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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To leave indoor cat on neighbours roof all night... more of a wwyd

47 replies

Mammanat222 · 05/01/2015 23:17

Sorry its hard to explain but our indoor cat has jumped from our tiny roof area over to the neighbours and she can't get back.

The jump from our roof was 'down' and now she is stuck.

Its late and its a Monday night so as upset as I am I won't go knocking on neighbours door at this time.

We've not been living here long and I don't actually know my neighbours..

Will pop a note in first thing and my OH will be home all day.

Where she is at the moment there is no shelter and its a 60ft drop so if she tries to jump back / gets spooked off then she is likely to have a horrific fall.

Sadly she has form for this as earlier this year in our old place she went awol and had actually fallen off our balcony and ended up being lost for 3 nights as well as needing £600 of veterinary treatment.

I have been in tears since I noticed she was gone. I am 38w pregnant and its my last day at work tomorrow but how can I sleep now?

The worst part is the only reason she got out is because my stupid cunt OH was having a cheeky roll up. I am beyond furious with him actually. Tip of the iceberg at the moment unfortunately.

Sorry for the rant and original question stands. Will cat be ok for tonight?

OP posts:

Original poster

Mammanat222 · 06/01/2015 00:12

Will throw a box down for her. Although just poked my head out and OH seems to be fashioning some kind of device (looks like he has wrapped a dust sheet round the ladder?)

Fingers crossed.

OP posts:

FyreFly · 06/01/2015 00:13

OK, Mamma - breathe. I know you're upset. Can you get a blanket or something down to her so that she can snuggle into it for the night? Some treats? She's a cat, she has a nice furry coat - she will be fine for a few hours. Lots of cats will be out and about tonight with no harm done. It's also amazing what scrapes they can get themselves into and out of without any human assistance!

I know you must be worried after what happened to her last time, it's completely understandable. Is there nothing she would be able to climb up - a duvet, as a previous poster suggested? Old sheets? I'm struggling to imagine the layout of the roof so I don't know how practical that might be.

But your OH is really taking the most realistic course of action at the moment, especially since the neighbours aren't answering the door (they may not be in?) which is to sit tight until the morning. I know it's not much comfort, but short of clambering onto your neighbours roof at midnight without permisson, there isn't much you can do at the moment. He's not being a "stupid cunt", I think he's just being level-headed. He was a bloody fool to leave the window open, but I don't get the feeling he did it maliciously. It sounds like the cat might be more "your" pet than his, and he may not just understand how much she means to you (my cousin is like this with my dogs - he's never had pets, so he just doesn't get it!).

FyreFly · 06/01/2015 00:14

X-posted, it sounds like some sort of rescue device may already be in operation :) fingers crossed!

Floralnomad · 06/01/2015 00:21

I hope you get her back soon . As an aside why are you trying to keep her as an indoor cat when she very obviously doesn't want to be one , it may be safer in future to just let her have outdoor access .

NeedABumChange · 06/01/2015 00:24

It does seem like she is desperate for some nature time. I hope your ladder sheet contraption has worked and you are all curled up with cat OP.

AntiHop · 06/01/2015 00:35

I can imagine how stressful this must be.
You did the right thing by knocking on your neighbours' door. Is there any chance you didn't knock loud enough?

Original poster

Mammanat222 · 06/01/2015 00:35

Device didn't work. 6ft ladder but its about an 8ft jump.

We have no outside space other than this postage stamp of a roof that is not for actual use as its not fenced off

Previously she had access to a little outside space but she has never been an outdoor cat as such. For example she'd maybe sit on balcony for an hour in good weather if we had the door open.

New place is so much bigger so she's not short of space to roam around. But if she stays here then she isn't going to get outside. She is a much loved family pet (well I adore her) and very well looked after. She's also been out on roof numerous times since we've moved in and after a little sniff about she comes back in.

Fyrefly thanks for your kind words. Have decided not to waste my very depleted energy by being angry with OH.

OP posts:

musicalendorphins2 · 06/01/2015 03:43

Omg, had to go get my cat after reading this. Watching thread and crossing everything for luck. This may be a bit crazy, but could the fire dept. rescue her with one of their tall ladders and a net?

FrogIsATwat · 06/01/2015 05:57

Oh how upsetting . I hope that it all works out. Is fire brigade an option?

Original poster

Mammanat222 · 06/01/2015 07:59

We got her at 3am. She did somehow manage to get down from roof but into my downstairs neighbours garden. We could hear her howling. No access though.

