AIBU to give my neighbours living room and kitchen a quick clean.

[Casschops]

My lovely neighbours have gone away on their holidays they don't have much money although work reaaaaally hard and juggle their childcare of their 10 year old son. They have gone to stay in annex of their relations home so have an absolute minmum on their holiday, a friend even drove them their as they struggle with money so much. Im feeding their cat. I saw the man chucking their vacum cleaner in the bin the other week and he was laughing saying they can't afford a new one ATM. The cat has been sick on the floor and flicked cat litter everywhere which I have cleaned up but I can tell that for some weeks they have swept the carpet and floor and there is a thin layer of cat hair and bits in corner of the rooms. It lools like it needs a good vacum the cat has also been walking on woŕktops in the kitchen and there are footprints on things generally lookin a bit hairy and in need of a good wipe as are the windowledges where he sits.
Would they think it odd if I gave everything a wipe down in kitchen and living room as well as mopped the kitchen floor and vacuumed the carpet. I just want them to come home to a nice fresh house or is this intrusive? I am absolutely not looking for people's judgement about levels of tidiness but would it be nice to give things a quick once over or just too much? We say hi on the street and chat but have never socialized with them just to give an idea of our relationship.
Thanks for any input.

If I asked someone to look after my pet while I was away, I would expect them to also clean up after them.
So I didnt return home to a dirty mess ....nothing worse.

So yes, have a hoover & a wipe down you lovely neighbour you x

I’d definitely have a tidy up after the cat, OP. My dad or MIL tends to look after our cat when we’re away and they usually do a tidy up if litter has been kicked around, food dropped, etc. Once when we were away, the cat got upstairs and was sick all over our bedding. MIL took all our sheets and washed/replaced them. We were so thankful- imagine coming home to that otherwise!

My ex neighbour used to mind my dogs for me when we went away. She was the bleach queen, almost to the point of OCD.
I came home to a beautifully clean house. Shed scrubbed the bathroom and the kitchen and done all my floors.
Didn't even cross my mind to be cross or embarrassed.

@cunningartificer

I don’t get why you have to leave a note? As someone has said I really doubt that they’ll be thinking “ooh, I left that tuft of car hair just there, where‘s it gone?” A note does look judgemental and virtue signaling: “look at this kind deed I did” whereas just making the house orderly and cleaning up cat-related mess in the way you describe could be part of looking after the cat and I doubt they’ll notice except to think how nice and fresh it seems.

This ^^ Leaving a note makes an issue out of it that could be embarrassing. No need for a note, no need to tell any other neighbours or friends what you’ve done, just a lovely, kind thing to do that I’m sure will be quietly & gratefully appreciated. They are more likely to be upset if you make a deal out of it & embarrass them so I’m sure they will appreciate your unspoken kindness. Its a lovely thing to do & even if they did react badly, that’s when you can blame the cat with a clear conscience!

I've done it before for my neighbour's. I swept and mopped their living room and kitchen floors. I also washed the dogs bowls. The floors were covered in dog hairs and were tacky and greasy (from the dog) so cleaning up after the dog to me is a part of the dog caring process, no?same goes for clearing up a litter tray and dirty paw prints and of course, a thorough cleaning of cat vomit.

If it were me I'd do it but be up front - cat was sick and had trodden in all sorts of stuff on their clean worktop/carpet etc and you just cleaned it up so they didn't have to come home to it.

I'd think I'd got good neighbours if I were in the same situation.

Oh dear, I think you need to read the post properly

I'm a bit bemused by people who wouldn't want a neighbour to help clear up cat sick and litter that had been trodden everywhere! What an awful thing to come home to so yes I'd clear it up and be grateful to my neighbour who did the same to me!

This is a family who are currently relying on the kindness of friends and family to get a break.

Without a shadow of doubt would I flick the hoover round downstairs. You know they haven't got one as the dad has told you and it's now been weeks since they've been able to clean properly. You've got the perfect excuse that the cat tracked dirt around.

Under these circumstances I think the family will be ok with this. But I definitely wouldn't leave a note. Just do it, wipe down the surfaces where the cat has been walking. If they mention it on their return, you can say the cat tracked litter and vomit around and you didn't want them coming home to that mess.

