A man found the woman he accused of stealing his cherished cat and was shocked to hear her claim that she mistook the cat for a backpack when she took the £1,500 pet from his doorstep. Lewis Tayler witnessed on his doorbell camera a woman picking up his three-year-old cat named Gus and placing him into her vehicle in Ashford, Surrey, on August 26. The woman, a clinical practitioner for the NHS, resided near a school where she was dropping off her daughter.
After receiving a tip from someone who saw his posters, Lewis located the woman’s residence three miles away in Feltham, west London, and went there seeking answers. Upon speaking to her neighbor about the distressing situation, he discovered that they also had security footage showing the women laughing and carrying Gus into the house as if he were a trophy.
Lewis reported the incident to the authorities and provided them with the video evidence before confronting the woman at her home. Surprisingly, the woman initially claimed she thought Gus was a backpack but later confessed to bringing the cat home despite expressing concerns for him.
Following an unsuccessful search for Gus in the woman’s house, she and her husband claimed that the cat had escaped through the back door when their daughter opened it. Eventually, the husband agreed to hire a pet detective after admitting that his wife should not have taken Gus.
Expressing his distress, Lewis stated, “This has been one of the worst experiences of my life. I still struggle to understand why someone would take a cat from its home and put it in a car.” He described the emotional toll it took on him, including sleepless nights and loss of appetite, while hoping for the cat’s return.
Despite the challenging situation, Lewis enlisted the help of a pet detective, Colin Butcher, to track down Gus. After days of uncertainty, Gus was eventually found in a neighbor’s garden, where he recognized his owner’s scent and returned home.
Although the Surrey police confirmed the cat’s recovery, they mentioned that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. Lewis expressed gratitude for the community’s support and assistance in reuniting him with Gus, highlighting the importance of collective effort in such situations.
