Ive stolen my next door neighbours cat

James Mcfadden

Hi guys


Im a newbie here so bear with me here its not as bad as you think. Theres a beautiful white cat comes around are back and ive befriened it by giviing it some cheese and milk which it loves. But lately ive found it to be around all the time. It camps out in are garden and waits to be fed. It sits on a window sill and looks in at the television. It runs into are house and camps itself on top of my bed. Its very cute but the problem its its our neighbours cat. And it now doesnt go anywere near them as it seems that its better off here.

zero19

It's their cat dude...You can't just take it

NOGMaxpower

cats will go where the food is... stop feeding it!

cheese isn't very good for a cats digestive system though poor fecker must be doing some runny poos.

Just tell your neighbour, then go to a rescue pound and rescue your own cat since you seem to like them. what would you rather, steal your neighbours cat or save one from being put to sleep.

Hank Scorpio

stop feeding it.

Clare Bear

Ye're being a bit harsh. The cat obviously prefers him to the neighbours, he hasn't stolen him! OP if you want the cat to go away stop feeding him.

iguana

You really need to stop feeding it. Unless an animal looks like it is in serious danger of starving you should never feed it. It's not fair on the owner and you have no idea if it is on a special diet due to diabetes or similar.

seamus

Cats are lactose intolerant. The poor thing probably goes home and ****s all over the owner's carpet and they've no idea what's wrong with it.

Stop feeding it, and stop letting it into your house, at least until you know who owns it. Our downstairs neighbour has two cats, one of whom is very fond of coming into our house, but we only let him in when they're not around and if it's a cold or wet day. As soon as they come home, he gets thrown out to go down to them. He also gets thrown out around 8pm because that's when he gets fed.

James Mcfadden

Hey guys I think your taking the story a little to serious I understand its the neighbours cat and it always will be. I like the cat coming aroung and its not doing it any harm. I work full time so I wouldnt be able to keep a pet so this suits me and the cat fine. its a good arrangement to be honest. I just though it was a funny little story thats all I didnt mean any harm.

seamus

It happens all the time, but it is good to be aware of what cats should and shouldn't eat. They love milk but it's bad for them

My OH had a cat in their family home who started going missing at one point. He'd go missing for a couple of days here and there, the odd night here and there, and when he was at home, he was a bit ill and wouldn't eat. He had special dietary needs due to internal damage he'd received after being hit by a car.
Then one day he turns up with a note in his collar from someone who wasn't sure if he was a stray (wearing a collar FFS) saying that he was turning up at their house and they were feeding him and keeping him in some nights, with a phone number to ring if the owner wanted to give him away. Needless to say the number was called and a few choice words given down the phone

Not to say that you shouldn't be nice to cats, but you should make contact with the owner before feeding it or keeping it in your house. If you don't know who owns it, leave it outside.

anniehoo

James Mcfadden wrote: »

Hey guys I think your taking the story a little to serious I understand its the neighbours cat and it always will be. I like the cat coming aroung and its not doing it any harm. I work full time so I wouldnt be able to keep a pet so this suits me and the cat fine. its a good arrangement to be honest. I just though it was a funny little story thats all I didnt mean any harm.

Yeh i agree James,theres few abrupt comments being said on a harmless enough post. Just have a friendly natter with the neighbour letting them know their cat is hangin around yours in case theyre ever wondering where he is and put a halt to the scraps as hard as itll be to ignore him

James Mcfadden

anniehoo wrote: »

Yeh i agree James,theres few abrupt comments being said on a harmless enough post. Just have a friendly natter with the neighbour letting them know their cat is hangin around yours in case theyre ever wondering where he is and put a halt to the scraps as hard as itll be to ignore him

Yeah thank you Anniehoo, at the end of the day a little piece of food here and there I dont think is doinng the cat any harm. I rarely give the cat milk and I will now know not to give it any milk any more. I do give it the odd strip og grated cheese that it loves. To be fair guys Id rather see a fat cat than a skinny one. This cat is extremley heathty and its being spoiled by its owner and neigbour once in a while I really dont see any harm.

