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

By the way, OP, the "elderly curtain twitchers" are probably just keeping an eye on the property. You'll have to admit that your activities would elicit interest from all but the dullest of people!

it's a wild animal, birds, foxes, deer, badgers, mice, rats etc wander around and could get into your house 🤷🏽‍♀️ it's just something that can happen. and if everyone kept their cats inside the allergens on cats and their homes would be even more concentrated increasing the danger to your husband from their owners clothes etc. and don't give me "Australia" that's cruel and I'd never live there for that reason

call the fire brigade

Good luck @catsos, hope you get your kitty back soon

Which part of the country is the cat in?

Quite honestly this is all of your own making. He’s been a nuisance for far too long.

You know your cat does this, yet you didn’t do anything about it. You should have catproofed your garden. You failed to do so and now he’s stuck.

Natural consequences 🤷‍♀️ No you can’t break into someone else’s house. If you did that to mine I would report you to the police and heavily pursue it.

Oh my god, is this cat still in this house?! It's almost midday.

OP, if you really have no tools or can't possibly think of any way whatsoever to remove / smash - at the very least - the outer cat flap, then please, on gods name, go to get a neighbour or someone who has some tools and common sense. Failing this, call an emergency handyman. Yes it's a BH, but I can't believe you haven't done this already. There's is no point wandering around on MN!

We are talking two plastic cat flaps with a bend in between. This is hardly Escape From Alcatraz, is it! Surely you can at least get through the outer cat flap with a crowbar or similar? That would at least be a start. You cat may well come to you as you're doing this and then force the inner flap. Just do it now. Stop procrastinating and faffing!

Honestly I'd now try fire brigade and if that's a dead end I'd be contacting the police and confirm ill breaking the window because have exhausted other options and be done with it.

I'm sure you don't have a cat flap for this reason.

Looking at how high on the wall it is, I'm not sure it even is a cat flat to be honest. Also nobody asked for the lock to be changed. You just tell the locksmith you're having some work done and locked yourself out. They use a tool to pick the lock. They don't need to change it.

When I locked myself out they just used a little tool to pick the lock and opened the door. I don't know why your asking locksmiths to change the lock, it isn't necessary.

I haven’t read all of the posts but ring the gas board, tell you you smell gas coming out if an unoccupied property. They’ll get the door open for you

Have you got a child or anyone with a skinny arm that could shove their hand through and drop some food in?

Your cat doesn't look distressed OP, hopefully he's found water somewhere. Would it be worth phoning an emergency glaziers? They might have a way of removing a small window and replacing it? Also, talk to the curtain twitchers, they may know someone who knows someone related to the people moving in or who moved out, who may be able to help. Best of luck OP, please ignore the posters who put property over living creatures.

Lots of great ideas OP. Especially FB post for employees at the EA or builders.

If I was your neighbour, I'd be ringing the police. @Catsos you've already said that they are looking through the windows.

Why don't you go to them and explain the situation? They may well offer better solutions than random posters like myself on the internet.

When my cat went missing, I knocked on every door in the street and the streets surrounding. Everyone I spoke to said they would check their sheds and look out for him.

It was a very stressful time, however he rolled up two weeks later, hungry and thirsty, but generally good. He was fed and brought to the vets.

Try unscrewing the cat flap.

Cats get through windows as well. I don't see the point in getting a pet if you don't keep it in your own garden by cat-proofing the garden or getting a catio. It's completely unacceptable to let the cat damage other people's homes. We have many pets of our own, but they are our responsibility and don't impose on the neighbours.

I would just smash a window. Don't use the bird bath though! There should be a weak point in the glass at one of the bottom corners.

I would pay to replace the window but I absolutely would not be paying for any other damages in the property caused by the cat as other posters are suggesting!

Absolutely idiotic of the new owners to install and leave unlocked a cat flap into an empty property so that's on them.

Also @Destiny123 and @Bumblepig had excellent ideas.

Phone your local fire station. They will have rescued animals before from various situations.

OP please try and stay calm, your cat is safe.

I would be reluctant to smash open a window or do anything that would cause major damage or mean someone could break in.

I would try and get something to break either the cat flap (our arms bend, so could you get your arm in there and then a tool to push out the flap?) or the vent if it’s in the same room as the cat (even if you can’t get the cat out you can still put in your food and water to give you more time).

I would definitely try and break the cat flap first.

Agreed with this. If have smashed it by now. Poor cat 😢

I think your cat will be ok after 72 hours, I adopted my current cat and he was left in a house for longer than that when his previous owner was moved into a care home and no one knew he was on the old house.

He is 12 years old and in perfect health according to the vets. Yours looks younger, so should be fine.

this cat was missing for a week and was stuck in an engine. I think yours will be ok if you can wait it out for a couple of days

Has the cat eaten the crab sticks?

@Destiny123

Have you got a child or anyone with a skinny arm that could shove their hand through and drop some food in?

No, not more food. The crab sticks were bad enough!