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?!

@Catsos

I think the OP realises that this is not an ideal situation!

Difficult, if not downright impossible, to turn an outside cat into an inside cat even if OP wanted to.

I’m with you on this. Also, I would 100% be billing OP for the damage caused and cleaning required.

Ham will make your cat thirsty. It is salted.
Only balanced dry food, water or a pouch of paper with wet food.
I think the the cat will be fine for a day or two. It looks well kept.
Can you not try to form a tool/wire that will bend through the cat trap? Have you tried a number eight fencing wire as a long doubled over tool..maybe on the end of a broom handle?

Look for a window that already has a crack. If there is one you could break it and replace the glass later.The windows might not have locks. They might be able to be opened. Does anyone remember seeing the name of the builder on their work vans?

You can put together outside cat pens connected to your home, OP. Your cat should have one. You can encase a tree and a bit of fence often to add variety for cat. Look into installing one for your adventurous cat. A creative pen builder might be able to encase your entire yard with high wire extentions that turn inwards at the top.

Very clearly, you know nothing about cats! 😄

Can't you use a broom handle to break the catflap? The curve can't be that angled.

If you could fit crab sticks in why not cat food. This smells fishy to me.

Find tge estate agents on companies house. Gov.uk. See people ie directors and See if any can be found on Facebook, then message them.

very clearly I do because I own cats and none of my cats steal food,
if your cats also steal food, you might need to take notes on what I posted 😂😂😀

Yep. I've had a couple of indoor cats, never again. They get so bored, scratch everything to death, become frustrated and therefore quite vicious. Never again.

As far as you know, none of your cats steal food.

My 11 year old cat can convince anyone she is a small starving kitten. She is well fed, ny me. My next door neighbour to the left buys cat milk for his grandson to feen her, next door but one give her chicken if she sits on the oustside windowsil.

My next door neighbour to the right I'm fairly sure also feeds her.

Before he went in a care home my neighbour up the street fed any cats around, apparently she used to walk to the shop with him when he went to buy food.

Really hope you manage to sort it tomorrow.

How typical that a cat is the cause of all this chaos, not to mention a nearly-full thread with no clear resolution.

And maybe people shouldn't have a cat flap that lets cats in and then traps them in the house! Bit of a design flaw.

Keep the cat indoors my arse.

This thread is so frustrating and the op appears to not actually help herself. Call a locksmith and ask if he/she will help. Obviously from many peoples experiences they will help. No one knows for sure but I bet you'll find one easily enough who will. So just call one. I also find it very hard to believe that the estate agent doesn't have a out of hours emergency number. Search the website not just the first few bits or address details. Most estate agents deal with lettings, tenants will have emergencies. Call the non emergency fire brigade number. Ask for advice. Call a handyman, they will either know how to get in, break the cat flap, remove a window and put it back in. My dad is a carpenter and very handy, he removed his Upvc window to get his new sofa in, he can change locks, break into locks and probably get the cat flap open very easily. He has the answers to most problems. It's really not such a difficult calumdrum. I honestly don't know how some people get through life.

If the cat can get into the bathroom & the toilet seat is up, he will be drinking the water in the toilet. Most cats aren't stupid & can use their survival instincts.

Call a locksmith?

I presume you have sent a Facebook message or emailed the estate agent. Even though they are shut for the weekend a lot of people still check emails fb messages. If the couple had been renovating did anyone get the name of the builders? As they may have a key good luck getting your cat out.

If the fire brigade can’t help or@Motorina’s suggestion of dismantling the cat flap doesn’t work, I’d go in to the police station and ask to speak to the Duty Inspector and explain the situation again. At the very least they should be able to contact the estate agent. Also ask around your neighbours if someone has a piece of tubing you could push along the tunnel and funnel some water down.
White cats! I was looking after a relative’s house once and enjoying the total silence when I heard a distinct tinkling sound coming from upstairs. There was no-one around. My heart stopped briefly but it was a very friendly white cat coming down the stairs. He had got in through the bedroom window and come to say hello to a stranger.

Not sure whether this has been suggested, but could you use a length of hose and push it down the tunnel to open the cat flap enough to let the cat out?

You can get the magnet things that open the cat flaps on Amazon/pet shops/ ask on Facebook. They're universal. If you can pop one on the end of a broom or something you could the hold the flap open. Or the care home your old neighbour us in will have her relatives contact details, and they may have new owners details

op, you need one of those sets of rods that go round corners. The kind plumbers use to unblock drains.

For £5 you can buy the title register which shows the owners and it’s usually pretty easy to find people through fb, IG , LinkedIn etc.
https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry does take a couple of months to update if recent sale though.
sorry OP this sounds so stressful!

There will be cat shit everywhere.