Any more funny cat stories would be appericated!:)

anniehoo

James Mcfadden wrote: »

Yeah thank you Anniehoo, at the end of the day a little piece of food here and there I dont think is doinng the cat any harm.

The only thing is as Iguana says you dont know if the cat is a diabetic (which shouldnt really be left roaming anyway) but if it eats any food outside of its insulin time slots it will affect its glucose curve i.e.not a good thing. Its probably not likely but as hes not yours its better to be safe than sorry thats all as he could have any kind of allergy or intolerance. Plenty of playing and belly rubs and he'll still love ya

lightening

James Mcfadden wrote: »

I didnt mean any harm.

We all have incredibly high pet horses here.

MsFifers

The same thing is going on with me! But its not my fault!!!

The next door neighbour's kitten (well nearly a cat now) is always in my house. As I already have cats and leave food out for them at all times, I can't not feed it, as it just takes what is there. It comes in any open window - no matter how difficult it is to climb. It seems to be obsessed with me.

I spoke to my neighbours and brought the cat back to them over & again, and the little thing just comes back. It sits outside the patio door with huuuuuuuuuuge eyes looking sad, and will stay there in rain and everything.

My neighbours have said it now refuses to eat when they try to feed it, so I've given them some of my type of cat food but it still insists on coming over.

It has actually climbed in in the middle of the night and burrowed in under the covers of my bed to snuggle me. That was a quite a surprise let me tell you! :eek:

People who have commented here have no idea about the difficulty of this kind of situation let me tell you!! I think we should set up a support group James McFadden.

PurpleBerry

James, could you maybe mention to your neighbours that their gorgeous cat seems to like your yard/house and you enjoy the company so, if they don't mind, maybe you could cat-sit?

That way they know where the cat is and can give you instructions if necessary.

James Mcfadden

MsFifers wrote: »

The same thing is going on with me! But its not my fault!!!

The next door neighbour's kitten (well nearly a cat now) is always in my house. As I already have cats and leave food out for them at all times, I can't not feed it, as it just takes what is there. It comes in any open window - no matter how difficult it is to climb. It seems to be obsessed with me.

I spoke to my neighbours and brought the cat back to them over & again, and the little thing just comes back. It sits outside the patio door with huuuuuuuuuuge eyes looking sad, and will stay there in rain and everything.

My neighbours have said it now refuses to eat when they try to feed it, so I've given them some of my type of cat food but it still insists on coming over.

It has actually climbed in in the middle of the night and burrowed in under the covers of my bed to snuggle me. That was a quite a surprise let me tell you! :eek:

People who have commented here have no idea about the difficulty of this kind of situation let me tell you!! I think we should set up a support group James McFadden.

Maybe we should Msfiffers this one does exactly the same things you are saying. It waits and waits at my back door then it looks up with those big innocent eyes. I open the door it sprints in and does not remove itself unless its lifted out or some food is thrown outside for it.
Oneday i was in the living room and it just walks into the room it must have got in through the window.

callaghanjp

I seem to have adopted two not one. They are always at the back door in the morning and again waiting for me in the eve. One is actually fast asleep in front of the fire at the mo. I do feed them but I dont know if they are strays or belong to the neighbours. Anyway I wont see them go hungry and will take my chances with the neighbours if they ever come calling.!!

James Mcfadden

callaghanjp wrote: »

I seem to have adopted two not one. They are always at the back door in the morning and again waiting for me in the eve. One is actually fast asleep in front of the fire at the mo. I do feed them but I dont know if they are strays or belong to the neighbours. Anyway I wont see them go hungry and will take my chances with the neighbours if they ever come calling.!!

Yeah well said, good for you.

