Lancet Jades
05-17-2004, 02:17 AM
Cat custody battleMay 17, 2004
A court in Germany has given joint custody to two neighbouring households over a cat that ingratiated itself with both families for more than two years, officials said.
Accepting Neuruppin District Court Judge Egbert Simon's compromise, both families agreed to feline visitation rights.
The settlement ended a dispute over who should pay about $US4,500 ($A6,565) in cat food costs.
One family in the eastern German town of Neuruppin claimed the tabby showed up on their doorstep in May 2001 "looking scrawny" and that they called it Charly and fed it until September 2003.
That was when the next door neighbours said it was their cat Bismarck. They had wondered why Bismarck was putting on weight, unaware he was snacking between meals next door under an assumed name. After that, they kept him indoors on a strict diet.
"Joint custody and visitation rights work well with humans," the judge suggested, "why don't we try that in this case."
A court in Germany has given joint custody to two neighbouring households over a cat that ingratiated itself with both families for more than two years, officials said.
Accepting Neuruppin District Court Judge Egbert Simon's compromise, both families agreed to feline visitation rights.
The settlement ended a dispute over who should pay about $US4,500 ($A6,565) in cat food costs.
One family in the eastern German town of Neuruppin claimed the tabby showed up on their doorstep in May 2001 "looking scrawny" and that they called it Charly and fed it until September 2003.
That was when the next door neighbours said it was their cat Bismarck. They had wondered why Bismarck was putting on weight, unaware he was snacking between meals next door under an assumed name. After that, they kept him indoors on a strict diet.
"Joint custody and visitation rights work well with humans," the judge suggested, "why don't we try that in this case."