neighbor neglecting her cat?
Discussion
Seeking some advice / wanting to vent my frustration!
apologies its long winded.
I've never had a cat before so i'm not sure if i'm being over concerned.
My next door neighbor recently took on a young stray cat a few months ago. Cat all of a sudden turned up in her garden and her kids, and mine have been making a fuss of it ever since as it likes to move between her and my garden. Next door have always fed him since he turned up and myself and neighbor are on friendly terms.
He's very friendly, affectionate, loves attention and i have no issue with him being on my property as he is really fond of our kids and so are they of him.
Trouble is that my neighbor never brings her cat inside, even when the weather is absolutely dire. All she seems to do with him is put food down in a bowl outside her back door.
We've decided to let the cat into our house a few times as the poor sod had been meowing at us through the window, piss wet through. Every time I've messaged her to say that we have her cat inside and could you come take him in as he clearly didn't want to be outside.
She claims that every time she takes him in he's desperate to get back out again and that she thinks hes not keen on her kids (cant see any validity in that, he never leaves our kids alone when they are in the garden)
Now winter is fast approaching were starting to get concerned for the moggies welfare as he is being left out all day and night, according to the neighbor he occasionally sleeps inside the kids play house in our garden (never ever seen him in there when i go to lock the back gate of an evening as i normally check the play house to see if hes there but never to be seen) However he's now always meowing at our door and window begging to be let in as soon as the evenings draw in and get colder (We live in the NE of Scotland and have recently seen evenings temps dip to freezing or below), and every morning at 0600 as i'm leaving to go to work he's at the door doing the same thing. its getting the point now that as soon as our back door is opened the cat immediately bolts inside and has absolutely no desire to be put back out. it will only disappear to who knows where after half an hour of constant yowling and being ignored.
This isn't the first instance I've witnessed my neighbor take on a pet and seemingly lose interest very rapidly. Only in April this year she bought a black lab puppy that was always shut outside during the daytime, but at least it got in on the evenings. the dog lasted all of 5 weeks before she lost interest in him and sold him on.
I'm at a loss on where to go with this. the cats clearly well fed but i feel like i cant dob her in to any animal welfare authorities as the cat only moves between my and her garden, so it would be obvious who made the call when they show up to quiz her, she claims the cat has now been chipped and neutered but i have my doubts.
Frankly i'm tired of looking after someone else's pet that isn't mine because she cant be bothered to look after it properly, the only reason i do it is because i don't want to see the poor sod suffer, now winters fast approaching i'm concerned he'll die from being exposed to the elements, i simply cant let him stay inside for the evenings as hes not my cat.
Id love to make her an offer and say id take him on if he's proving too much of a commitment as he would make a fantastic pet, however my wife child minds and one of the children she looks after is allergic to cats.
apologies its long winded.
I've never had a cat before so i'm not sure if i'm being over concerned.
My next door neighbor recently took on a young stray cat a few months ago. Cat all of a sudden turned up in her garden and her kids, and mine have been making a fuss of it ever since as it likes to move between her and my garden. Next door have always fed him since he turned up and myself and neighbor are on friendly terms.
He's very friendly, affectionate, loves attention and i have no issue with him being on my property as he is really fond of our kids and so are they of him.
Trouble is that my neighbor never brings her cat inside, even when the weather is absolutely dire. All she seems to do with him is put food down in a bowl outside her back door.
We've decided to let the cat into our house a few times as the poor sod had been meowing at us through the window, piss wet through. Every time I've messaged her to say that we have her cat inside and could you come take him in as he clearly didn't want to be outside.
She claims that every time she takes him in he's desperate to get back out again and that she thinks hes not keen on her kids (cant see any validity in that, he never leaves our kids alone when they are in the garden)
Now winter is fast approaching were starting to get concerned for the moggies welfare as he is being left out all day and night, according to the neighbor he occasionally sleeps inside the kids play house in our garden (never ever seen him in there when i go to lock the back gate of an evening as i normally check the play house to see if hes there but never to be seen) However he's now always meowing at our door and window begging to be let in as soon as the evenings draw in and get colder (We live in the NE of Scotland and have recently seen evenings temps dip to freezing or below), and every morning at 0600 as i'm leaving to go to work he's at the door doing the same thing. its getting the point now that as soon as our back door is opened the cat immediately bolts inside and has absolutely no desire to be put back out. it will only disappear to who knows where after half an hour of constant yowling and being ignored.