Since I started the thread the has been a new addition that has joined and another. 3 cats are now outside sprawled out on my driveway waiting for the grub. So ive stopped and only feed the first one I reckon the others are just chancers.

Alfasudcrazy

I am often afraid that could happen my white cat. She is so friendly and likes her comforts etc.
I think I am safe though as she only wants to eat from her own tray. There's no way she would eat from our other cats tray even if it means she has to go hungry.

You should alert the neighbours in a friendly way about THEIR cat. Stop feeding it and leaving it in.
Perhaps the neighbours would give you the cat if it seems to prefer it in your home but don't take it yourself.

Saruman

Thats funny, word seems to have got around the cat community that there is a cat lover handing out free food

KnifeWRENCH

We've pretty much adopted a cat too.

It belonged to a family down the road but it kept wandering up to our place. After about three times bringing it back to the family, they said it was pointless for them to take the cat back if it was just going to keep coming back to us again.

The only reason I can think of as to why he kept coming back to us is that he had kittens (with a cat belonging to a local farmer) and they lived in our fir trees for a while. The kittens were feral so we couldn't tame them but did see them running around the place for a few weeks. They disappeared after a while and so did the mother (probably went back to the farmer)

Anyways, while we don't really own this cat and we still treat him more like a stray than a pet (my family aren't really cat people, so he's not let inside the house) we always feed him and he sleeps in our old car.

The Sweeper

Adopting a cat that you don't take full responsibility for has drawbacks for the cat.

Nobody worms it. Nobody vaccinates it. Nobody takes it to the vet as soon as it appears ill. Nobody puts up posters or advertises when it's missing, so nobody realises it's on death row in the pound after being picked up by the council. All because the shared ownership people each believe "Well, I'm only feeding it, which is no harm, but it's really not my cat".

Just figure out in your own head - as an outside cat, the animal is prone to injury from a number of sources. If it's savaged by a dog or hit by a car, and YOUR house is the one it drags itself to, are you going to shut the door on it and hope it goes away, because it's not your cat, or are you going to put it straight in the car and take it to the vet?

Make a decision, in theory, now - because no animal deserves to be left waiting while you make up your mind on whether or not it's your responsibility if it's injured.

I'm not saying any of you would leave a hurt animal hurt - but what if it's a non-life-threatening injury - like a growing tumor, or an abscess, or a large cut - something that doesn't appear to be causing the animal immediate distress, but which will be a problem if ignored. The sort of thing, in other words, where if it was YOUR pet and you recognised it as yours, you'd be off to the vet with it - what if the share-pet pops in with something like that wrong with it?

The unfortunate thing is by attracting someone else's animal to your home, you can often make the owning family feel like it's not their cat any more too, so they feel less responsible for it - and suddenly nobody's really looking out for Felix the Feral at all.

James Mcfadden

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Adopting a cat that you don't take full responsibility for has drawbacks for the cat.

Nobody worms it. Nobody vaccinates it. Nobody takes it to the vet as soon as it appears ill. Nobody puts up posters or advertises when it's missing, so nobody realises it's on death row in the pound after being picked up by the council. All because the shared ownership people each believe "Well, I'm only feeding it, which is no harm, but it's really not my cat".

Just figure out in your own head - as an outside cat, the animal is prone to injury from a number of sources. If it's savaged by a dog or hit by a car, and YOUR house is the one it drags itself to, are you going to shut the door on it and hope it goes away, because it's not your cat, or are you going to put it straight in the car and take it to the vet?

Make a decision, in theory, now - because no animal deserves to be left waiting while you make up your mind on whether or not it's your responsibility if it's injured.

I'm not saying any of you would leave a hurt animal hurt - but what if it's a non-life-threatening injury - like a growing tumor, or an abscess, or a large cut - something that doesn't appear to be causing the animal immediate distress, but which will be a problem if ignored. The sort of thing, in other words, where if it was YOUR pet and you recognised it as yours, you'd be off to the vet with it - what if the share-pet pops in with something like that wrong with it?

