AIBU to think my neighbour’s cat care problem is not mine?

[Thepartwhereidrun]

My neighbour stopped my son on his way out last night to ask if he would look after her cat when she is away from tomorrow for 2 weeks, going in twice a day. He said sorry but he couldn’t.

I didn’t know she had spoken to him until she knocked our door and told us. Her cat sitter has let her down last minute and now she won’t be able to go on holiday unless she can find someone else. Nightmare for her, but her cat sitter is ill so it can’t be helped. I said I can’t help her but I text our dog sitter, who also does cat sitting to ask if she had availability and said I’d get back to her if she could do it.

She asked if I would also ask my son again, which I did when he got home, but he doesn’t want to do it. He has just finished his A levels and wants to be free to come and go as he pleases which is understandable. I said that if he has said no then that means he can’t.

Our dog sitter text me back to say she didn’t have any availability for the first week but could do the second week. I text my neighbour to let her know and to give her sitters contact details. She has just text back ‘no good, what am I meant to do for the first week?’

I haven’t replied as although I get she is probably feeling desperate, how the fuck is her cat my problem?

100% there was no cat sitter.

She checked the prices, wanted to be tight and thought she could pull a last minute “crisis” to scam your son out of almost free labour. The fact she has not tried to find other solutions makes that clear. Even if I was totally free and could tolerate cats I would say no, now, on principle

Catherine Tate Nan Voice.

”What a F**king liberty!”

🤣

OP - I hate to say it but be prepared for her to go on holidays and text you when she is gone saying that you are looking after the cat.

She had no one let her down. She had assumed that your son would do it.

She wants free catcare.

In that case OP needs to prepare to give it to the local cats place for abandoned cats.

I still wouldn't be feeding it.

It's not your problem and you're technically not being unreasonable, but I can't imagine saying no to popping round to a neighbour's twice a day to feed a cat for a week until the sitter can take over. And changing litter takes like 10 mins. I think it's sad there is no sense of community anymore. It's really not a hard task for a week.

Edit: nvm, seen your updates, she's just being cheeky. To amend this, I would happily cat sit for any nice, none CF neighbour lol

As I suspected in my previous posts this is about money. She wants free/cheap pet care. If I needed an emergency cattery I would travel miles and pay whatever it costs so I wouldn’t miss a holiday. She just doesn’t want to pay a professional rate.

Read OPs updates.

Edit - I posted before your update!

Even more so she is NBU then. Neighbour is a bit of a CF!

Some people are so entitled it beggers belief!

“Son, we are going to do this favour for the neighbour. We only need to cover a week between us. I’m away for 3 days but I will do the other 4. Can you do it for those 3 days?”
He has finished his A Levels, he has no firm plans, he has apparently a lot of time off and a flexible work schedule. Personally, I do not think this is “hard” or a huge ask. Would I ask? No, because, as amply demonstrated on here, for a lot of folk, it’s “everyman for himself” and god forbid you should even slightly put yourself out for someone in a bind.

Beautifully handled by your son and gf. This is bordering crazy behaviour. She wants him to cancel his plans, for her cats, so she doesn’t have to cancel her plans? She hasn’t tried an alternative yet he’s the only option?!

Well done to you both for keeping your cool!

I wouldn't do it on principal now even if you could. She’s shown herself to be a pushy CF. Ugh. And all the fawning idiots on this thread stupid enough to bend over backwards to help someone with no more morals than a cat herself. 🙄

Have you read all of OP's updates? Would you still want to do her a favour?

Indeed. And I'd bet serious money on the neighbour trying to get them to do it in future if they caved on this occasion.

Well I'd definitely help out to be neighbourly. She had arrangements and was let down at the last minute, not her fault. She tried your suggestion and has one week to cover. Couldn't you and your son share it, you covering when he can't or you do all of it. She'll probably lose a lot of money if she has to cancel a week and good catteries will be fully booked probably. You never know when you might want the favour returned. Good neighbourly relations are such a bonus, there are lot of threads on here about awful neighbours.

Theres nothing more to be said then
Hold your boundary and dont reply further
She can only make it your problem if you let her ...

If it was my son is would have told him to use it as a potential earner and told her he would do it for £xx per day.

Perhaps she might have more luck on her local FB page (only if she’s willing to stump up more than the £2.14 per visit she’s currently offering your DS).

DS has said he can't do it, isn't going to commit to that. So what then, and how would it be easy?

I mean, some people (me) would argue that this is a thread about bad neighbours.

READ THE UPDATES!!! The cheeky fucker of a neighbour clearly never had a cat sitter booked as she doesn’t want to pay even minimum wage! She just assumed the neighbours would do it for nothing and now they can’t and won’t she STILL hasn’t even asked on her local fb page or rung a cattery as wants FREE care!!

She’s shot herself in the foot with her behaviour. In this instance you and your son can’t help due to circumstances. There might have been another occasion where you are able to help, but her terrible attitude to your suggestions I would think has made you less inclined to help even if you can.

What part of the country are you in op? There's loads of posters here who would be happy to help her out.

I'm sure one of them will live nearby and would love £30 for their troubles.

I would help out a neighbour in need