Pet owner's fury as mystery neighbour tries to claim her cat as their own

Amy Wiseman who lives in NR3 first noticed changes in her cat, Darwin, three months ago.

She said: “He would come back home smelling very strange and he wouldn’t be interested in his food - yet he was still gaining weight.”

And in recent weeks Ms Wiseman has been told that someone living nearby has been claiming Darwin is in fact their cat - and is saying his name is Romeo.

The problem took a further turn when Darwin left the house with his collar on but came back wearing a different ID and new collar.

She explained: "Whoever it is had taken off his collar and bought him a new pink one with a name tag reading 'Romeo'.

"Luckily for us Darwin is microchipped to my contact details and home address so if anyone tried to track down his owners he'd come back to me."

Ms Wiseman posted on Facebook about the incident and warned other pet owners that someone in the community has been taking her pet into their own home.

But despite raising awareness of the problem she still worries every day that her beloved cat won't come back.

Darwin is loved by all of Amy's pets and can be seen here snoozing with her pug. (Image: Amy Wiseman)

She said: “This has been causing a lot of distress for myself and my family. Darwin and all our pets mean so much to us - they're more than just companionship."

She added: “This has now become a massive problem for myself and other cat owners in the area.

"All I am asking is that Darwin and other people's cats are left alone.”

Amy hopes that the person who is doing this sees her story and thinks twice before attempting to take her cat in.

Her message was clear: “What you are doing is wrong. Darwin has a loving home that has many people that worry about him and his welfare.

Amy's house is full of lots of pets and she loves them all dearly. (Image: Amy Wiseman)

“He is a member of our family and by taking him you are causing distress and hurt.

“If you want a cat and are able to have one and care for them properly, there are plenty in rescue centres. Darwin is not for you to take.”