Stupid Neighour Disowned Cat.

[tararabumdeay]

He's been an outdoor cat for so long. A fella that sits on car bonnets to keep warm as soon as we pull up. He's 19 and obviously good at looking out for himself to last that long since she chucked him out for weeing and pooping in the house about 10 years ago.

He's nervous, but when it was cold my son managed to entice him to a warm place on the telephone table in the hall.

She's now stopped feeding him (outside) because she's assumed that he's our cat now and we've got no cat food. If I wanted a cat I'd not chose a 19 year old one but he's a little life that deserves respect.

What the hell can I give him? We're non meat eaters but have a tin of salmon. I can't see him cold and hungry.

I've never had a pet/animal apart from a fish that died when I was watching the 'Golden Shot' when I was 5.

The AIBU is why should I pay for cat food because neighbour has taken umbrage or sees an opportunity to save a couple of quid a week?

I can't afford it either as not yet met Mr Micawber's definition of Happiness.

Cat has just scoffed half an Aldi burger - that can't be good for him. Aldi burger is DHs choice of lunch. I'd kick him DH out in the cold for that if I could.

telephone table in the hall.

Have we slipped through a hole in the space time continuum back to the 1970s?

I give the cat a tin of fish when I’ve run out of cat food sometimes. Give him the salmon.

Oh yes we have. It's lovely my telephone table but I think it's more 50s than 70s.

My colleague is an ex RSPCA officer and also an erstwhile furniture restoration enthusiast. He informs me that cats do sweat but that I can restore the leather of the telephone table with a bit of soap and polish.

I don't care about the (antique - yea go on then give me your semantics smart Alec) telephone table really. I mean it is very attractive and has often saved a numb bum on the stairs when people call for an hour's chat. I have sacrificed that to the cat.

Nuff said I think. I will not chuck him out on the coldest day of the year so far. Neighbour is ignoring us. Cat is alive, fed and warm.

erstwhile furniture restoration enthusiast

So he doesn't restore furniture any more

erstwhile

adjective
1.
former.
"the erstwhile president of the company"
synonyms: former, old, past, one-time, sometime, as was, ex-, late, then; More
adverbARCHAIC
adverb: erstwhile
1.
formerly.
"Mary Anderson, erstwhile the queen of America's stage"

It just sounds like you want praise. Loads of people telling you how wonderful you are for putting yourself out for this cat.

There's a cat I walk past every morning and evening and he is beautiful (I say he, I have no idea really). My eldest is a bleeding heart for animals so she always made a fuss of him. Now even when I am alone he comes galloping over miaowing and rubs up against my leg n gets a wee pet. But I'm terrified that his owner will think I want to steal him so then I have to walk quickly away hoping he won't follow. He follows for a few metres and then stops.

I actually do want to steal him but I never would.

No, my colleague's dalliance with restorable fifties communication device focused vestibule furniture ended when he got a job in our office.

Thing is, once you take him in he's yours. You can't just abandon him when the weather gets better. He's old, he's going to need the vet,,it's not cheap. You do need to speak to the neighbour, one of you should be responsible or arrange a rota. If not take him to cat protection. Don't just kick him out when it's warm. I would have fed him outside if he's used to it

Thank you Missingstreet; that's the sort of response I was hoping for, what I suspected and have come to understand over the cold days he's been here.

I will speak to the neighbour when I can.

Cat is alive, fed and warm

Well, I will say well done, OP.
Poor old thing, you are doing a good thing

No, my colleague's dalliance with restorable fifties communication device focused vestibule furniture ended when he got a job in our office.

Even if the OP hadn't taken in a creaky old catcodger out of the snow and fed him, I think I would love her for this sentence alone

Your neighbour is a complete arsehole throwing out a cat in the first place. Why did they not give him away so he had the chance of a decent home.

You’ll speak to the neighbour when you can?? You still haven’t ?
Christ on a bike ...

You need to be banging this arseholes door down until they open it !

Same @Dorinda! Well done OP you did a really nice thing

I find these threads so depressing. My beloved 4 year old cat was loved and cherished and one day never came home. You then have people like your neighbour who don’t give a shit and cat has managed to live to a ripe old age of 19. It’s not fair every day I think of my cat and wondered what happened to her 😭. Sorry for hijacking your thread and you are lovely for looking after him 💐

How's he doing?

I would speak to the neighbour to confirm the situation. Someone kept feeding my cat loads of chicken and of course it didn't want to come back and they even took it to the bloody vets for something that I had already had checked out and was advised to leave as it was! The vets didn't even check the chip. Peed me well off I can tell you. Eventually got her back after catnapping get back several times. My dcs were upset by the whole thing. It annoys me when people interfere without finding out the facts first. Then if neighbour has abandoned the cat contact cats protection league.

Only read the first page, so apologies if it's moved on.

OP, are you anywhere near Staffordshire? We'll take the poor thing in.

He's done another poo which was cleared up immediately but still pungent next day even after half a bottle of stardrops pine bought by DH which now makes the whole house smell like a pub toilet with undertones of cat poo.

We're trying to take pre-emptive action and coax him outdoors now it's not below freezing but he's old so prefers his telephone table next- the-radiator and can not be tempted to go out unless he wants to. The question of whether he might need to use the outdoor facilities within the next half an hour, or before we go to bed, does not seem to register with him.

Neighbour is still ignoring us but there's no way she'll let cat in whatever so brick wall conversation with old cat still left outdoors is the only outcome there.

We're going to keep caring for him while it's cold but it's not a long term solution. I have not nicked this cat.

Shove a note through the cows door and say you’re reporting her for animal neglect

What a weird thread. Feed the cat or don't feed the cat. I can't see why you wouldn't though. It's not the cats fault that everyone it's encountered in its life is a dick. Feed it and keep it warm, it's not hard.

Neighbour keeps cat out because it poos in house. She is heartless beast. Cat has pooed in your house. It smells and now you wish to 'coax him' outdoors? Got it.

So utterly strange

Yes, put a note through her door if you don't see her.

This thread is about as easy to work out as the Boswell riddle.