Neighbour just rung doorbell at 2.30am!

This is batshit. Anyone sane would think "I can't possibly wake people in the middle of the night and panic them for anything less than life or death emergencies".

I too would be furious at being woken up like that, but would also be hugely anxious, convinced someone had died - therefore more annoyed when it turned out not to be that. It's not remotely kind of her to put you through that! I completely disagree with the people saying you should have pandered to her anxiety - not the best thing for her and just sets you all up with a precedent for the future.

I would be putting a note through her door today saying please don't ever wake us up in the middle of the night unless you or we are in immediate danger. If the cat was injured in your garden and she had no way of getting it without waking you, that's different as a one off. But it wasn't that! She's way out of order.

I have a neighbour like this. Not quite 2am doorbell-ringing, but she's an alcoholic, and we regularly see her on our private courtyard, screaming and running around after her dog who's escaped from her front door yet again. She also keeps very odd hours as she doesn't work, so keeping the rest of us around her awake.

Unless the cat was in absolute immediate danger, e.g. about to be eaten by a huge dog, then yes she could have waited. However, once you were up, you might have just seen it through and retrieved the cat for her, as she was clearly very anxious. A little goes a long way sometimes. However, my total sympathy, as that would have freaked me out at that time of the morning.

I think this is a consequence of the growing anthropomorphism of animals. We've forgotten that it's an animal with its own instincts and its own rules. The cat will set its boundaries not our garden fences. You see it with the mental people posting pictures of cats on facebook because a strange but perfectly healthy looking and well fed cat is in their garden (?!?!?!) Have we just forgoten that cats still have a lot of their wild instincts and that they actually domesticated us not the other way round?

🙄

FFS she just needs to shake a bag of Dreamies from her back door, job done!

Only time will tell

Do you really think this? Personally I think this neighbour has demonstrated they don't have the capacity to recognise the impact of their behaviour on others.

This

I would have let them get the cat. I can’t see another person crying and not to want to help.

id also be worried about the cat in the garden. But I’m a cat mum so I’m not objective

Is she elderly? We had a neighbour who developed dementia and the first sign that something was wrong was anxiety over her 'lost' cat.

And a convenient slogan for people who dislike other people having boundaries.

The day is young
Perhaps she’ll pop round with an apology note and box of chocs

I have cats and I would have e been furious if I was woken for this.
Also you missed the OP's further post about her coming back.

if her behaviour gets rewarded like this, she is likely to do it again.

My neighbour once told me to stop letting my cat go into their garden and on the shed, I said and how do I do that?. Now everytime I see the cat on the shed I say to him loudly "can you please get down from that shed and come in, your a naughty boy". He sits there all the time now staring into the kitchen window. They hate him so much. Hes a very lovely cuddly boy too 😔.

"Be kind" is a convenient slogan for people without boundaries.

Oh sorry OP, read your update. Bloody hell!

All the same, knowing only what I did at that hour I'd have had a look.

Ok, I'd have made my DH have a look. Same thing.

Hope she doesn't try this again, she really does sound like she needs help for anxiety.

100%

It’s not just being woken up, if the doorbell goes at 2:30am it’s the fear that something terrible has happened, same as if the phone rings at 2:30am.

Absolutely not on, and there’s no need to ‘be kind’ whatsoever.

I would have been sharp with her I’m afraid. I have nothing against cats per se but my garden is my garden. I’d have helped in the morning, she shoukd keep her cat indoors at night if she’s that worried.

This person backs on the the OP so isn’t technically a neighbour. A ‘missing’ cat is not a reason to come knocking at 2.30am - I’m a cat lover/owner but I’d never do this. I’d be in my garden shaking the dreamies pouch.

@CinnamonJellyBeans you sound ridiculous

oooh a fummer! I've not seen real fumming on MN for an eon. 😍

OP, she's probably got MH issues like extreme anxiety. Does she indicate that in her other behaviour? If I'd been woken at that ungodly hour I think I might have gone to get the bloody creature since I was awake anyway (for all you know her cat's unwell/indoors cat) and my neighbour was clearly upset enough to do something this batshit. I would have followed it up with a chat or note explaining how unreasonable it was to wake someone at 2.30 if nobody is actually bleeding from the eyes.

Your neighbour is totally out of order. Do you have a ring? Get rid of your door knocker install a ring and set it to silent at night. She doesn't sound quite right mentally.

I am a cat Mum, and I would not be ringing my neighbours doorbell at 2.30 am to say that my cat is in their garden!!! It may be that her cat is supposed to stay in at night, but perhaps wouldn't come in before she went to bed (cats don't generally do as they're asked!)? Even if that is the case, ringing door bells at that time of the night is a massive No. You only ring a neighbour's door bell at 2.30 am if it's a genuine emergency.

You did the right thing by saying to your husband to leave the cat. Unless it's distressed, injured etc, then it will get out of your garden (after all it got in!). You don't want to encourage this behaviour.