Neighbours kittens

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

We've recently had new neighbours move in next door. Towards the end of last week two kittens appeared in their garden, I'm not sure whether they'd just got them or had been keeping them inside for a few days.
One of the kittens kept popping its head over our fence and watching DCs playing.

Yesterday when I went to take the bins out the same kitten was sat on my path mewing. As soon as she saw the open door she was in the house. I ushered her out the back door, but she spent the rest of yesterday coming back in, or playing with the DCs toys in the garden. Every time something made her jump she ran to me and hid under my long skirt! By about 6.30 she was clearly hungry, had jumped up and eaten some scraps in my kitchen and drank DSs milk, so I shooed her back out the front door where I'd found her as she just didn't seem to want to go over the fence back to her own garden.

She was v v thin and seemed confused about where home was. Yesterday she was coming in the windows from the garden and mewing a lot. What do I do if she comes back today? It's obviously more interesting here as neighbours are out most of the day and we are home from lunchtime onwards most days and have a garden full of toys and balls etc which she spent hours playing with yesterday. I'm worried about how thin she looked but don't know a lot about cats or kittens so don't know how normal that is. Any advice would be v much appreciated!

[Koothrapanties]

Kittens usually are quite lean. They can also be conniving little buggers who make lovely people feel sorry for them when they have a perfectly good home.

Can you speak to your neighbour and see how the land lies?

If you are ok with her playing during the day, that's fine, but I wouldn't feed her. She could have special dietary needs or could then decide to come and live with you instead which probably won't be good for neighbourly relationships.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I would definitely check if it belongs to the neighbours, it may not. Just knock on their door and say that a very friendly kitten has appeared and you want to know which direction to shoo it in when it's time to go home.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

Neighbours are not exactly friendly, I tend to avoid them if I can. I def won't feed her, she only got to the scraps because the kitchen window was open. I will try and make sure I don't leave any food out though, just incase.

So if she comes over and plays with DCs and then its time for me to get them ready for bed I tend to shut the back door. But yesterday she just kept coming into the house via the windows and it was boiling hot so couldn't really close them - what do I do in that situation? Just assume she will leave eventually when she realises I won't feed her or do I let her out the front again and hope she finds her way home? (She can't get back in if I let her out the front)

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

She definitely does belong to neighbours - the first day I saw them let both kittens out for the first time and were sat in the garden with them, called them over etc and called them back in later on. I haven't seen the other kitten since. Neighbours also have a dog which is often in the garden so maybe that's why kitten was reluctant to go home that way?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I think that as long as you don't feed her it's ok to allow her in and out. I just accept that my cats will go visiting though I am a little when one comes back smelling of someone else's perfume, not with the neighbour! but with my cat for being such a traitor.

[RubbishMantra]

Blimey, it sounds like your neighbours are letting their kittens out to roam unsupervised, OP. Responsible pet owners don't usually do this until their kitten is about 6 months and after neutering.

Could you hazard a guess at how old they are?

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

I have no clue whatsoever - have very little knowledge of cats. I could try and get a photo? She came back at lunchtime and has been in and out ever since including trying to get upstairs to sleep on my bed. She's found a hedgehog hole under the fence back to her own garden today though so at least I know she can get home.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Feed her.

Kittens eat loads & get most of their fluid from food.

If they work full time she's not getting at least two of her daily meals plus its hot so she could well be dehydrated and it wouldn't show until she was seriously ill.

They might well be getting bored of her anyway.

[Fluffycloudland77]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/2138803-If-in-doubt-feed

Read this, TCN explains why you should feed.

[sashh]

You don't know it yet but you are a cat owner. You have been chosen.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

They've both come in today. They'd come out of an upstairs window next door, got stuck on the roof and so came in my landing window. Both have been fed and given water and were very hungry and thirsty. Don't think neighbours came home last night, unless they came home at 3am (when I went to the loo and saw their car wasn't there) and left again at 6am (when I got up). I think from looking at google photos that they are over 6months but not much older than 8 months. I actually have a cat flap which was here when I moved in. If the neighbours continue to not be around much I may leave some food by the cat flap when I'm out and some water - I'm torn between not wanting to encourage them away from their home but not wanting them to be left without food and water. I assume if they'd been fed at left water at home they wouldn't have drunk a bowl between them and eaten a bowl of food each would they? If neighbours were a bit less hostile I'd go and chat to them about it. They have a newborn so I'm trying to assume they've taken too much on with having a young dog, two kittens and baby plus a house move.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

This is the girl who first came in.

