A 68-year-old woman was taken to court on Tuesday in Zurich, Switzerland, after her neighbour claimed that she was feeding her pet cat so much that it no longer wanted to come home!
According to the cat’s owner, the pensioner had repeatedly fed her cat for a duration of 10 months, despite being notified in writing to stop. Additionally, she even installed a cat flap on her door so that the cat, named “Leo,” could come and go as it pleased. However, in time, Leo eventually stopped returning to its owner, who was left preparing meals for her pet in vain.
As a result, the furious cat owner filed a criminal complaint against her neighbour for systematically feeding her pet, believing that her neighbour intended to steal her cat.
The public prosecutor’s office ordered the pensioner to pay a fine of 800 Swiss francs (approximately BD359) along with a suspended fine of 3,600 francs (approximately BD 1,615) for unlawful behaviour. However, the accused refused to pay, and consequently, the case ended up in court.
According to Swiss law, feeding someone’s pet occasionally is not a punishable offence, but doing so repeatedly can have legal consequences. Cats are regarded as their “owner’s property,” and ‘luring’ felines with food is considered unlawful appropriation.
Both neighbours appeared before the Zurich District Court with their lawyers in order to find a solution.
In this case, the ending took a surprising twist, making national headlines. The defendant not only rejected all accusations made against her but is now able to take Leo home! The previous owner also withdrew her criminal complaint.
&uuid=(email))