Court Next Chapter in Romeo’s Tragedy

Tara DiGiovanni doesn’t like to cause trouble. But someone -- she insists it was a neighbor -- kidnapped her cat Romeo, an exotic breed known as a Bengal, and had him neutered.

“If you’re a cat or dog owner, you know how big and emotional this is,” said DiGiovanni, 22, of Santa Ana. “I have three dogs and Romeo. To me, these are like my children.”

In a lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court, DiGiovanni is seeking more than $100,000 in damages from Jillian Jones for emotional distress and the loss of use of Romeo, a 9-month-old male she bought for $4,000 for breeding. The suit also names the MacArthur Village Homeowners Assn., saying it was indifferent to Jones’ actions.

In November, DiGiovanni said, someone took her cat, who was allowed to roam free during the day while she was at work. Romeo, she said, didn’t show up until late one day and was acting strange. She noticed his fur had been shaved and she saw a small incision.

Her lawsuit alleges that Jones, a neighbor and vice president of the MacArthur Village Homeowners Assn., took the cat and had him neutered. She does not know the name of the veterinarian who did the surgical alteration but has made dozens of calls attempting to find out.

Malcolm Mendonsa, a member of the homeowners association board of directors, called the lawsuit “petty” but referred further comment to the association’s legal firm.

An attorney for the association, Denise D. Iger, said it was premature to say anything until the association’s directors meet to discuss the case.

Jones could not be reached for comment.

DiGiovanni’s attorney said the incident escalated from an apparent personality clash between DiGiovanni and Jones and Jones’ dislike of Romeo.

“It’s a beautiful breed of cat,” attorney Christine Batista said. “But we have information that the board member took the cat when it was outside, took it to a vet and had it neutered and brought it back.”

Jean S. Mill, a Covina cat breeder credited with originating the breed, said the Bengal is descended from a cross between the small, wild Asian leopard cats and domestic shorthairs.

The lawsuit claims Jones used her influence with the association’s security and administrative staffs to pressure them to single out DiGiovanni for selective enforcement.

DiGiovanni said she was written up for numerous homeowner association violations, mostly because of her dogs’ barking. Her three Chihuahuas -- Porsche, Bentley and Lexus -- would bark in the condo during the day.