[Fluffycloudland77]

The thing with kittens is that they are a much more high maintenance than people think.

I attribute my two grey hairs to my cats kitten hood.

A newborn, two kits and a dog is a hell of a lot of work.

Drinking a bowl of water is significant, I literally never see my cat drink from his bowl. It looks like they've come to you for help.

I hope they've got the dog with them or its likely trapped with no escape.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

I have no idea where the dog is, but it barks a lot and I haven't heard it yet today. Yes I was quite shocked at how much they drank. They've not left me alone yet. They're climbing on me, purring and shadowing me round the house. I think you are right about coming to me for help, they seem to be screaming out for cuddles and attention.

I think they have taken a lot on. He seems to work away for days at a time and it must be very hard for her trying to juggle all those demanding LOs!

[Fluffycloudland77]

Lets hope they are neutered.

They sound a bit love starved too.

[PuppyMonkey]

Earliest cats can be neutered is four months. They probably aren't vaccinated or wormed or flea treated either. They shouldn't be outside if they really are kittens. You're going to have to go round at some poibt. Or call the RSPCA for advice.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

Right I've just seen neighbour. I'd come home and the cats had come in again and were asleep on my sofa. So I knocked and said that I had her cats as they keep coming in, and thought I ought to let her know. She said that she was very happy for them to come round as long as I didn't mind as they were "a bloody nightmare" and she can't keep them in all the time. I asked how old they were and she said they were born in April, that she shouldn't really be letting them out yet but they were going crazy in the house so she does. So they aren't neutered or anything. The second one is a male cat, they are brother and sister. I said I was happy for them to come in but that them being so young and needed food regularly, I would want to feed them. She said this was fine and she would drop some of their food round later.

So I'm not sure where that leaves me tbh! They're obviously far too young to be out and about and to be left without food for as long and they are being. She's obviously happy for me to feed them as it means she doesn't have t bother but I can see this translating into kitten language for "come and live with me" which isn't going to go down well with the neighbours is it! Besides which I am single parent to two small children, 3 chickens and a hamster already. Hmm.

[Koothrapanties]

She sounds like she regrets getting the kittens and is trying to fob them off on you. Unless you are happy to take on the full responsibility of feeding them, neutering them (or looking after and rehoming kittens), vet bills, flea treatments etc etc... I wouldn't let this continue!

[Fluffycloudland77]

You're very brave, I'd have wimped out on that one.

I think you've acquired two kittens, or you will be very shortly.

Mine was a nightmare kitten but I still fed & watered him. I certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone else to have him.

If you are a lp I wonder if you recieve benefits that would entitle you to free neutering via the cpl or pdsa.

The brother will mate with her if she comes into season, they don't have the same incest aversion humans have.

[Northernlurker]

Your neighbour is being a bit crap . I would almost be tempted to take both cats to Cats Protection for rehoming tbh. She clearly isn't going to get them neutered is she?

[lljkk]

What NorthernLurker said. Only I'd be more than almost tempted. The boy will impregnate his sister before long.

[Northernlurker]

Our cat was a young mum. We got her from Cats Protection after that. Poor little thing was still kittenish herself. People are really so careless of cats aren't they

[Fluffycloudland77]

It would be easy to say they ran away at this stage.

Unless you've started to refer to yourself as "mommy" to them. It's all over when you start saying "who's mommy's boy then eh? You are, aren't you? Yes you are! Mommy loves you".

[OnlyLovers]

She's irresponsible. They need a decent home with someone who will take on the necessary work of neutering, feeding and looking after them, the poor buggers.

I don't know what to say, though, OP – you obviously have a lot on your plate as it is, so probably can't take them on yourself; and I don't know how your neighbour would react if you called the RSPCA.