This isn't the first instance I've witnessed my neighbor take on a pet and seemingly lose interest very rapidly. Only in April this year she bought a black lab puppy that was always shut outside during the daytime, but at least it got in on the evenings. the dog lasted all of 5 weeks before she lost interest in him and sold him on.
I'm at a loss on where to go with this. the cats clearly well fed but i feel like i cant dob her in to any animal welfare authorities as the cat only moves between my and her garden, so it would be obvious who made the call when they show up to quiz her, she claims the cat has now been chipped and neutered but i have my doubts.
Frankly i'm tired of looking after someone else's pet that isn't mine because she cant be bothered to look after it properly, the only reason i do it is because i don't want to see the poor sod suffer, now winters fast approaching i'm concerned he'll die from being exposed to the elements, i simply cant let him stay inside for the evenings as hes not my cat.
Id love to make her an offer and say id take him on if he's proving too much of a commitment as he would make a fantastic pet, however my wife child minds and one of the children she looks after is allergic to cats.
You say that the cat suddenly appeared in your neighbours garden and she has unofficially adopted it. I would say that the cat needs to be checked to see if it is microchipped which will identify if it 'belongs' to someone and if you are worried for the cats welfare then take it to a cat shelter where it can be looked after and found a new owner. No need to tell the neighbour as cats do often decide to leave home and find themselves somewhere new to live as I have witnessed many times.
My neighbour has a stray cat that lives year round in her greenhouse and garden and she feeds it daily; seems happy and healthy enough to me!
My neighbour has a stray cat that lives year round in her greenhouse and garden and she feeds it daily; seems happy and healthy enough to me!
pequod said:
You say that the cat suddenly appeared in your neighbours garden and she has unofficially adopted it. I would say that the cat needs to be checked to see if it is microchipped which will identify if it 'belongs' to someone and if you are worried for the cats welfare then take it to a cat shelter where it can be looked after and found a new owner. No need to tell the neighbour as cats do often decide to leave home and find themselves somewhere new to live as I have witnessed many times.
My neighbour has a stray cat that lives year round in her greenhouse and garden and she feeds it daily; seems happy and healthy enough to me!
Shes told us that she took him to the vet to check if he was chipped and he wasnt, wasnt neutered either. Claims that the vet told her that if nobody came looking for him after a month that she could take him in if she wanted (sounds a bit dodgy to me but i have no experience of cats)My neighbour has a stray cat that lives year round in her greenhouse and garden and she feeds it daily; seems happy and healthy enough to me!
A month passed and she told me that he put him in to be chipped and neutered but im dubious about if that actually happened. She has a habit of telling lies as weve found out in the past regarding other stuff.
It has crossed my mind taking him to the vet ourselves to see if he actually is chipped by feigning that hes turned up in our garden out of the blue. Will be bloody awkward if he is though as i think that could lead to an awkward situation of the vet ringing our neighbor
If it is male and been castrated that would be easy to check. If female she would have had a shared side for the neutering.
The month thing is a legitimate statement re ownership etc
The animal welfare act states that animals should have adequate shelter to protect from the elements, food and fresh water available and their entail well being cared for.
She doesn't 'have' to have the cat indoors, though not point having him if he wants to and she won't allow it, but she should provide him a waterproof and warm place to go outside at the very least.
The month thing is a legitimate statement re ownership etc
The animal welfare act states that animals should have adequate shelter to protect from the elements, food and fresh water available and their entail well being cared for.
She doesn't 'have' to have the cat indoors, though not point having him if he wants to and she won't allow it, but she should provide him a waterproof and warm place to go outside at the very least.
bexVN said:
If it is male and been castrated that would be easy to check. If female she would have had a shared side for the neutering.
The month thing is a legitimate statement re ownership etc
The animal welfare act states that animals should have adequate shelter to protect from the elements, food and fresh water available and their entail well being cared for.
