feeding neighbour's cats

[whoneedssleepanyway]

My neighbours are on holiday and asked us to feed their cats and fish whilst they are away for 10 days.

DH's parents have now asked us to come over this afternoon and stay the night and stay for lunch tomorrow, they haven't seen the DDs for ages and we have plans the next couple of weekends. They live about 45min drive away.

WIBU to ask our other neighbour to feed the cats tonight and tomorrow morning...? I know the other neighbour quite well and would be happy for her to have keys to my house. I don't think my two neighbours know each other well though (know who they are but not really to talk to...). I don't think I would have a problem if someone did this to me, but I feel a bit unsure as they have trusted us with their keys and obviously wouldn't expect us to give these to someone else.

Other alternative is we feed the cats before we leave this afternoon and then I drive back first thing to feed them and then go back to MILs for the day (prob 1.5 hour round trip so inconvenient but not the end of the world).

What do you think?

Hi whoneeds. IMO you can't pass someone elses's house keys over if they have been entrusted to you so that option is a no go.

I am afraid if it it was me I would be going for the faffy 2nd option. A PITA but it what you originally agreed to.

Personally I would be extremely upset if you gave my house keys to someone else. You agreed to feed the pets, therefore you should honour that.

however much you may trust them you should not hand over the keys to anybody else without the owners permission. the cats would be fine if you fed them before you go this afternoon and whem you get back tomorrow aftenoon - just leave plenty of biscuits and water

What sort of food do they have?

Are you in contact with the cat owners?

If you don't know it is someone they would trust in their house then I wouldn't.

Can you get in touch with your friend and ask if she would mind?

I wouldn't. They're not your keys to loan out.

Are the cats on wet or dry food? If dry, they'd be fine if you fed them just before you left and then as soon as you returned the next afternoon. Put an extra water bowl out in case they knock over the original one and maybe a small amount of extra food. If they're anything like my cats they'll spend the entire time asleep.

I've never had fish but I assume they'd be fine fed at these intervals too.

I think you are both right about the keys..that was my gut feel.

Thunder I don't have cats do you think that is ok? One is on dry food so could just leave lots for him, he doesn't seem to be eating much at the moment anyway. The other though is on wet food and so not sure about leaving this out for him for 24 hours....?

Think on balance I had better go for coming back in the morning, I will be up at 7 anyway with the DDs so could be there and back before 9 and have day at ILs.

As a cat owner, if someone agreed to look after Sparkling Cat and then went away overnight I would be a bit for the cat.

But she goes to a cattery at nine pounds a night otherwise I would worry.

I do have mobile number of neighbours eldest daughter who is on holiday with them but they are somewhere that I am not sure they would be using their mobiles or would even get reception.

Am now torn between leaving the extra food as some of you suggest and doing the round trip, think I had better come back and then when neighbour is back can ask her next time we look after the cats whether they would be ok for 24 hours...

I think that's the right decision whoneeds.

In warm weather I wouldn't leave food out for 24 hours. I once came back home after a day at work to find a load of maggots in what was left of the cat's breakfast. As much as it ais a PITA I would come back to feed them the following morning.

Can your PIL come to you instead? I agree it would be wrong to go away now you have agreed to feed the cats. Sorry.

Think of it as a bit of 'me time' in the morning. In the car, on your own, put some music on. Lovely sunny day.

Just read your posts Sparkling and Smells...going to go for the coming back option.

But if we head out at say early afternoon, will they be ok if I put their dinner down then and then feed them again when I come back at say 8:30 tomorrow?

I have been giving them the food at 7:30am and then when I get in from work which is normally 6:30pm...so would mean longer gap but they are often not around in the day so would probably come in to find their dinner there for them.

Sparkling as a fellow cat owner I'd rather my cats were comfortable in their own familiar home even if that meant they were only checked once in 24 hours than in an unfamiliar cage within sight, smell and/or sound of strange cats (one of the most stressful things imaginable for one of my cats - having a strange cat in her "territory" and no way of escape) being checked probably twice in 24 hours! We all vary.

Thanks Everlong.

Good point Sparkling it will be an easy drive that time in the morning.

Decision made, and can check with neighbours when they are back for next time about leaving them for 24 hours but seems a bit mean like you all say.

Goodygumdrops - ILs don't really do coming to us...

Yikes Bunbaker just read your post about maggots...grim.

I have been leaving a bit of extra dry food out for the one on the wet food diet because I am not around in the day (neighbour said to do this) the wet food does look pretty horrid after it has been out even just since the morning.

Thanks Smells, yes that should be do-able. I will be back first thing.

Luckily the kitchen where I leave the food for them is cool so food should be ok and I will leave lots of water and extra dry food.