Yahoo News Unfaithful cat that spent secret nights in neighbour's house can stay with new owner, Italian court rules
An Italian court has intervened to resolve a vicious spat over a fickle feline who walked out on its original owner.
The 4-year-old black-and-white cat at the heart of the dispute was originally named Fiocco and belonged to a woman living in the Struppa neighborhood in the hills above Genoa.
But after two years with its original owner, Fiocco began to stray and started spending more time at a neighbor's residence. The cat kept coming back for more affection and vittles, and eventually began staying overnight.
The neighbor named it Tequila, took it to the veterinarian and hired a cat sitter for days she was away for work. Nearly two years later, when she packed up to move to a different part of town, she took Tequila with her.
But upon discovering the cat had moved away with the neighbor, the original owner contacted local authorities and filed a criminal theft complaint. An investigation was opened and Prosecutor Emilio Gatti (whose last name is “Cats” in Italian) was assigned the case. He ordered the Carabinieri to sequester Fiocco-Tequila from his new residence and return the disputed feline to its original owner.
Facing a criminal theft charge and upset over the court-ordered cat confiscation, the second owner hired Genoa attorney Fabio La Mattina to appeal the prosecutor’s decision in provincial court. He presented evidence – veterinary records, photos and chats – showing that the cat, which did not have a microchip, had been solidly under the care of the second owner.
His client maintained the cat was always with her and never went back to the old owner, while the original owner claimed the cat sometimes came back in the morning hours. On Friday, the court threw out the theft charge and overturned the prosecutor's decision.
"The court decided the cat should stay with my client because there was no crime committed, no malice, and it was the cat’s choice to stay with my client,” said Mr. La Mattina.
The prosecutor’s office must now decide whether to drop the case or pass it on to a civil tribunal. Tequila has since been reunited with its second owner, who was “very happy and thankful” said Mr. La Mattina, and planning to spend quality time this weekend at home with her companion and the cat -- now legally hers.