She doesn't 'have' to have the cat indoors, though not point having him if he wants to and she won't allow it, but she should provide him a waterproof and warm place to go outside at the very least.
What do i need to check if hes neutered? He definitely doesnt have a warm place to crash, next door have a plastic kids play house but it has no door and open windows. In terms of shelter its about as much use as tits on a fish.The month thing is a legitimate statement re ownership etc
The animal welfare act states that animals should have adequate shelter to protect from the elements, food and fresh water available and their entail well being cared for.
She doesn't 'have' to have the cat indoors, though not point having him if he wants to and she won't allow it, but she should provide him a waterproof and warm place to go outside at the very least.
I would knock up a small shelter and fill it with a load of old blankets etc but i can only imagine thatll raise questions from next door, and he not my cat
Get it to the vet and checked for a chip, explain that your neighbour has semi adopted it but you're concerned they are not being honest. The vet will be fine with it.
It seems like the cat has adopted you and only goes to your neighbour for food as you're not feeding it. If you started feeding it, it would give up with your neighbour. Cat's know which side their bread is buttered.
If it's not chipped and your kids love it then fit a cat flap and enjoy your new family member to the fullest.
It seems like the cat has adopted you and only goes to your neighbour for food as you're not feeding it. If you started feeding it, it would give up with your neighbour. Cat's know which side their bread is buttered.
If it's not chipped and your kids love it then fit a cat flap and enjoy your new family member to the fullest.
Sounds like your neighbour has adopted the stray but has no intention of keeping it in the house.
Cats are incredibly fickle and very good at training humans. He's already made a good start on you! They're also surprisingly robust and provided their free of parasites and well fed they'll always find somewhere to get comfortable in all but the most severe weather (the point at which farm animals have issues too). Might be a shed, playhouse, garage, or just moving from oil sump to oil sump.
If it's wet it's because it's taken a gamble that you'll open the door! And you did so it paid off. There's plenty of dry spots for a cat to fit.
You could just offer to adopt the cat and have it in your home. Or you could make some outside comforts for it. A small shelter with a heat matt wouldn't be particularly expensive or difficult to setup (easier of you already have an outside socket).
Cats are incredibly fickle and very good at training humans. He's already made a good start on you! They're also surprisingly robust and provided their free of parasites and well fed they'll always find somewhere to get comfortable in all but the most severe weather (the point at which farm animals have issues too). Might be a shed, playhouse, garage, or just moving from oil sump to oil sump.
If it's wet it's because it's taken a gamble that you'll open the door! And you did so it paid off. There's plenty of dry spots for a cat to fit.
You could just offer to adopt the cat and have it in your home. Or you could make some outside comforts for it. A small shelter with a heat matt wouldn't be particularly expensive or difficult to setup (easier of you already have an outside socket).
menguin said:
Cats don't have owners - they choose them. If the cat wants to come inside with you, then it's chosen you. Keep the cat, sounds like you can provide it with a better life 
Exactly this. Perhaps keep it in the utility room/kitchen whilst allergy child is about but apart from that you appear to have become the new slave of this cat. Just ask next door if she minds if the cat is in your house some evenings as he seems to want to be...
Our old cat was s
t scared of the dog. She preferred to be outside most of the time. On top of this, if she was inside overnight she would want out at 5AM, which was not popular. One of life's victims, even the starlings stole her bloody cat food. Feeding her cost a fortune as we were also feeding the local wildlife, not to mention the dog having a snack everytime the front door opened.
Sadly she vanished earlier this year, to return a week later with a damaged spine. There was only one way to go. Prior to that though she was perfectly healthy, even though she spend most of her time outside.
t scared of the dog. She preferred to be outside most of the time. On top of this, if she was inside overnight she would want out at 5AM, which was not popular. One of life's victims, even the starlings stole her bloody cat food. Feeding her cost a fortune as we were also feeding the local wildlife, not to mention the dog having a snack everytime the front door opened.Sadly she vanished earlier this year, to return a week later with a damaged spine. There was only one way to go. Prior to that though she was perfectly healthy, even though she spend most of her time outside.
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