You sound like a lovely neighbour and you clearly know them well enough for them to ask you to look after their pet.

😂😂😂

That's a hard one OP. But you sound so lovely

OP I would have thought that clearing up after the cat was part of the job, so it would feel wrong to leave it. You're not intending to tidy up their paperwork or go upstairs (although I would be inclined to check if the cat is able to go up there - my cat tends to go under beds to vom, although she doesn't do it often thankfully) and I think any cat-related mess is OK to sort out, wherever it occurs.

I would just keep on top of the litter tray and any hairballs/vomit, vacuum the hair, then wipe the worktops clean on the day before they get back. (And the milk and bread thing, because that's always nice to come back to.) I wouldn't leave a note either, it's not necessary and does smack slightly of virtue signalling. You say they did clean before they left, so they're clearly not slatterns!

I did this for someone once and they were devastated and ashamed.

I would be delighted if someone hoovered and mopped whilst I was away and cleared up the inevitable cat hair/mess accumulation that happens over a week and if they also managed to get rid of the dust/spiders/dead wasps etc at the same time so much the better!! I don’t understand the whole “judgement” thing, it’s a kind thing to do and I think you’re a lovely neighbour being neighbourly!! Looking after the cat gives you ample reason to clear up after it wherever that is if that’s a concern.. it would be a thank you a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine from me if done did this!! X

I did this for someone once and they were devastated and ashamed.

Well, exactly. Some people would be delighted, some would see it as implying criticism of their housekeeping or as intrusive. The OP doesn't know which her neighbours are, so on balance, probably safer not to do anything more than a quick wipedown of surfaces.

I agree with hoovering and cleaning up any of the mess the cat has made. Anything else is just rude and intrusive for a neighbour you don't know that well.

I think it’s the most wonderful thing you could do for Mum! Not intrusive at all in my opinion just a wonderful gift ! What’s probably happened is that their poverty has induced some depression in Mum which is why she isn’t keeping on top of her housework even though deep down she would love a sparkling clean house 🏡!

I would tell a white lie and say the cat had been sick in the bathroom too! That way you’ve tackled the white goods areas and the living room ! Leave the bedrooms alone ...

Best of luck - you’re such a kind and wonderful neighbour to have Xxx

P.S. If your gut instinct is telling you to do it just do it! At the end of the day you’re doing the 10 year old kid a massive favour. Don’t let yourself be scaremongered into worrying whether you’re being intrusive or whether your actions are some sort of implied criticism! Just crack on with your kind gesture - the worst thing that can happen is that they don’t ask you to sit the cat again !

@Arkenfield3001 Mum's job is it, the housework? Why?

I think they might see it as being judged. Could you find a cheap second hand Hoover and buy it for them instead. You could always say it's your old one.

I think it's a very caring idea however if my cat sitter cleaned anything that wasn't related to the cat I think I would feel slightly embarrassed.
Go ahead and clean any mess that the cat has made including hoovering and I'm sure that they will be very grateful (as I would be) and think that you are a lovely reliable cat sitter.

You could say you’d used shake and vac without thinking to get rid of vomit smell so had to bring your Hoover in to vacuum it up.

I had the most lovely neighbour/friend who did this for me one time I went away on holiday. I really appreciated it. She also left fresh milk, bread and eggs in the fridge for us. Such a sweetie! She did this for any neighbour she fed cats or took in post/watered plants. Just such a kind and sweet natured person. (Very sadly she’s moved away!! But we’re still friends and visit one another.)

The cat being sick and walking on the work surface, window sill is great excuse to hoover, mop and dust. Just leave a note that the cat was sick and you tidied up for them as you couldn’t leave the cat mess to fester for days in this hot weather. This way they’ll appreciate it and it’s not a comment on the state of their home.

You’re a lovely neighbour. I’d certainly appreciate your efforts and thoughtfulness.

I'd just hoover up. If they question you just say you spilt cat litter when changing the tray and it went everywhere so you vacuumed it up.

It would be better to source them a free, secondhand hoover. I see things like this on FB all the time.