Iowa man arrested for stealing own cat

A cat sits in a cage after being dropped off at the animal shelter at Kirkwood Community College on June 22, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. / Joe Raedle/Getty Images

IOWA CITY, Iowa - A man says he's angry because he's being charged for taking what he believes was rightfully his: a pet cat.

"I'm going to fight it," said 31-year-old Justin Kaufman.

According to the Iowa Press-Citizen, Justin Kaufman went to the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center on Feb. 25 to pick up his cat, Smokie, after it had been found roaming the streets. The 31-year-old said that the cat had escaped a few times before, so he had him microchipped in order to avoid future charges.

This time an animal shelter staff member said he had to pay a $35 fee to get Smokie back. Kaufman told the employee that he was never charged the two times he retrieved his cat from the organization. When the worker went to the back to ask a manager about the fee and to help another customer, Kaufman grabbed Smokie from a cage, stuffed him in a carrier and went home.

Three hours later, police showed up at Kaufman's door. According to the pet owner, an officer threatened to charge him with burglary from a government institution and take him to jail.

According to police documents, Kaufman entered a restricted area to retrieve Smokie, so he was charged with fifth-degree theft. He was fined $85 for having a cat at large -- plus the original $35 fee.

Kaufman told the Iowa Press-Citizen that he will plead not guilty to charge.

As for Smokie, the cat has been sent to live with his sister so he will not cause trouble again.

"I can't be getting charged with bogus, trumped up charges every time he gets out," he said.

[Sweetumzjigglez]

How about be responsible and stop letting the cat escape. If it escaped three times, enough is enough. Has he considered maybe the next time it "escapes", it won't return? Hit by car, taken in by another person, killed by an animal or person? He doesn't care about the cat, only about himself. And he got himself charged extra for it. If he just paid the shelter the 35$ for THEIR TROUBLE instead of being a jerk about it he wouldn't have gotten himself in trouble.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

I find it really sad that so many feel a need to buy the adoration of other species with food.

[ralphing]

I throw rocks at every cat that is hanging around my house. I never hit it, just trying to scare it from messing around my vehicles and flower bushes. Cats shouldn't be allowed to run loose in the neighborhood, they should be kept in the house. Every pet cat that is seen running loose is because the owners let it out. My GF who lived with me for five years had a cat And it never sneaked out the door or ran free.

I can tell the neighbors who let their cats run free. They leave their garage doors up about a foot so the cat can come and go. I'm just waiting for a burglar or rapist gets into their homes from this.

[RealiteBites]

So cat's aren't allowed out of the house unless they're on a leash?

I know animal rights advocates believe cats should never be let out of the house, but I think that's inhumane.

Free the cats!! :p

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

by Void-Master February 27, 2012 7:10 PM EST
When is the last time you heard of a Tabby mauling someone?
--
A friend of mine had over $1,000 damage done to the leather in his convertible by a neighbor's cat clawing it to pieces....

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

Getting arrested over a cat?

Now, that's about as stupid as it gets.

[Jaylah54]

My guess is that Iowa City, like most cities, has animal control ordinances on their books. And it lists a find for animals found "at large."

The fact that the shelter waived the fine the first two times does not mean that they don't have the right to enforce it for habitual violators.

Kinda like speeding tickets, ya know. Maybe, if you have a lead foot, the officer will let you go with just a warning the first couple of times. After that, when he runs your license and sees all the past warnings you've gotten, he writes you out a ticket for your full speed.

[Jaylah54]

Correction:

"It lists a FINE", not "find"

[gerryrigger]

You all miss the point here: we're dealing with a cat! A cat will do what a cat will do. Crack the door and she's out faster than you can blink. The owner tried to do right by having his pet microchipped, and the clerk at the shelter could not justify why he was being charged a fee this time. As long as there was no harm done (property damage or injury to people or other animals), they should have handed the cat back to the owner with just a stern warning. I sympathize with my fellow cat owner. Just remember, a cat thinks she owns you.

[romac1969]

This is silly. Maybe asking him to make a "donation" would have been more appropriate. Cats often do their own thing, I am sure this man had no intention for his cat to get out and run around town. The cat did, got busted and dad had to go bail him out. The fact that the cat is chipped shows that he loves and cares for the cat, at least I think it does. Having the police involved in this was a waste of much more money and time then just letting the situation go. Maybe send the man a bill instead. They have his contact info.

[romac1969]

This is silly. Maybe asking him to make a "donation" would have been more appropriate. Cats often do their own thing, I am sure this man had no intention for his cat to get out and run around town. The cat did, got busted and dad had to go bail him out. The fact that the cat is chipped shows that he loves and cares for the cat, at least I think it does. Having the police involved in this was a waste of much more money and time then just letting the situation go. Maybe send the man a bill instead. They have his contact info.