The unfortunate thing is by attracting someone else's animal to your home, you can often make the owning family feel like it's not their cat any more too, so they feel less responsible for it - and suddenly nobody's really looking out for Felix the Feral at all.

Like I said before the cat still lives next door! It goes home every night and it only comes over to mine once a day sometimes it doesnt sometimes it does.

Maybe my title wasnt the best but it was meant to be an upbeat story and I understand what your saying but you and some of the other guys are taking the thread way to serious and over the top. :mad:

James Mcfadden

Saruman wrote: »

Thats funny, word seems to have got around the cat community that there is a cat lover handing out free food

Its like a Mcdonalds drive thru for them. I couldnt believe that the one other ones knew exactly what to do as the other one. It was so odd but I dont feed the others just the one next door.

ValerieR

Cats and their double lives !!

Our neighbours got cats before we started out with our own menagerie ... and at that time, their kittens were constantly in our house, comfortably sprawled on our sofa while they were away at work. We loved them so much that, occasionally, we would push them out from the back window when we could hear our neighbours calling out for them, not realising what kind of a double life their cats were leading ! :O
We don't see them much these days ... having a dog has a lot to do with it
ValerieR

James Mcfadden

ValerieR wrote: »

Cats and their double lives !!

Our neighbours got cats before we started out with our own menagerie ... and at that time, their kittens were constantly in our house, comfortably sprawled on our sofa while they were away at work. We loved them so much that, occasionally, we would push them out from the back window when we could hear our neighbours calling out for them, not realising what kind of a double life their cats were leading ! :O
We don't see them much these days ... having a dog has a lot to do with it
ValerieR

LOL.....yeah this one sprawls itself were ever it wants now. On the rug on my bed behind the toilet in the shower. Then it gets some grub and sods off

Munster Gal

My mother has a cat calling to her and 2 other houses so it timeshares between 4 houses in total. He calls in, lies in the sunroom for a while and moves on. Everyone knows who he belongs to so there's no extra feeding or worming going on. When his owners go on holidays one of the other 3 families take him in. It works for everybody and the cat is lavished with attention.

The Sweeper

James Mcfadden wrote: »

Like I said before the cat still lives next door! It goes home every night and it only comes over to mine once a day sometimes it doesnt sometimes it does.

Maybe my title wasnt the best but it was meant to be an upbeat story and I understand what your saying but you and some of the other guys are taking the thread way to serious and over the top. :mad:

I'm not taking this thread "too seriously". I'm not saying "You're not allowed spend time with your neighbour's cat and it's not allowed spend time with you." I'm just pointing out how the cat can lose out on the multiple ownership front - cats don't just need attention and food.

It wouldn't kill you to call your neighbour and ask if the animal has anything going on that means you shouldn't be feeding it - or clarify with the owners that you ARE occasionally feeding it, so they understand if it seems off its food at home. You could also allow it to come and go to and from your home as it pleases and NOT feed it.

To give you an example, a cat being off its food is one of the first signs of illness - cats are more difficult to monitor health-wise than dogs, because if a dog is sick it'll sulk and mope and let you know, but cats hide their pain and illnesses. However, if its off its food because it's eating at yours - well obviously there's nothing for the owner to worry about.

There's a mindset related to cats - that they're independent, unaffectionate, food whores who'll wander widely and have nine lives and they'll be all right generally. Your dog would do the same thing - if you let it. But it's considered irresponsible dog ownership to allow your dog to roam like that. Cats don't have the same status.

