To break into my new neighbours house *THREAD 3: The Final Conundrum*

[Catsos]

I’m really not trying to drag this out 😩 but I seriously need some advice following on from my posts this weekend where my cat (who has a reputation for breaking cat-flaps in the neighbourhood) broke into my new neighbours vacant house while it is being renovated.

Here is the original post if anyone needs more context:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4881905-to-break-into-new-neighbours-house-serious-question-not-trolling

After not being able to get back out the cat-flap he was stuck in there for 48 hours over the bank holiday weekend and then finally released by the builder after various rescue attempts by me.

During that period however some damage occurred to my new neighbours property. I had hoped they would take it all in good spirits as fellow cat owners and we’d laugh about it and be new cat bessie mates but they we’re absolutely seething!!

They have proposed that I pay £1,600!!! for the following:

£800 to replace the rug my cat wee’d on

£400 to replace an area of laminate flooring as apparently the wee has gone into the underlay

I offered to pay £100 for professional rug cleaning, but the wife (who seems very neurotic) says her cats will still be able to smell my cats urine and they don’t want that to stress their cats out when they move them into the new home

£150 for repainting areas of muddy foot prints on the walls where my cat scratched to get out
(again I offered to just wipe them off but the wife insists it is repainted)

£50 to repaint window sils where the crabsticks & icecubes I dropped through the window has damaged the paint

£200 for a new bathroom window vent as I pushed thinly slice honey roasted ham through it

AIBU to think they are being very over the top? I could personally clean/repaint all of these things myself. Should I refuse to pay this amount? I don’t even have this amount available anyway, I would need to get an overdraft.

Why should they claim on their house insurance, and face higher premiums next year ?

I just ask them to show proof that all these things are not damaged before your cat was in there.

This is so random and bizarre! We are a Muslim family. If I came home to find ham stuffed through the vent, I would think we had been victims of a hate crime ;-)

What if it’s a brand new rug? Having it cleaned before they have even used it means it won’t be in the pristine state they left it in, the way they want it. Why should they accept that?

I bet if op posted up photos of all the damage we would all understand why they are fuming.

I honestly don’t believe most people on here would be laughing about the damage. Someone has to pay for it.

OP, I wouldn’t fork out for anything until I had seen all the receipts for the work that needs to be done, then negotiate from there.

I'd suspect though if he's as notorious as he seems to be that any character statements will go against him. As well as the photos of him on this thread.

It’s a cat.

Yes, I think we've safely established that in three threads.

My point is extrapolating it to other types of antisocial behaviour perpetrated by those who have little agency themselves, but who have been left to their own destructive devices by their owners/carers who DO have agency, but prefer to turn a blind eye to their responsibilities and blame everybody else instead.

OP has clearly admitted that her cat prowls the neighbourhood being a huge nuisance to numerous neighbours - has a reputation for it - but doesn't actually care; which is very similar to the attitudes held by many of the nightmare neighbours who let their kids run feral and who 'know their rights'.

Some of this damage was caused by you and not the cat so I am unsure how you avoid that liability?
I suspect they are pushing the bill to the maximum but it will be less than them pursuing the debt through the court using these threads as their evidence. Negotiate and settle and move on.

I love this. Lolol @Resentful2023

You need to get some of your own quotes for the work and advice about the floor. Cat piss is awful and the floor and rug may be ruined. If the cat was scratching the walls then it’s more than a quick wipe. Stop minimising.

But you can’t extrapolate it to a human doing it because they haven’t got the same intention so that’s utterly ridiculous comparison to make

Can't wait until the tabloids pick this up. Please pose with folded arms and sad face if they track you down.

Have your neighbours read this thread and the other threads about the bank holiday adventures of your adorable cat.

I’m sure they don’t think your cat is adorable if it’s scratched paintwork, pissed and shat on brand new items, your lucky they haven’t had a barbeque - apparently cat tastes just like chicken - we was told that years ago.

I really would be annoyed/upset/devastated that bits of rotting flesh have been poked through every available opening except the place the cat got in - the cat flap.

I’m thinking you have absolutely no idea who your new neighbours are, £1800 might sound alot, but if they take you thru the legal system £1800 will be a drop in the ocean.

Good Luck, you may need it

And a picture of the cat in Securicor van

I just ask them to show proof that all these things are not damaged before your cat was in there.

That would be a monumental coincidence, if their new home was showing multiple signs of cat damage before they (and their cat) have even moved in, following an acknowledged invasion and extended stay by another cat, don't you think?

I am loving this thread so much. I don't care if it's real or not. Everyone feels so strongly, including myself. I read a comment and there's 5 more have appeared.

You are responsible for the damage you caused with the crab sticks, ice and ham. Paint these days is so crap, I can believe that the former did damage the sill, and it may be impossible to remove every trace of ham from the vent. So it's only fair that you should pay the costs for those, including labour/fitting. As to the damage the cat did.....you've said he has form for breaking cat flaps to gain entry to neighbours houses, so knowing that you are at least a bit culpable for the mess he made. You should have made efforts to keep him at home /in your own garden. I wouldn't be satisfied with less than a new rug/floor as cat pee stinks, and even if you could clean them so human noses can't detect the pee, her cats surely will. And I'd want any and all damage to be fixed properly, to leave the property in the condition it was before you and your cat trashed it. But the costs they quote do seem a bit high, maybe there is some negotiation to be done there?

Alternatively could you find a couple of local black fairly anonymous looking cats and shove through their cat flap? 😉

On second thoughts I wouldn't offer anything because then you are accepting liability, plus they are frankly CFs. In the end of the day their house wasn't secure and they were lucky it wasn't a fox and lucky they didn't kill your cat.

Ps OP please get insurance for your cat, I recommend petplan

No worries I didn't see it as a criticism! :)

I was sure it did include public liability but turns out that's just the dogs' policy

But you can’t extrapolate it to a human doing it because they haven’t got the same intention so that’s utterly ridiculous comparison to make

Really? Young kids who have never been taught right from wrong and are left to run free and do whatever seems fun?

Lol yes.

but a good tactic 😀

You can tell who are dog owners v cat owners on here 😂

I do think the owners are being a bit excessive but the rug and laminate will stink of cat pee and most general cleaners won't get it out fully, it's a newly decorated home they haven't even lived in yet, you need to do the right thing here
Can't you ask their builder to a cheap paint job for you? (Unless their prices are from him)

Hopefully now you will consider some cat protection in your garden as who knows what your menace will do next time

Following purely because I'm invested in the full outcome of this now

Right?

If they aren’t satisfied with your offer OP they may want to take you to a small claims court but they won’t get anywhere with it, cats can’t legally trespass and owners aren’t responsible for any damage unless they can prove negligence which would be highly difficult and you were desperately trying to get the cat out, it’s also up to homeowners to ensure their properties are secure to prevent unwanted guests.