Thankfully my lovely neighbour (she has downstairs part of house and we have met her a few times / swapped xmas pressies) also heard her, realised where she had come from and knocked on our door.

Cat would only come to me so I was traipsing around barefoot I this poor ladies garden at 3am. But all sorted. My eyeballs are hanging out my head and I have a pounding tiredness headache but cat all tucked up asleep In our new babies car seat sigh

OP posts:

ohtheholidays · 06/01/2015 08:04

So glad you got your poor cat back OP.Sorry you had such a rough night though,hope your last day at work goes well.

BorisBaby · 06/01/2015 08:10

Glad she is fine I area your post last night

MinceSpy · 06/01/2015 08:20

So pleased your cat is home safe and sound

RumbelowSale · 06/01/2015 08:48

Whew! Reading this this morning with my heart in my mouth. Everso pleased she found her own way down and your downstairs neighbour sounds lovely.

So now all's well that ends well, here's my cat stuck up a tree tale.

So my friend's house cat got out, explored the neighbouring gardens and ranup a large conifer then started yowling to be rescued. The 80yr old lady of the house let my friend in to the garden to entice the cat down. Cat responded by climbing further up, still yowling. By this time she was really high, no-one had ladders (well, as someone said "we're all in bungalows, why should we?") And so they called the Fire Brigade to come to rescue it..

FB said getting cats out of trees wasn't in their remit....rescuing people was but not cats, so put the phone down on her. Cat still distressed and yowlingj
.
It was a hot day and one of the 'younger' pensioners had been in his deck chair, wearing just his Hawaiian t-shirt, shorts and flip flops. Our Hero to the rescue!

So he started climbing, got within a hands breadth of the cat -who goes even further up. My friend decides that if Hero goes up again with some cat treats the mog was particularly fond of, she might come down to him. So Hero starts to descend.

But he can't. He's well and truly stuck up the tree too.

Second call to the F.B. "Hello, it's me again, the lady with the cat up a tree? Well now there's a man stuck up there as well. Please can you come and rescue him, and by the way, while you're up there, please can you bring my cat down as well?"

When the FB came, truck, ladders, fit young men, all the neighbours were out, cheering them on. Hero and kits rescued, cat still elegantly beautiful, Hero scratched all over with bits of conifer sticking to him. He looked like a walking Christmas tree

Original poster

Mammanat222 · 06/01/2015 09:46

Oh Rumberlow, that did make me laugh!

Bloody cats hey.

I have now made it my vow to spend my maternity leave (last day today!) poking my cat every time she nods off to sleep.

OP posts:

TheLeftovermonster · 06/01/2015 09:57

Glad it worked out ok in the end!

RandomNPC · 06/01/2015 10:29

Glad you got your cat back! They're little sods, it's like they do it on purpose sometimes.

BathshebaDarkstone · 06/01/2015 11:08

Have just RTFT, I'm glad she got down. She'd better behave herself now, you'll have a baby to worry about soon! I think pets are as much worry as children sometimes.

Original poster

Mammanat222 · 06/01/2015 11:12

I already have DS and I swear my cat is more trouble than he is (He is 2 and he is naughty!!)

OP posts:

FyreFly · 06/01/2015 11:19

Oh I'm glad everything was OK in the end :) pets eh? Can't live with them, can't live without them.

My labrador gave me a real fright this time two years ago. On New Year's Eve he suddenly became so ill, being sick, couldn't keep anything down, wouldn't eat, wouldn't even leave his basket poor thing :( we went to the vets a couple of times who gave him anti-nausea and rehydration, but in the end he was so bad they had to keep him in so they could do tests and keep him on a drip.

They couldn't feel anything in this stomach, nothing was showing on the xray, they got every single vet in the practice in to look (even the horse doctor!) - in the end they had to just operate to investigate before he became too weak.

Turned out the stupid bugger had snaffled one of those silicon cupcake cases, which had caught in his intestine. Of course, silicon is flexible, and it doesn't show up in xrays....

We very nearly lost him. If they'd waited any longer to operate he would have been too weak to stand it, and the only option would have been to put him to sleep. I was out of my mind with worry.

Thing is, we don't HAVE silicon cupcake cases. Never have done. To this day, I have no idea how he got it.

He's snoring away merrily on my feet now

RumbelowSale · 06/01/2015 11:45

@fyrefly

Loving the tales, at least those with a happy ending

musicalendorphins2 · 07/01/2015 06:05

Glad to read the happy ending.

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