Cat's return to 'ender'
Cops retrieve pet from thief so owners can euthanize it
Tigger the tabby could be back on death row.
A Long Island nanny who swiped her boss’ elderly cat to save it from euthanasia says the pet is now back with the owners who wanted to kill it — after cops came and took it from her home.
“I’m afraid they may kill Tigger,” nanny-turned-catburglar Rebecca Katz said between sobs Tuesday.
The 33-year-old woman walked away from her job with Tigger, 15, in her arms on July 2 because her employers were going to put it down.
Nassau County Court Judge Rhonda Fischer told prosecutors last week to hold off on issuing a search warrant to retrieve the cat from Katz, pending a hearing Wednesday into the cat’s health and custody.
But cops showed up at Katz’s North Baldwin home Monday with an unrelated outstanding bench warrant for her husband — and then used the opportunity to take the animal, she said.
“My husband was home, and they pushed their way in,” Katz recounted.
Her lawyer claimed the retrieval was an “abuse of process.”
“For them to go to this length to threaten someone with arrest on an unrelated matter to convince them to turn over the cat is just wrong, plain and simple,” attorney Carolyn Sanchez said. Sanchez said the pet was then returned to original owners Julie (top inset) and Russel Berman (bottom inset), who have claimed the cat is sick and should be put down,wn, court documents show.
Julie refused to commentomment on where Tigger is noww or what the family plans onn doing with him but saidd she had nothing to do with the cops’ actions,ns, adding: “I hear you.u. It’s crazy.”
A Nassau County police spokesman insisted the depart-ment knew nothing of the incident.
“No one has heardard anything about the cat,” he said.aid.
Katz turned herself into copsops for the cat-napping last monthnth and was charged with petitetit larceny, then released on pro-obation.
She says she’s since spentnt more than $1,000 on vett bills for Tigger — but de-nies he’s terminally ill.