I help out with fostering for a local cat shelter, and I've seen the fallout for cats who are owned by everybody and nobody. In one case, a family who were the original owners of the cat moved house without it - apparently because they felt that the people it spent more time with were its real owners. The new family were a bunch of kids who adored the cat, but their dad didn't want them to have one (not a cat person). The kids played with it and fed it and it slept outside. When the owning family moved, the father was extremely annoyed that they'd left "their" cat beind - he stopped his kids from feeding and playing with it. It ended up four weeks later at the shelter, and the poor thing had no idea what it had done - it went from being loved and having attention lavished on it to having no home at all and living in a wire cage - thankfully at a no-kill shelter.

And as for a collar meaning it's owned - all a collar means is that someone owned the cat for long enough to put a collar on it. The shelters and pounds are chock FULL of cats wearing collars and nobody comes looking for them.

James Mcfadden

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I'm not taking this thread "too seriously". I'm not saying "You're not allowed spend time with your neighbour's cat and it's not allowed spend time with you." I'm just pointing out how the cat can lose out on the multiple ownership front - cats don't just need attention and food.

It wouldn't kill you to call your neighbour and ask if the animal has anything going on that means you shouldn't be feeding it - or clarify with the owners that you ARE occasionally feeding it, so they understand if it seems off its food at home. You could also allow it to come and go to and from your home as it pleases and NOT feed it.

To give you an example, a cat being off its food is one of the first signs of illness - cats are more difficult to monitor health-wise than dogs, because if a dog is sick it'll sulk and mope and let you know, but cats hide their pain and illnesses. However, if its off its food because it's eating at yours - well obviously there's nothing for the owner to worry about.

There's a mindset related to cats - that they're independent, unaffectionate, food whores who'll wander widely and have nine lives and they'll be all right generally. Your dog would do the same thing - if you let it. But it's considered irresponsible dog ownership to allow your dog to roam like that. Cats don't have the same status.

I help out with fostering for a local cat shelter, and I've seen the fallout for cats who are owned by everybody and nobody. In one case, a family who were the original owners of the cat moved house without it - apparently because they felt that the people it spent more time with were its real owners. The new family were a bunch of kids who adored the cat, but their dad didn't want them to have one (not a cat person). The kids played with it and fed it and it slept outside. When the owning family moved, the father was extremely annoyed that they'd left "their" cat beind - he stopped his kids from feeding and playing with it. It ended up four weeks later at the shelter, and the poor thing had no idea what it had done - it went from being loved and having attention lavished on it to having no home at all and living in a wire cage - thankfully at a no-kill shelter.

And as for a collar meaning it's owned - all a collar means is that someone owned the cat for long enough to put a collar on it. The shelters and pounds are chock FULL of cats wearing collars and nobody comes looking for them.

Im sorry im not even going to read this post, so good luck to you and your welcome to your own opinion. :rolleyes:

James Mcfadden

Munster Gal wrote: »

My mother has a cat calling to her and 2 other houses so it timeshares between 4 houses in total. He calls in, lies in the sunroom for a while and moves on. Everyone knows who he belongs to so there's no extra feeding or worming going on. When his owners go on holidays one of the other 3 families take him in. It works for everybody and the cat is lavished with attention.

Lol a timeshare cat I love it!

Im convinced this one does the same I see it walking over to other houses all the time. In a way im sort of insulted. This afternoon there was to massive black cats sun lounging in my front garden I do believe that they think its some type of holiday resort. They were lying on there backs outstreched lapping up the sun.

magenta73

Hi People's, I've adopted a cat also from my next door neighbour. I have my own cat, but the neighbour only moved in just over a year now. The cat is very old and is out in all weather's (the neighbour works) so the cat started meyowing outside my window on rainy days, make a long story short she now lives with us!, the neighbour in the first week did'nt even bother to look for her, I would have the police on the case if it was my cat and had'nt seen it for a week, lol, anyway I've told the neighbour that the cat was in mine and asked her did it have it's shot's ect, she also has no problem with the cat staying with me but here's the delema, I want to bring her to the vet to get her checked out, make sure she's ok as I said she's very old, but do you think I should get permission from the neighbour or just bring her,

your feedback is much appreicated:)