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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Cat feeding for old neighbour.

3 replies

Tinaspissycats · 06/06/2021 19:58

I volunteered some months ago to feed my neighbours cats while I still lived in my old house. We moved a few weeks ago and as my neighbour has no one else to do it I agreed to feed them once a day as I work in the area still.
Never been in the house before but my days it stinks. She originally said she was away from bank holiday Monday to Friday however said just before she left that she was staying till tomorrow. I told her that I would put double food down on Friday and return on the Monday morning. I changed the cat litter tray three times this we too. We now live 20 miles away so I wasn't about to travel all weekend too.
The house is disgusting there has been nothing to sweep the cats litter off the floor and the cats has shit on the living room carpet. I sort of scooped it up and pit in the bin.
She has just rung me to say that she is on her way home a day early and she would like me to drive the keys back now. I have decided im not doing it, there are three adults in the house all with keys ( which they have left in the house) . I feel she should come to me as she has changed the goal posts and adults should take their keys with them. She is pissed off that I wonand said I will take them on my way to work tomorrow.

OP posts:
Herecomesanothernamechange · 06/06/2021 20:03

I don’t think you should have agreed to it and then not gone over the weekend & she should have found someone else. You can’t feed double and leave a cat without fresh food & water for that long.
I care more about that than your key issue tbh.

Lancrelady80 · 06/06/2021 20:26

You left double food and expected the cats to carefully ration it out over the weekend? Seriously?

Whilst it was kind of you to offer, you should have explained that you were no longer able to do it.

I feed the cats for my mum. You have to do it daily. They do smell, as they wee and poo indoors and it just sits there until someone cleans it. It's going to be worse in hot weather. And it's going to be MUCH worse if left over the weekend, as could reasonably be expected, in the same way a baby's nappies will make a room stink if not thrown out for hours or days. You were unfortunate one soiled on the carpet, but unfortunately that sometimes happens. It's not a nice job particularly, and those who live with animals become desensitized to it all, including the smell. But you can't agree to do it, then at the last moment say that actually you can't do it over the weekend and leave the poor animals hungry, thirsty (cats often tip over water bowls) and with litter trays full of wee and poo. You just can't. And there must be something to clear up litter unless the lady never sweeps up or hoovers.

The key thing is a totally different issue. You're peed off because it's turned out to be an icky job - and I quite agree that it is. She's peed off because you changed what you were willing to do at the last minute, the cats' welfare has been compromised and now (to her eyes) you're just being deliberately awkward. And tbh, it reads like that too. Maybe they should have taken keys but they didn't. Having said that, as long as they can get in the house I don't see a problem with dropping them in on your way to work.

You both sound pretty aggrieved, and both have reason to feel so. But for goodness sake, just tell her it's too far and you can't do it again.

Lancrelady80 · 06/06/2021 20:29

Just re-read op to see actually she changed plans at last minute, not you. But that's when you simply should have said, "sorry, can't do that. Maybe a cattery would be better."

Did you know what it entailed or agree without any idea?

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