We have an elderly neighbour, who has form for appropriating people's cats.
The previous owners of our house lost their cat to him, and he has 3 or 4 cats that are semi-feral we're sure that he has 'adopted' by leaving food out, and he's now trying the same crap with us.
Started last year, 13 year old boy cat stopped coming home over summer, and we eventually worked out he was being fed by neighbour.
My wife (who is normally very chill) lost her shit with him, and We ended up having to keep him in for a month to break the cycle.
Annoyingly we can't use the cat flap because the neighbour's cats come in and eat all the food and piss everywhere 😠
So we have to let the cats in and out through a garden door or leave a window open.
It has started again this summer. Cat not coming home, go round next door and he's got the cat in the house.
He refuses to chase him off or shout at him. Comments like 'he's lonely', 'you don't feed him properly', 'he likes it here', etc.
4 times this month either my wife, me, or my mother-in-law have been round to get the cat.
Every time he's shut in the kitchen.
Finally lost my rag quite spectacularly last night!
Went round and he had him in the cat in a box in the kitchen, and was totally unapologetic for feeding and keeping our cat in his house. Trotted out the same old shit, and tried to blame us for our cat wandering.
Swore a bit, and lost my rag, wanted the whole close to see it really, as they all tut at his behaviour, but no-one ever challenges him.
Cat is happily curled up on our bed now having lots of fusses, but apart from keeping him in for ever, what's the long-term solution?
Oh, he also feeds the seagulls platefuls of cat food on his front lawn, and keeps 5 (!) 1980s Sierras on his drive and on the close, but they're separate matters.
Cover your cat in Soducrem.
Your cat is winning
Annoyingly we can’t use the cat flap because the neighbour’s cats come in
get a microchip activated cat flap - we also had this issue
My wife (who is normally very chill) lost her shit with him, and We ended up having to keep him in for a month to break the cycle.
Not sure locking your neighbour up for a month is the way forward. Whilst effective it may be a teeny weeny bit against the law
Is the cat chipped. Get an electronic cat flap that works of the chip. Oh and next time he has it locked in his house get him charged with theft.
Give it fleas.
Will he pay the vet bills as well? If so result.
Not much you can to TBH, cats are fickle and will happily leave you if they get a better offer.
Regarding your cat flap can't you get some that have a widget you pop on your cat's collar so it only lets them in and out?
That's an interesting situation.
Unfortunately I don't think there's much you can do. If the cat wants to go there then it will. There's always the risk with a wandering cat that someone could steal it. At least you have the benefit of knowing your cat hasn't been nicked by some random kids.
Try a microchip cat flap. Yours may be going to his house as he can't get back in yours?
I think this thread has the potential to go epic so let’s get some of the formalities out of the way
Sausages, garden, shoes, smash, frozen, wee, bombers, back doors, Louise. Rearrange at will
Let's hope he doen't kill the cat and have it stuffed and mounted on a nice piece of hardwood with a brass plaque to commemorate his victory over you.
That would be a catastrophe.
That would be a catastrophe
Bit early for puns don’t you think? The paw op is feline quite upset about this
get a microchip activated cat flap – we also had this issue
Yep, that's the next step.
Though he absolutely hates the vet, and gets very freaked out by by being taken. Will have to work up to that!
He once broke out of a cat box - as in broke the door of its hinges - and will fight and yowl the whole time.
a catastrophe
Have you no felines at all?
No idea about how to solve the bonkers neighbour problem.
But get a Sureflap (assuming your cat is micro-chipped) and that's one problem solved.
we found the answer in a similar situation was to ask the neighbour to pay the vets bills. Then hammer frozen Lorne into his Lawn
He once broke out of a cat box – as in broke the door of its hinges – and will fight and yowl the whole time.
the same cat as in the instance above once went missing for a week and we suspected the same dopey neightbour - but he'd actually been dragging himself home with a smashed pelvis after presumably being run over (the cat not the neighbour). Took him to the vets who explained they'd probably have to keep him in for several weeks but within 24 hours they were calling us to take him away again. He'd broken out of his cage, escaped the surgery and climbed up the curtains in the waiting room
Though he absolutely hates the vet, and gets very freaked out by by being taken. Will have to work up to that!
Put a Vet sign up outside your neighbours house then the cat won’t go in. Problem sorted. No need to thank me.
Cover your cat in Soducrem
Tried that, just made him harder to catch.
Put your neighbour in a box in your kitchen, feed him and give him cuddles.
See how he likes it.
keeps 5 (!) 1980s Sierras on his drive and on the close
I'm no psychiatrist, but I'll wager this is not totally a separate matter.
