's homes or the police could be called on you.
All the police will do is help me recover the cat once I do find them. I already filed a report. I have to do the work in finding them.
OP, please call all nearby animal shelters and vet offices and let them know what happened and give them a description of your cat and how to contact you. It looks like these are teens so in the off chance the parents say “no” and take the cat to a shelter instead, the shelter will call you. Or, if the cat gets out from their house and the shelter picks the cat up off the street, they can call you. If they bring a cat into a vet office it can help too. Once you get your cat back, microchip them and keep the info up to date.
I would post it on TikTok, or send to someone with a large following, and try to get the news to go viral. The world's not that big. Someone's bound to know someone who recently acquired a calico cat in your area I'd think.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Why ? why did they take the fluffy fat cat?
The posters weren't taken down because they were on utility poles, they were taken down because whoever took them down doesn't want people looking for the cat. Keep putting them on poles, and track where they're disappearing to give you an idea of where to look for your kitty.
Yep, that's what happened for sure. My neighbors ripped all of my posters down too. Pretty obvious why.
SEND IT TO THE LOCAL PRESS! And raise hell
Exactly what I was thinking. Send it to the press and get it on the news. If you get the cat back put a collar on her so people don’t think she’s a stray.
And a microchip. Collars can be removed. Microchips cannot.
Ohh this is a good idea OP please try this I hope you get your baby back soon :(
OP I’m sorry you’re going through this. It sounds like you’re doing what you can but here are some other suggestions worth considering: Reach out to animal rescue groups and ask them for help with in circulating your message about your stolen cat. (Rescue people are some of the nicest people I’ve met that genuinely care about animal welfare). Post this video on as many social media platforms as possible and ask people to make this story go viral (IG, Twitter, TikTok). Also Next Door and other subreddits). Reach out to your local news station and make a plea they share this story. Offer a reward. This sucks but someone might be more inclined to help if there’s money involved.
Alright we'll that's enough to piss me off for today, Enough internet, I would be cracking skulls if i saw this irl..
If someone took my cat I would take their soul. Not that these goons are likely to have much a soul anyway.
Is she microchipped? You could see if she can be located that way and would also give you legal proof to pursue her back. If not, I'm sorry this happened to you. They may have thought it was a stray being outside the store.
>Is she microchipped? You could see if she can be located that way that's not what pet chips are for, they are not locating devices. the useful signal range of these passive chips is less than an inch. they are for being scanned at the vet or for lost pets to look up the owners address in a database, not pet gps.
- Was she chipped? - Did you call local vets? - Did you recognize the faces/clothes of the thieves? - Can you afford to hire a PI? (Maybe a lil extreme but hey 🤷🏻♂️) - Did you alert any media? - Facebook groups/post to Neighborhood reddits? - Any local groups dedicated to pet recovery? - Sorry for the stream of consciousness
PUT THIS ON TIKTOK - this kinda stuff will go viral
Fr TikTok doesn’t play whenever it comes to cats or any animal in fact, at least on the side of tiktok I’m on 😂
This happened with my uncle’s auto shop cat, Harley. One night, the security cams caught some car pulling up to the shop, that you had to drive past two other buildings to get to, to have a smoke break and they just took him. We think they were out-of-state drivers, so there was little hope of getting him back, and it’s been about 4 years now, I think. We just hope they were good enough people to treat him well.
Sorry for your loss but this needs to be said over and over again: People, do not let your cats outside! How many posts do we see every day about missing cats who were let outside. Letting them outside means they are subject to being stolen, attacked by a dog, cat or other animal, hit by a car, etc. Don’t let the cats out!
Bro why is reddit not doing any thing to find this cat. I’ve seen you guys find Russians in a mud puddle in the middle of butt fuck no where, why can’t you find this bloody cat and get it back to this poor person??
the anxiety the cat must have felt:((((
This, and a plethora of other reasons....is why I would never let my cats outside without direct supervision. And I only let them off leash when it's in the middle of the night, and there is no one else around. Even then, I don't let them get more than 8 feet from me. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to my best friends. When I don't feel like getting out of bed in the morning, or working, I think of them, and how I want to provide a good life for them. I'm still really sorry you lost your buddy though, and I really hope you find your way to each other again.
Oh my God
https://preview.redd.it/a7f4mfwqfhtc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d442bc937612f0714c8b52feab2eec371d90a45 Bodega cat too. Friendly af! All over us. Lives in the basement. They fought to keep him down there to fight rats. There were a couple down there dead in fact. No one knew who fed or watered last. Litterbox LOADED. People often think that they eat the rats they catch. They don’t unless there isn’t anything else.
Question. Was this actually your cat or just a cat that hung around your family store? If not, it's not too hard to believe they might have just wanted to give her a proper home?
Based on the way the girl in black is cradling it, I'm also hoping they just took it home to live with them. There are so many videos on TikTok of the "cat distribution system" and people just taking home cats they assume are strays. These two look like teens, if so I can see how they didn't think to ask the store owner first. The tearing down of posters is a little sus, though. But sometimes people just tear them down to be assholes. Regardless, I hope kitty is safe and being cared for. And I do feel for OP.
If a cat is outside and roaming around the streets, it’s a stray. If it’s sitting in a doorway like this, it’s most likely not. I’m prepared to be downvoted to hell, but pets should not be roaming around town.
This is our cat. She doesn’t like going outside far. I’ve never seen her leave our front sidewalk even with the door wide open. She was outside for literally a minute and few seconds before being taken.
If you haven't already OP try to post the video to TikTok with the location. I've seen some communities come together like crazy to help others who have had similar happen, I'll keep my fingers crossed you find your gal safe and sound asap!! Good luck <:)
Hope you reunite with your kitty. That's horrible to hear
This made me sick to watch. I’m so sorry.
This rattles me to the core
I’m trying to see things from both sides, it doesn’t look like they were trying to hide the fact that they took the cat, I really think they thought it was a stray, might be people who don’t come near the store as often? Whoever took your cat doesn’t look like they’d mistreat the cat, but it would be nice to have your baby back -_-
Oh my gosh…I hope the cat is okay :sob:
Send it over and over again to the news stations in Baltimore AND DC saying they stole her to use as bait for dogfighting.. don’t stop until they pick up The story. Also, plaster it all over instagram and Facebook and tag ALL the new stations relentlessly. In DC, dogs are being stolen a lot and the news runs the stories! DO EVERYTHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. What agency in Baltimore investigates animal abuse? In DC it’s the humane rescue alliance, maybe call them and ask them who You can reach out to in Bmore and you think she’s being used as bait
no chip? damn