To break into new neighbours house *serious question, NOT trolling*

[Catsos]

Name change as I don’t want neighbours to recognise me😭

I have a cat who has a bit of a reputation on our street for forcing his way into neighbours homes by breaking open their cat-flaps to steal their pets food. He’s been doing it for years, not much I can do about it besides keeping him in which he would hate. Anyway….

Here is the problem..

This afternoon I realised I hadn’t seen him for nearly 24 hours (very unusual for him). I went out into the street to look for him when I spotted the bloody buggar in the window of the house two doors down!!!
This house was recently bought by a couple who are living elsewhere while they are renovating it. I have briefly spoken to this couple once, and they mentioned they have cats, so I assumed they have already had a cat-flap installed which he has broken into.

I was really confused why he hadn’t come back out, so I peered through their front window and spotted the catflap which he must have entered through. It’s one of those “smart” catflap brands which only opens if the cat has the right microchip. So he’s managed to get in, but now he can’t get out as his microchip isn’t unlocking it. I can see his muddy scratch marks on their newly painted wall besides the catflap, so he’s obviously been trying to get back out 😩😩

So here’s the even bigger problem…

As i’ve said, the couple who own the house are living elsewhere while renovating it. So there is nobody here to let him back out. I usually see them visit the house every week or so but I don’t know when they will be here next and he has already been inside for around 24 hours.

I’ve already spoken to all of the neighbours and nobody has contact details for them. I did think I could contact the estate agents who their house was on the market with to try and get their contact details but as it is the bank holiday they won’t be open until Tuesday - which means he will have been trapped for 72 hours inside their house.

What should I do?! Do I try and break in, get my cat and then secure the property as best I can and explain what happened when they are next here? That sounds like a really bad start to a relationship with them but then my cats trapped inside, presumably without water?!

I have 3. It wouldn’t take 24 hours to notice missing. Sometimes you just don’t see them. That’s life.

NC because anyone who knows me will recognise this story...not quite as bad as your situation OP but a couple of years ago our teenage cat who was still learning the limit of her abilities, managed to shoot out the back door and up over the fence into our new next door neighbour's garden. NDN's first weekend in the house and she'd gone out to celebrate the move. Cat had scrabbled up some trellis on our side, but her side was bare and cat couldn't climb back. I had a trapped nerve in my back and DH was waiting for neck surgery, so we went two doors down to our v resourceful neighbour who has a solution for everything. AND he had spare trellis. So there we are, him dangling this trellis over the fence, me shining a torch to see what was happening, and DH dribbling the 'juice' from a tin of tuna down the trellis to tempt her back. If new NDN had come home to the sight of us and a strange cat in her garden I think she would have packed straight back up and moved out again!

are you sure the cat can't get out of the cat flap??
and just doesnt want to?

If it makes you feel better, I have seen my cat drink out the toilet before (fresh water was available) so as long as the lid is up it has options. I hope you get it out soon though

Isn't it a window sill?

hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow! ...you think the cats "trapped" ...if it got in,it can get out?
crab sticks !!!!!!!! absolutely Whhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaattt!!!!!!!
go home-call the nearest buy your house for a £1 and leave,immediately. crab sticks should be a crime

If you had tied the crabstick to a piece of string you could have pulled it back up if your cat didn't eat it. (String tied to a rock)

Oh your poor cat. Have the RSPCA answered?

As he seems to be relatively chilled for now I wouldn’t worry but would keep checking. If he starts to look ill I would accept the costs and break a window.

Do you know if the new owners live locally? Could you try putting a message on a local Facebook page and hope they, or someone they know sees it.

I'd post a note through the door with my mobile number on in the hope they might be over tomorrow.

Hopefully, he'll find the crab sticks and water and be OK overnight.

a hose pipe through the cat flap?

Why do people think a locksmith will come out and just change locks on any house you ask??

Crab sticks is going to be a new classic isn't it 😂😂

Sorry about your cat OP, hope he's home soon

One of my cats got shut in somewhere for two weeks. She was fine, but very thirsty, lived until she was 16.

What?!? 😂

He might have tools to open the cat flap.

The ice cubes are genius, seriously!

We went away for a long weekend and our cat snuck into our dining room without us noticing and we shut the door he was in there for 4 days with no food or water.We only realized when we got home and heard him meowing he had obviously done his business but only in one corner of the room and after a good clean and leaving the window open for a few days the smell disappeared.He was fine in himself.Hope you get sorted.
I admit I did chuckle at the thought of stinking crab sticks being found by the owners (if the cat doesn’t eat them)

Can you put a request out on Facebook ? Does anyone know so and so who has just bought a house down such and such road? It's amazing who knows who , or ask a radio station to mention your predicament.

Have you tried posting on local Facebook groups to find the owners like someone suggested?

>the smell disappeared

we became nose-blind but visitors think wtf

not with water in it, obviously, but it is strong and bendy and might push the flap open?

otherwise Fire and rescue

This is a stressful situation OP. I’d be inclined to break the window in the morning if mog hasn’t eaten the fish sticks (I can’t lie, that bit of the story did crack me up).
Their cat flap set up sounds very overly complicated. Worth looking around the local area for a large stick with a bend in it maybe?!

Yes! Foam pipe lagging is a good idea.