Ive sort of half stole a cat I guess - Moved in off and on since I brought my new place 3 years ago - it apparently has always been a wandering cat very friendly and was always in another neighbor before they sold. I leave my back door open often and find it curled up on a bed , my sons taken to feeding it titbits and I confess I may have fed it as well. Its about 5 houses down and it became really insistent/active in mine when they brought a big dog last year. (They have 2 other cats and kids) I think it likes the comparative tranquility of my house. It also seems to live in my Garage at the en
I have a legacy catflap and the thing bangs on it to get let in and I've taken to leaving it so it can get out (Windows/doors open it comes in)
Its a cool cat likes playing with my lad when I have him but I do feel a bit bad - Did have a do not feed collar on it and we didn't but I think they have given up now as that went a few months ago.
Not sure what I should do should I knock on the door and say I think your cat wants to live with me - I'm happy to pay vets bills - come visit .. or just leave it as is - doesn't seem malnourished or in poor condition and accept it has a kip at mine occasionally
Your cat is The Treasure of the Sierra Madman.
get a solicitors letter, this may give paws for thought.
though you may need to collar him again.....
The Treasure of the Sierra Madman.
😆 Well played!
This sounds like a furry unbelievable tail, if you ask me.
Freeze his lawn and then hammer it onto his Sierras
Your cat is The Treasure of the Sierra Madman.
Freeze his lawn and then hammer it onto his Sierras
I have considered taking the cat food he puts out for the seagulls and smearing it all over his beloved Sierras.
Wife vetoed that action 😟
Make an automaton version of your cat, it only takes 30 minutes, and give it to your neighbour.
Not much you can to TBH, cats are fickle and will happily leave you if they get a better offer.
I don't think that many cats would see being locked in the kitchen or trapped in a box for any amount of time as a better offer!
Probably just continue with going round very often and banging on the door to get the cat back while being stroppy with him. You'll have to have to be committed and hope he gets fed up with this course of action before you do.
Can anybody ever truly own a cat?
I have considered taking the cat food he puts out for the seagulls and smearing it all over his beloved Sierras.
Wife vetoed that action 😟
Smear it in the grill and drain channels, she won’t know then. Neither will he - just wonder what that smell is.
On second thoughts this is probably not legal and will make matters worse. Wives are generally correct in this sort of situation - listen to her.
Probably just continue with going round very often and banging on the door to get the cat back while being stroppy with him. You’ll have to have to be committed and hope he gets fed up with this course of action before you do.
This is basically my plan 😉
Problem is he's lived in the house his whole life, never married or had any partners as far as we can ascertain, treats the close like his personal domain.
He's the first to complain when anyone wants to do something he doesn't like, very passive aggressive with printed letters and diagrams/photos, etc. through the door.
The rest of the close are mainly older or retired and whilst they will agree that his behaviour isn't on, and tut about him in private, no-one has ever stood up to him and told him to stop.
I'm already in the shit for reporting the feeding of seagulls to Environmental Health. They dive bomb us, shit all over our cars, nest on the houses, and puke up semi-digested cat food in out garden.
Maybe feeding the seagulls gives him an enormous sense of well-being?
Thinly veiled allegory
OP is Michel Barnier and the neighbour is Donald! Trump!
or if neighbour is genuinely stealing cats and cars, check for a stash of illicit cans and cakes and report to the cops (unless he's got all of them aready)
Does he sometimes feed the sparrows too.
It's obvious, get your cat put down
No more problem
Or introduce the annoying neighbour to someone with Covid-19!
Hammer frozen Chorizo into his Sierras, bum him, charge 50p to use the close.
Nothing wrong with 80s Sierras.
Is your cat microchipped? If not, recommend getting it done.
A relative lives near to an elderly women who's been known to 'steal' cats from a local farm, then get them microchipped amd properly claim them as 'her' cats. The police were involved at one point... (seriously...).
I had this problem. The only sensible mature way to resolve it, is in the style of Jack Bauer:
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Maybe have a word with a local cat charity.see what they advise.they may be willing to chat to him.tbh though isn't that what cats do.go everywhere.
Nothing wrong with 80s Sierras.
I bet there's something wrong with all five of them.
So to get this clear - you have an animal which you allow to free range about the place, and don't provide any way for that animal to come back into your own house. The species of animal is renowned for being loyal only to those who feed it, and despite sometimes being locked in a box (something it hates when going to the vet) when visiting the neighbour it still prefers wandering in there than waiting for you to let it in...
The problem of course lies 100% with the person who has a bunch of cars you don't like in his driveway.
