# Woman pets cat, drops it in wheelie bin, walks off **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271 "2010-08-24T11:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/1 "2010-08-24T11:07:51Z")
[News story with video](http://www.metro.co.uk/news/838862-hunt-for-woman-who-dumped-kitten-in-bin) > [@](#): > > CCTV footage captured the grey-haired woman stroking the cat as it walks along a wall before peering over her shoulder and dumping it into a rubbish bin. > > The woman, who is wearing a white t-shirt and dark trousers, closes the lid of the bin before quickly leaving the scene. The cat spent 15 hours in the bin, but survived with no ill effects. This woman might need a Jon Venables-style new identity if she gets caught… ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/2 "2010-08-24T11:11:26Z")
That is really disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/3 "2010-08-24T11:14:33Z")
I’ll eat my hat if The Internet doesn’t have that woman’s phone number and address within 24 hours. Cat-abusers are no longer safe in this world. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/4 "2010-08-24T11:18:06Z")
Update: she has been [identified](http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Woman-Who-Put-Cat-In-Bin-In-Coventry-Is-Identified-By-RSPCA-And-Given-Police-Protection/Article/201008415704447?lpos=UK_News_First_Strange_News __Article_Teaser_Region__ 1&lid=ARTICLE_15704447_Woman_Who_Put_Cat_In_Bin_In_Coventry_Is_Identified_By_RSPCA_And_Given_Police_Protection), and offered police protection because of “the level of vitriol against her”… Plenty of morons on the comments though: > [@](#): > > Cats should stay in your house, they do not need to roam. Er yes they do actually. If you want a pet that you can keep shut up in your house, buy a hamster. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/5 "2010-08-24T11:39:48Z")
Whether hundreds of millions of (non-native) cats should roam outside to breed, be hit by cars, and kill birds and native wildlife is a pretty controversial topic actually, although I understand it’s regarded differently in England. I’m not very surprised that the woman tried to consign the cat to death on a casual whim; many people have an almost sociopathic attitude toward animals, deliberately distancing themselves mentally. Even the allegedly sympathetic news service refers to Lola the cat as “it” despite plenty of opportunity to refer to Lola as “she.” What does surprise me is that the police say the woman did not commit any crime. Isn’t it illegal to gratuitously harm a companion animal in Britain? _Surely_ dumping someone into the bin would be legally construed as harm if she’d dumped a human baby into the bin. So in saying no crime was committed, the police seem to be saying cats are not protected? edit: Looks like Sage Rat’s hat is safe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/6 "2010-08-24T11:40:25Z")
This one is gold > [@](#): > > This is disgusting. This lady needs to be seriously prosecuted. If she had imprisoned a human, I’m sure she would be facing penalties. I have no faith in any of the UK systems as it is Yeah, I’m pretty sure she would be facing charges if she’d imprisoned a human too. That’s kind of the point though, a cat is not a human and there is apparently no charge on the books the police can use against her. I hope the RSPCA manage to make something stick. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/7 "2010-08-24T12:33:35Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Plenty of morons on the comments though: > > > [@](#): > > > > Cats should stay in your house, they do not need to roam. > > Er yes they do actually. If you want a pet that you can keep shut up in your house, buy a hamster. Other way around, surely? “Unless you have sufficient property to allow your pets to roam don’t buy a cat”. If you have a 50 acre farm keep as many cats as you like. If you have a small suburban garden and can’t prevent the dirty little f\*ckers from defecating all over your neighbour’s vegetable patch and their children’s sand pit then make do with a hamster. I’d love our local cat owners to come round and explain to my distraught daughter that the hours she’d spent preparing and sowing her little vegetable plot this spring were wasted because someone else’s pet needed somewhere to crap. I know it’s not the cat’s fault, but as I can’t force the owners to drink anitfreeze there aren’t too many options left. As for this case… [QUOTE=sailboat] What does surprise me is that the police say the woman did not commit any crime. Isn’t it illegal to gratuitously harm a companion animal in Britain? [/quote] The Animal Welfare Act 2006 states: 4 Unnecessary suffering (1) A person commits an offence if— (a) an act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an animal to suffer, (b) he knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that the act, or failure to act, would have that effect or be likely to do so, (c) the animal is a protected animal, and (d) the suffering is unnecessary. … which seems to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/8 "2010-08-24T12:41:29Z")
Is it also illegal to use someone else’s dumpster without permission? It’s called ilegal dumping in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/9 "2010-08-24T12:49:28Z")
