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Original poster

Our cat feeder hasn’t been feeding our cats!

110 replies

CalmDownBoris72 · 21/12/2021 15:05

We’ve used the same person for about 4 years with what I thought was 0 issues. We go away for a week x5 times a year (normal times) to visit family and the place I’m from.

We’ve recently installed a video doorbell so get updates when someone goes in and out of the front door.

We left on Saturday and on Sunday the cat feeder turned up and spent 3 mins in the house. He hasn’t been back since!

I’m so shocked and annoyed that I trusted him. My poor cats. I always thought it was much nicer for them to stay in their own home and have someone come to feed and fuss them in their own home.

Luckily friends of ours have a spare key and have fed the cats yesterday and today. They’ve said they are happy to help until we get back too.

I need to write a message to tell him to F off but
In a less aggressive way. I hate confrontation but I really want and need to say something. We pay him a bloody day rate Angry

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 21/12/2021 15:06

That's shocking. Are you sure he hasn't been taken unwell or something rather than neglecting your cats?

Porcupineintherough · 21/12/2021 15:08

You want a non confrontational way to challenge someone who has been abusing your trust, taking your money and neglecting your pets??? Refuse to pay him, tell him why and warn other people off using the lazy, cheating bastard.

FetchezLaVache · 21/12/2021 15:08

I'd just text him

"Hi Bob, hope you're well. Not sure if you've noticed the Ring doorbell, but suffice it to say you'll only be getting paid for the one visit you have actually made to our cats".

But I'd send it when I was on my way home and I'd have a locksmith booked for 30 seconds after I got back.

What a CF! Your poor kitties. Have you noticed they've seemed a bit hungrier upon your return from previous trips away?

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RonniePickering · 21/12/2021 15:09

😳 I'd want to throttle him!

Original poster
CalmDownBoris72 · 21/12/2021 15:11

The thought has crossed my mind @ApolloandDaphne but our friend who’s been in said the bowls have been loaded up with wet food 🤢 so I think he’s planed it.

I’m going to send a checking in text message before I start throwing around accusations I think just to be sure.

OP posts:
DancesWithFelines · 21/12/2021 15:13

I hate the thought of this, I was once chatting to a group of school mums and one of them was giggling that she once forgot to feed a friend's cat for four days! Says a lot about the type of person.

Original poster
CalmDownBoris72 · 21/12/2021 15:14

@FetchezLaVache good plan, my main issue with confrontation is that he has our door keys so we want to not have a big fall out while he has these just in case. He obviously has no morals

OP posts:
FetchezLaVache · 21/12/2021 15:14

Throwing around accusations? He's bang to rights! He clearly never had any intention of going in every day, yet is charging you for the same. What more do you need to know??

Winniemarysarah · 21/12/2021 15:16

Yeh I’d be absolutely raging if this was me. I wouldn’t be sending messages either, I’d be knocking on his door

GinIronic · 21/12/2021 15:17

Get your keys back before any confrontation.

QuestionableMouse · 21/12/2021 15:18

I'd keep it all very low key until I got home, just in case. Then get your key back and go after him with both barrels.

Also, it's not quite the same but you can get dry food feeders that you can program to drop food at certain times. May give you a bit more peace of mind that at least they have something.

SmolCat · 21/12/2021 15:19

I agree that you should send a generic msg first. Give him time to either commit to the lie or tell you what’s been going on in case something’s happened. “I forgot to mention X has been a bit timid lately. Did you see her when you were there yesterday?” (Or something better than that!)

adoreyou · 21/12/2021 15:22

Could you say you are coming home early and they can drop the key after next visit.... once key returned you are safe to confront.

We had similar when we asked a friend to feed our cat while we were away for a weekend.
Knew he hadn't been in so cat hadn't been fed since we left 24 hrs before. Had to message him twice to make sure he went by! He did eventually but added a bit of stress to our trip that we didn't really need!!

CoastalWave · 21/12/2021 15:22

How's he planning on getting away with it though?! Surely the house will be a right state. My two cats poo quite a bit lol, so if someone wasn't there daily, you'd soon know.

I would say nothing until you have your keys back. Then casually ask how they've been. See what he says.

We had a plumber guy who broke a window in our house whilst we were away. He feined ignorance completely until I said it was ok I had CCTV from across the road so was going to check if we'd had an attempted break-in.

I'd be tempted to do similar.

Definitely do not pay him and please (if it's the case he hasn't been etc) make sure you warn other people on social media.

ColitisSucks · 21/12/2021 15:23

I used to know a friend of a friend, who was house and pet sitting. We were invited to the house for an evening of food/drink. On the understanding that the owners knew and had okayed it.

During the evening we discover the hamster cage has been shoved in a cupboard, and the cat has been 'chased around the house with a nerf gun' by the sitters daughter, and not been seen for a full 24hrs since. She thought this was hilarious. We made noises about leaving at that point, for her to announce we had to help her move sodding furniture back to where it should be so the owners wouldn't know she had had a party.

I was so embarrassed and angry to have been part of the whole shit show.

I would NEVER trust someone who wasn't immediate family to look after my pets.

SmolCat · 21/12/2021 15:33

’How's he planning on getting away with it though?!’
Probably planning on going in the day before they get back.

Original poster
CalmDownBoris72 · 21/12/2021 15:35

@CoastalWave they don’t use their litter tray, we have a timed flap and they go out to the undergrowth at the back of our house to poo so not filthy in that sense. But 3 day old food is awful and he’s supposed to be spending time with them if they need around.

@adoreyou good idea, that’s what I’m going to do. Say we need to come home early so he leaves the keys tomorrow then confront.

What a complete arsehole he is!

OP posts:
St0rmTr00per · 21/12/2021 15:35

I would double check with him first. Our ring doorbell sometimes doesnt pick up the postman. No idea why. It picks up random people walking past and cars but sometimes not the postman. Always the same person it ignores as well, even if weve watched him post letters through. So I would maybe check before you say anything.

SoupDragon · 21/12/2021 15:38

I would double check with him first

Is he likely to say "you're right, I only came in once" though?

Justleaveitblankthen · 21/12/2021 15:39

@DancesWithFelines
Really?! Wow! That's just disgusting. What a selfish, lazy piece of work 😠

Branleuse · 21/12/2021 15:40

When you get back send a message saying hi Bob. I hope nothing bad has happened as our ring doorbell showed you only popping over once for a couple of minutes. I wish youd let us know that you couldnt sit the cats as we could have arranged somebody else or put them in boarding

helpfulperson · 21/12/2021 15:42

This why I love that my cat sitter sends photos every time she is in.

MrsPsmalls · 21/12/2021 15:44

I will just say this happened with our cleaner once. She didn't go in at the usual time as we could see from the ring doorbell. After about an hour I rang her, but no response. I was actually quite worried about her as she lived on her own. Then finally she called and she had been in and cleaned the house. She had somehow managed to get in and out like a ninja, without alerting the door bell either time!

MadeForThis · 21/12/2021 15:48

I would just check in before I confronted him. However if he had been visiting he would realise that your friends have been feeding the cat.

ImInStealthMode · 21/12/2021 15:49

Your poor cats, I'd be apoplectic! A 'friend' once agreed to look after mine for a weekend and it was clear when I got home she hadn't been round at all. Thankfully it was only a day and a bit and he was fine once fed but I ripped the lazy bitch a new one.