The Long Island family whose nanny stole their ailing cat to spare him from euthanization claimed Wednesday they still want the tabby back — even as court documents revealed their plans to put the pet down.
“The only thing we want is for the cat to be returned to its loving family and back with our children, where it’s been for 15 years,” Russell Berman told The Post of his family’s pet Tigger.
His plea came after Rebecca Katz appeared in Nassau County court on petit larceny charges for stealing the kitty from Berman and his wife, Julie, earlier this month, because, she said, they planned on taking it to the vet for a lethal injection.
Katz, 33, was released on conditional probation — but the judge didn’t make any ruling on the kitty, so it’s staying with her for now.
Berman wouldn’t say whether the couple still plan on putting the cat down, but court documents showed Julia told police that had been their plan.
“My family and I have decided to euthanize my family cat tomorrow morning due to many medical issues and our pet living in pain over the recent months,” Julie Berman told authorities, according to the court papers.
“My nanny has said she will not answer any of our phone calls and does not agree with my decision to have our pet euthanized.”
Katz said she hasn’t ruled out returning the tabby but wants to ensure it will be safe.
She insists Tigger is “not terminally ill,” although she has acknowledged he has some health issues.
“This saddens me,” Katz said on Wednesday. “They’re acting like this is an animal they loved and cherished … and they told me to say goodbye to it because they were going to euthanize it.”
The former nanny, who cared for the couple’s two young children for years, says she swiped Tigger after she arrived for work on July 2 and learned the couple wanted to end its life.
She took off with the cat, leaving behind a note saying, “I can’t let this happen” on the kitchen counter.
The family went to the cops, and she turned herself in a few days later.
Katz is scheduled to return to court Friday. She was also instructed to refrain from committing other crimes or “intentionally injuring or killing any animal companion, including Tigger.”