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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

New neighbours leaving food outside for cats

3 replies

Propertired · 23/04/2025 13:55

Some people have just moved into one of the houses next to us, and last week one of the other neighbours cats was sat on the wall and I heard a “pspsps” sound, and when I looked, one of the guys was holding out a bag of treats to get the cat to come to him. A few days later I was stood at my back door and my cat was just chilling, but again someone from that house could see her and was going “come here, come on, do you want some food?” So I popped my head round and he was chatting to me asking her name. Then when I came home from work yesterday there was a huge plate of fish on the back which I’m assuming they left out for the cats.

would I be unreasonable to ask them to stop feeding the cats?! None of the cats are strays, they all have homes so they don’t need food and treats leaving out by strangers. I know he is just trying to be nice and friendly and he must love cats and thinks it’s harmless, but my cat has just recovered from cruciate surgery and we have been told by the vet we need to be very strict with her food and make sure she is never overweight. Other people cats might be on special diets etc.

DH tells me if we have cats that go outdoors then there’s nothing we can do to stop them eating random things, we can’t control it. But would it be wrong to ask the neighbours to stop?

OP posts:
dogsandcatsandhorses · 23/04/2025 13:58

Tell them your cat is on medication ( diabetic?) so any food/ treats they give could be harmful. That might stop them. You can get cat collars printed with please do not feed.

Pootles34 · 23/04/2025 13:59

Just pop round for a chat. Your DH is right in that you can't force him to stop, but most folk would agree to stop. Also nice to get to know new neighbours of course, you might have a new cat-sitter by the sounds of it!

Pandimoanymum · 23/04/2025 14:03

Your dh is right in that you can't stoop them eating random things, but this isn't a random thing. It's a neighbour deliberately giving the cats food and you certainly can ask him to stop.
As you said, the cats arent stray, they don't need to be fed and yours has a medical condition. I'd just politely tell him your cat has a condition that means he's on a strict diet, and ask him not to give treats or put food out.
He really shouldn't be feeding other peoples' pets as it can encourage the cats away from their own homes. Ex-DH 'lost' his cat to an elderly lady across the street who kept feeding the cat treats and letting him into her home, despite being asked and then told not to.

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