A couple of days ago, my daughter was talking to a neighbor who recently posted about her missing cat. (Not the same cat who showed up for my birthday.) She found her cat but in the conversation it came up that another neighbor had been missing their cat and it turns out it was black! My daughter described to the neighbor the series of events including how hungry and desperate the cat was when it arrived here. The neighbor said the people adopt a lot of cats and they probably weren't in a hurry so if we didn't let them know that night it would probably be fine. (Or something to that effect.)I am guessing this is true because there was never a mail that went out or a sign up at the gate of the community that anyone was missing a cat or else I would have happily taken it back immediately upon discovery weeks ago.
At that point in time - the issue became, how do I approach this. And the question became, have I actually settled in on that I was thinking this was my new cat?
When we let her out now, she won't even go more than a few feet from the door if she goes out at all when the door is opened. She has definitely moved in and made herself quite at home. So, I am thinking what happens next depends on my approach. If I call them up and say hey I heard you lost your cat, I found it then she will definitely go right back to them I'm sure. But I feel we will see her repeatedly after that every time it gets let out. There is a reason this cat ran away to brave possible starvation rather than go home. It came from just a few houses down. It stayed here for weeks without returning.
OR if I contact them and tell them the story and say I was feeling that I had a new cat, and that it is at home here and appreciated and asked if they want her back in spite of this, the results may be different. So this cat, that we found out was named Destiny, now has it's destiny still in my hands beginning with how I inform the neighbors. So the moment of truth has arrived, Do I want to keep the cat? I understand they may want her back reguardless but for even a chance at keeping her it begins with my informing the original owners and which approach I take.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....................!