A well-meaning couple searching for their friend's missing cat were accused of trying to steal somebody's pet.
Sophie Johnson’s beloved cat Lentil went missing in Prestonpans, Edinburgh around October 20.
After she posted on Facebook, couple Lauren Faulkner and Charlie Allan took to the streets to find the one-year-old Ragdoll/Siamese mix.
After discovering a ragdoll in the area they messaged Johnson to say they'd found the cat, alongside a picture of what they thought to be Lentil, sitting contently in the passenger seat of the car, ready to be reunited with his owner.
A relieved Sophie replied to say she was "shaking" and "couldn't believe it", the Mirror report.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, the cat Lauren and Charlie had in their car wasn't Lentil at all.
Before they could drive away and place the animal into the arms of a human it had never laid eyes on before, a neighbour ran out to tell the couple the cat had been living at the development for a year.
Charlie broke the bad news to Sophie to say they were "embarrassed" and would continue the search.
But the story doesn't end there.
A post then appeared on a local Facebook group, saying: "Someone just tried to steal our Railey ragdoll cat. Luckily to our wonderful neighbours it was prevented.
"We are aware of a missing cat who looks a little like ours and we are sorry for the owner's loss but turning up to someone's home and trying to steal an animal is an appalling and cowardly act."
When the post got back to Lauren, she wrote on Twitter: "A mean we didny run about in f***ing balaclavas nor get wrestled to ground whilst trying to abduct the cat, some **** went thats no the right cat btw and I let it oot n we aw laughed.
