Was I wrong to do this???

Well, since these people weren't even really looking after the cats, I don't see how they can claim they belonged to them, anyway. They were just feral cats that just so happened to live on the property.
You did the right thing and I doubt these people even truly cared that the cats went 'missing.'
 
Bushkill said:
I think you did the right thing. We had 3 mousers. One for each of the kids to care for. They spent days outside, and only came in the house when the weather was bad. We live less than a half mile from a huge state forest, and the mouse problem can get really bad here in the woods. When they were young we "homed" them for a few months so they would always stay close by. We had a female german sheperd that truly guarded them like her little flock. They all coexisted perfectly. The last one will soon be 13 years old and spends most of his time sleeping in his favorite spots now. For me, the moral of the story is that it's fine to keep an animal for an intended purpose. But that animal has to be treated with respect and cared for into its' old age.
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Leaving out details can get me in trouble at times. We had all three of the cats (all males) neutered and all were rescues; one from an animal hoarder. Our shed is more the size of a small barn and that gave them plenty of shelter when they wanted it. The kids always saw to that, and as I said, they always spent nights indoors when it was just too cold. They all knew the routine, and none really wanted to stay indoors in better weather. Our last senior citizen spends evenings indoors since he's slowed down a bit and needs(demands, lol!) to be fed with our dog. In his prime he was the best mouser, and now deserves to live a quiet existence befitting his age and the work he did for many years. We have coyotes galore in the state forest barely a half mile away. We always hear them but have never had an encounter in 21 years. Ruby was intensely territorial and so is her son now.
You absolutely did the right thing. Telling him would have done absolutely no good and would likely have resulted in a confrontation that thanks to your efforts and thoughtfulness was avoided. Face it, he didn't give a darn about the cats and the more details I read here convinces me he has absolutely no right to keep any animal. Sounds high-handed I know, but there's more than enough facts here to say that it wasn't just odd circumstances that led to all those animals dying. And yes, I fear for whatever other animals he has.
 
I'd have done the same thing, Gin. Good on ya, darlin!

Mark
 
your lie was for the good of the animals, not the bad of the person. done with good intentions, not intent... with love and compassion, not malice... something to be proud of, not feel guilty of. not to mention, by leaving his name out of it, you might have saved him from criminal charges for the neglectful care of his animals.
 
G, you did the absolute right thing! I get that they are farm cats and they have a function on the farm, but if someone is going to have the cats out like that, they should provide them with food and shelter. The real term for those cats is Feral..... because he cares not for them, only for what they can do.
 
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