That woman’s a nasty piece of work if she’s willing to commit a gratuitous act of cruelty so cavalierly. Wonder how she treats people? Comedy points to the commenter who complained that she’d put the cat in the wrong colour bin - green is for garden waste only. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/10 "2010-08-24T12:55:56Z")
Pit thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575650). ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/11 "2010-08-24T13:00:50Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > That woman’s a nasty piece of work if she’s willing to commit a gratuitous act of cruelty so cavalierly. Wonder how she treats people? > > Comedy points to the commenter who complained that she’d put the cat in the wrong colour bin - green is for garden waste only. Well then hell, she was \*helping \*the cat. She put him in a safe place, protected from cars and predators and the like, with a nice vegetarian diet included. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/12 "2010-08-24T13:07:59Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Comedy points to the commenter who complained that she’d put the cat in the wrong colour bin - green is for garden waste only. 😃 I haven’t seen that comment - there are so many now (198 at the moment) and I can’t be bothered to trawl through them all. But surely that alone would give sufficient grounds to prosecute? I’m sure I’ve read of people being given fines for putting rubbish in the wrong bins… although maybe the householder is actually liable for whatgoes into their bin, even if they didn’t put it there? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/13 "2010-08-24T13:25:42Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Is it also illegal to use someone else’s dumpster without permission? It’s called ilegal dumping in the US. I suspect the phrase “kitty littering” will appear in the majority of news reports, as has already begun. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/14 "2010-08-24T14:34:49Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Cat-abusers are no longer safe in this world. Good. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/15 "2010-08-24T15:17:22Z")
I have a friend who runs her own animal rescue organization. She spends most of her time activist-ing against these kinds of people- mostly bad shelters and animal control organizations, but she’ll take up the fight on behalf of any kitty she comes across. The rest of her time she’s a federal investigator. She has a gun. That nasty woman should be glad there’s an ocean between her and my friend, once she reads about this. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/16 "2010-08-24T15:30:22Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > > [@Gyrate](#): > > > > That woman’s a nasty piece of work if she’s willing to commit a gratuitous act of cruelty so cavalierly. Wonder how she treats people? > > > > Comedy points to the commenter who complained that she’d put the cat in the wrong colour bin - green is for garden waste only. > > Well then hell, she was \*helping \*the cat. She put him in a safe place, protected from cars and predators and the like, with a nice vegetarian diet included. Except cats are obligate carnivores and cannot survive on a vegetarian diet. So we’re back to cruelty. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/17 "2010-08-24T15:59:02Z")
Where could they send her? She’s already in Coventry. I’m glad the cat’s OK, but why do these people have a security camera on their recycling bin? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/18 "2010-08-24T16:17:21Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Where could they send her? She’s already in Coventry. > > I’m glad the cat’s OK, but why do these people have a security camera on their recycling bin? The story said it was because their car had been vandalized. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/19 "2010-08-24T16:36:35Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > > [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > > > Is it also illegal to use someone else’s dumpster without permission? It’s called ilegal dumping in the US. > > I suspect the phrase “kitty littering” will appear in the majority of news reports, as has already begun. Okay, I snorted. This is so strange - can anyone speculate on why she just dumped the cat in there? I used to be a proponent of indoor-only cats, but I’ve come around to a point where I’ll only get cats if I can cat-proof an outdoor space for them. They can live inside, sure, but they LOVE going outside (we catproofed the back yard in our new house, and the cats go in and out all day long). Free range cats is still no good, just like free range dogs. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271/20 "2010-08-24T16:44:22Z")
[hijack] How would you kitty-proof an area? We have a deck that feeds into our yard, and I’d love to section off a fenced-in area so they could go out and lie in the sun and the breeze. I need to figure it out.[/hijack] And I’d like to toss this bitch in a bin myself. Such a lovely friendly little sweetie - that makes it so much worse! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-pets-cat-drops-it-in-wheelie-bin-walks-off/551271.md?page=2)