Neighbour's Cat
Discussion
My girlfriend and I moved into our first home about a month ago and almost immediately we found we often had a cat meowing at the back door trying to come in. With decorating and gardening etc. we've had the door open quite a bit and have more than once gone upstairs to find Puss sleeping on the landings or in one of the bedrooms. It's extremely friendly and is really keen to come in - she'll run through the front door when you try to go through it and takes it upon herself to sit on your lap.
I contacted the woman we bought the house from to ask if she's had the same cat in before and it's simply doing what it's always done. She informed me it's next door's and never ventured in here before as they had a Jack Russell. She did say, however, that it was always in another house over the road until they got cats of their own and suspects that it's not looked after all that well because it keeps getting pregnant and never seemed to be at home.
Yesterday, whilst I was putting the rubbish out, I saw next door's front door open, a cat food bowl with food in it get tossed out and then the door shut again, all with their cat sitting on the pavement outside. They never even acknowledged it. All of this perceived mean-ness toward Kitty has meant that my girlfriend is less than impressed by the new neighbours and their animal-keeping skills, culminating this evening by her knocking on their door to play innocent and ask if they know whose cat keeps trying to come in as it seems like it might not have a home. The response (by a guy in his pants, no less), was that it was indeed their cat, but they shut it out at night as it gets on the beds and wakes them up. They told her not to feed it or let it in as it's their cat, but admitted they never know where it is.
This surely can't be right, can it? Okay, it'll be alright at this time of year but give it another two or three months and surely it'll be too cold for the thing to survive outside at night on its own - to me it seems unbelievably mean. We can't really let it in anymore as a) they've asked us not to and b) I doubt it's been given the required flea treatments etc. and I don't really want any of that in the house!
We're kind of at a loss as to what to do really - to me it just seems cruel and pointless to have a pet cat that you never see or let in the house. Up until now, if it wasn't in here, it was wondering about outside somewhere. Nothing we can do I guess.
I contacted the woman we bought the house from to ask if she's had the same cat in before and it's simply doing what it's always done. She informed me it's next door's and never ventured in here before as they had a Jack Russell. She did say, however, that it was always in another house over the road until they got cats of their own and suspects that it's not looked after all that well because it keeps getting pregnant and never seemed to be at home.
Yesterday, whilst I was putting the rubbish out, I saw next door's front door open, a cat food bowl with food in it get tossed out and then the door shut again, all with their cat sitting on the pavement outside. They never even acknowledged it. All of this perceived mean-ness toward Kitty has meant that my girlfriend is less than impressed by the new neighbours and their animal-keeping skills, culminating this evening by her knocking on their door to play innocent and ask if they know whose cat keeps trying to come in as it seems like it might not have a home. The response (by a guy in his pants, no less), was that it was indeed their cat, but they shut it out at night as it gets on the beds and wakes them up. They told her not to feed it or let it in as it's their cat, but admitted they never know where it is.
This surely can't be right, can it? Okay, it'll be alright at this time of year but give it another two or three months and surely it'll be too cold for the thing to survive outside at night on its own - to me it seems unbelievably mean. We can't really let it in anymore as a) they've asked us not to and b) I doubt it's been given the required flea treatments etc. and I don't really want any of that in the house!
We're kind of at a loss as to what to do really - to me it just seems cruel and pointless to have a pet cat that you never see or let in the house. Up until now, if it wasn't in here, it was wondering about outside somewhere. Nothing we can do I guess.
this happens all too often.
I know a couple who have 'adopted' a cat that was treated badly by it's original owners.
The owners live just across the road from her, and have never once (in the last 5 years) mentioned once about the fact that their cat has chosen a new owner.
Humans dont always choose their pet cat. A cat will often choose it's owners.
If you absolutly hate the fact that a cat has latched on then do something about it, but if you dont mind and you think the cat will be happier and better looked after with you, then maybe just let it do its natural transition of new ownership.
Cats aren't fussy about their owners, and so will alawys choose the ones that have a warm, friendly house.
Edit - If your neighbours have told you not to let it in, it's going to be pretty hard to stop it doing so, so thats not fair. Cats will get in any way they can if they prefer your pad to theirs.
I know a couple who have 'adopted' a cat that was treated badly by it's original owners.
The owners live just across the road from her, and have never once (in the last 5 years) mentioned once about the fact that their cat has chosen a new owner.
Humans dont always choose their pet cat. A cat will often choose it's owners.
If you absolutly hate the fact that a cat has latched on then do something about it, but if you dont mind and you think the cat will be happier and better looked after with you, then maybe just let it do its natural transition of new ownership.
Cats aren't fussy about their owners, and so will alawys choose the ones that have a warm, friendly house.
Edit - If your neighbours have told you not to let it in, it's going to be pretty hard to stop it doing so, so thats not fair. Cats will get in any way they can if they prefer your pad to theirs.
David87 said:
The response (by a guy in his pants, no less), was that it was indeed their cat, but they shut it out at night as it gets on the beds and wakes them up.
Does this guy live in Warsop? My brothers cats like to get on the beds, especially if you're having a kip; this is combatted by the simple expedient of shutting the bedroom door with them on the other side of it. 
Edited by hidetheelephants on Tuesday 30th August 21:03
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