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?!

You could try a chimney sweep with a camera on a rod and a poky thing to try to open the cat flap from round the bend. Or maybe a drains company but I'd try a chimney sweep first. Sorry if you've tried that already, haven't had time to read all the messages.

At least the cat will get some water 🤣

Whereabouts in the UK are you op?

Well as I’m not a crazy car person, I would have an indoor car only. Which is the norm where I currently live and we don’t have a stray cat issue, cats crapping all over peoples homes, being run over, destroying the local bird populations or cats being abandoned on the streets when people move house. No other domesticated animals roam loose. I found the culture shift a little odd when I first moved out of the UK but I much prefer it now.
This situation is batshit and OP putting CRAB into someone’s home is horrible. People are seriously encouraging her to break into someone’s home! I hope she gets her cat back, but I also hope it doesn’t get out and do this again. Poor poor neighbors.

Find a locksmith don't they have tools to open any door? And it would maybe cause less damage. What if the hose alarm go's off if you scramble inside.

Wait till it's dark and dismantle the cat flap. It will cause the least damage.

Sorry op but this thread will go down in history.

Pretty sure you cannot call a locksmith for a house that isn’t yours!! Seriously!

I've not read all the posts so someone might have suggested this but have you got a local town / neighbourhood Facebook group you can post on saying does anyone know the new owners of the house on X, as you need to contact them for an emergency, I would think this would be one of the quickest ways to get a response?

Hope you get your cat out! What a nightmare!

you see these two circles on the left, is it possible to open them? i wonder if its were screws are hiding? maybe you can then just unscrew them and it will shift or fall
out?

How do you find out the names of who owns houses and how would you then link them to social media accounts?

OP, would your cat respond to a toy or a light to chase to bring it towards the window??

Are we definitely sure that is a cat flap and not a laundry vent to the outside? My old house had one very similar on the outside for our venting.

I'm pretty sure when I locked myself out they just opened the door and I paid by card. Nobody asked for proof I lived there.

Only been suggested about 9864 times so far😂😂😂

This was my thought too. Explain to all your neighbours the problem. Do you have a neighbours whats app group that you can trust? Then perhaps let a few know what you will do, perhaps ask their thoughts. I think it will help later when the new neighbours perhaps gently moan, then the neighbours hopefully will be very much that you had no choice, you asked around for details, etc etc.

Im imaging the op run down the street laden down with a small child, another cat, a hula hoop , a pool noodle , drain rods , claw hammer , mallet and more crab sticks .

Honestly this has given me the fear that one day I'll have a random cat and crabsticks in my house 🤣
Batshit suggestions on this thread, but I do hope you get the cat back safely.

That is scary!! Surely we could all just get a locksmith to break into others homes then?!

Where are you OP? My husband is a dab hand at picking locks, he could probably get in and rescue your furry pal, he's broken in to our house enough times when he's forgotten his key 😂

No, not when I last checked. I’m now not even sure he can access the room I put them in.

The only other way I could possibly get some food in is through an air vent which is on a downstairs bathroom window. I thought if I thinly slice some ham I could push it through with a stick?

For now I am back home as it is dark and I can’t see much.
I feel awful but I am praying they will turn up tomorrow otherwise I will have to escalate it.

Some people have suggested breaking a window but it’s all brand new double glazed windows - I highly doubt I could.

I’ll see if there’s any neighbours about to help maybe

Thank you for all your suggestions, I will try some more tomorrow 🙏

Yes not her house but a call to the police and locksmith might be a better legit idea. Then her breaking a cat flap in the night like a burglar.

I had this exact situation, OP

I broke the cat flap and left a note through the door. Never heard anything from the neighbours.

I'm sorry, but I don't think you should poke ham through their air vent

The first issue is your cat. He has food so check in the morning of he has eaten. Even if he didn’t drink there will be moisture in the crab sticks. I. These circumstances I would break a window and pay for a replacement rather than let my cat suffer and die.

once you get the cat you need to think of the impact this cat has on neighbours. There is a neighbour cat which breaks into houses on my street. He terrorises my cat - eats her food and because of him I can’t leave windows open. I don’t want to complain to the cat owner but my god I hate that cat - everyone does. You have to check he isn’t in your house before you go out. I woke up one night to hiM fighting my cat in my bedroom.

if you know your cat is a menace you need to do something about it.