To break into my new neighbours house *THREAD 2*

[Catsos]

Following on from my thread yesterday https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4881905-to-break-into-new-neighbours-house-serious-question-not-trolling

to update all of the lovely people who are trying to help me rescue my cat who has got himself stuck in an unoccupied house.

Updating very shortly

I haven’t read all the replies to your post but wondering if you could track new owners down via their car registration ? Have any neighbours captured it on a door cam ? If you gave it to local police could they get the contact details and pass on your details to them ? Really hoping this gets resolved today, must be so stressful for you 🤞

And another thread from a few years ago, here on MN. I wonder if getting someone else to look at the problem with you in person, might help;

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_litter_tray/2368879-HELP-CAT-LOCKED-IN-EMPTY-HOUSE

OK clutching at straws now but have you considered googling the locks and seeing if you can find a you tube guide on how to pick them? I'm sure it would be very difficult to do but could be worth having a go?

Not a vet but as the owner of a kitten who escaped and got trapped in someone's shed for over a week I think you shouldn't be too anxious about food. More it can cause problems more than it automatically and unavoidably will cause harm iyswim. Water is more of a concern. Hopefully the kitchen tap is dripping for water.

I think it would be reasonable to break a window, like how some people break a car window to save a distressed dog. But I would leave it until you've exhausted all other options.

“POLICE - they have said they don’t have authority to break in & told me to try enticing him out 🙄 (he is stuck, not lacking enticement)”

if they don’t have authority to break in, what makes you think you do?

homestly if you did broke windows etc in my new house (not to mention the damage the cat has done) I would want you prosecuted.

you know your cat pushes it’s way into peoples houses but still let him out???? This is on you not your neighbours.

Have you been able to touch base with your nearest fire station?

I know that they may not be able to send anyone out, but, if they could, you could then take further advice from them. If they attempted to access the house, your position would be different.

Haven't read the full thread and GD is demanding my attention but are you sure you need a chip to open the cat flap? The one I had was a magnetic catch so would that help, although I suppose with the bend it won't. Sorry.

A cat wandering into our house could hospitalise/kill DH. His allergy is so severe he can tell if Dd had even been near a cat.

Please keep your cat in if you know it’s prone to breaking into houses. It’s bad enough when they 💩 in people’s gardens. Getting into their houses is utterly unacceptable.

Worth putting up posts on local Facebook pages regardless as the neighbours may already be following them if they are planning on moving into the area after renovations.

OP, I am trying to help.
I do NOT think you should break a window.

• Wait until end of today at least, as owners may return to use the bank holiday doing up new home.

• What condition is your cat in? If still moving about and meowing I would assume still okay.

• I would honestly just focus on getting some water in, rather than getting the cat out. Is the a problem with getting a hose / pipe of some sort through the cat flap?

Sorry not read the whole thread so unsure if this has been suggested.

You can get flexible rods for cleaning out pipework or chimneys. If you have a Wickes nearby they might have them

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Flexible-Coil-Drain-Cleaner---4-65m/p/500594

this is quite flimsy but would hold the flap open is its not locked

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Drain-Rod-Extension-4-Piece-Set/p/420020

These are more substantial but should still go round the bed, and you could ram these quite hard to force the flap open. There may also be another set with attachments as this says Extension. Aim low in the pipe as you should then hit the edge of the flap and not shatter the perspex in the middle

😂😂
this thread is brilliant!

https://www.diy.com/heating-plumbing-cooling/plumbing/pipe-fittings/pipe-insulation.cat

Pipe insulation would get round a bend like that to push the cat flap open. We had a squirrel stuck in a vent and we used pipe insulation with some wire inside to push the vent off the wall to release it.

Could you ask on your local Facebook for the builders home address. They probably have the keys to the house.

HootyMcBooby76 · Today 11:25

👍

Look up the builders on Company’s House and go to the registered address.

When my cat got locked in an empty house next door I rang the police and told them I was going to break in before doing so. (We smashed a small window in the door and unlocked the door, really poor security, and the replaced the glass.)
Somebody still called the police and they came and checked it was us but were very chill about it.

I’m a cat lover and although this is stressful, I think the cat will be fine until tomorrow! It likely found water from somewhere (sinks, toilets…). Although I had a cat myself for most of my life, I wouldn’t appreciate someone breaking into my property unless the cat was in a really really critical situation. The owner might look at several thousand damage (if others enter the building after you broke the lock/window) and the risk of squatting, I don’t think you could secure it well enough to prevent further damage from happening because you wouldn’t know how soon they’d return.

Another vote here for the fire brigade.

And also a good idea someone said previously was to FB to see if anyone knows the sales people at estate agents personally, who could contact the owners.

Are you anywhere near york OP, my partner can come and have a look at the house/ cat flap set up, to see if we can help in anyway. He doesn’t think you’ll be able to break the window easily and would be best getting a double glazing company to advise.
But also please try not to worry too much about your cat, I’ve seen cats go without food for several days, so he should be ok until tomorrow.

It maybe magnetic rather than microchip, is there anyway to get a magnet as far as the flap?

at this point I am really hoping one of the newspapers pick this up so the owners see what's happening and rescue the cat

I don't understand why you are ignoring all the suggestions of various materials which could both navigate the bend and break the flap open?

But don't try immediately as apparently the whole site has crashed . A local journalist reported that previous and would be burglars were being questioned .

If the police refused to help then I'd have called the fire service straight away. It can't hurt to try.