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?

“Her hiliday is ruined and not her fault.”

Bit her holiday doesn’t have to be ruined. Op has said that neighbour hadn’t bothered contacting any other cat sitters for their availability. Also, son arranged for a friend to do it, at £15 a day, and neighbour declined.

So for £200, she had a solution. I imagine she’ll lose a lot more money cancelling the holiday. Not sure ‘no cat sitter’ warrants a claim on travel insurance!

That would be a slippery slope...plenty of people (mostly the CFers on Mnet) i wouldn't want to be cloned for a minute! But in this case, the CFer wouldn't have had her holiday heartless ruined by the OP as she'd be able to still feed her cat without having to pay out for a feeder plus enjoy her well earned holiday...

I’m really surprised at the way this thread went. The neighbour is in classic CF territory here.

She was rude and tight to ask a school leaver to do this without an offer of payment in the first place, then went on to keep pushing, refusing to take no for an answer and when faced with no other option offered pennies. Twice a day for two weeks is a huge ask and a big commitment to make, with huge inconvenience to daily life.

The neighbour didn’t even have the good grace to be thankful for the cat sitter offered by OP and it sounds like she was hoping to avoid paying for her pet to be cared for at all. There are plenty of cat sitters around and the neighbour should have contacted all of them nevermind having the cheek to expect school leavers to do it for nothing.

The funny thing is, even if we could clone people, many posters on here would expect the OP to clone herself (or her son) to look after the cat - rather than the CF neighbour cloning herself and looking after her own damn cat!

Her holiday is not ruined. She has the option of paying somebody £15 a day to manage the cat and she has refused that option.

Also normally I don’t care about PP not reading the full thread but the amount of responses that clearly have not spent 1 min reading OP’s updates is ridiculous!

I am raging at the responses you’ve had OP! Your neighbour is a cheeky fucker! She asked once, he said no. That should have been the end of it but she’s carried on pushing and pushing and trying to guilt trip you when as you say, it’s not your problem!

Cannot believe people are trying to talk you in to helping her, she’s been so rude to both of you!

no it’s not your issue. But I would help out. Feeding a cat is not that difficult

What she’s meant to do for the first week:

Give you the same rate she’d have to pay your dog sitter and you’ll “sort something out” (take care of it the days you’re in town and have your son/partner/best friend in the neighborhood handle it the days you’re gone and give that person 30% of the money).

But suppose the clone wanted to go on holiday too? :)

Did she offer to pay your son? Personally I’d have thought he might be glad of the cash - IMO feeding a cat twice a day is a very quick job that should result in a minimum of a tenner* per day.
If she didn’t offer to pay, tough.

And miles cheaper than a cattery, though around here they’d probably be booked up already.

do you not realise that its being responsible for an animal? As I said upthread, what if the cat get lost injured or ill? a housecat gets out or the closed house becomes too hot for it? Do you just say "not my responsibility, I only signed up for 10 minutes a day"?

just going to copy past my own response as I cannot be bothered to post it for the 4th time.
do you not realise that its being responsible for an animal? As I said upthread, what if the cat get lost injured or ill? a housecat gets out or the closed house becomes too hot for it? Do you just say "not my responsibility, I only signed up for 10 minutes a day"?

Then they'd have to ask the neighbour's clone, or the neighbour's son's clone, provided they weren't away too, or working, then there would have to be a clone of a clone (or a clone of a clone of a CFer. That means all 3 are CFers. I'm confused now 🤣)

My neighbour has text this morning to say she would now like my son’s friend to look after the cat and to ask him to go round to see her by 10.30am to go through everything. My son has text and called his friend but he’s not answering. I’ve text my neighbour to tell her this and got back ‘is he usually this unreliable?’ Cheeky cow. I said my son wouldn’t have recommended him if he was unreliable but that she can’t expect him to jump with an hours notice and that if he is at work, he won’t have be able to have his phone with him.

My neighbour asked if she could leave her keys with us and we go through everything with him, but I’ve said only if we get a text from him confirming that he will definitely do it. I explained that after she said he was too expensive yesterday, my son told his friend that he wouldn’t be needed, so for all we know, he might not be able to do it anymore.

She is now panicking as she is leaving this afternoon and still has no one confirmed to look after the cat. I’m so fucked off that she didn’t just agree to my son’s friend doing it yesterday and it could have all been sorted. I’m never getting involved again after this. Sitting here thinking how the fuck did I get this twat as a neighbour and why am I spending Saturday trying to help her sort this out.

My neighbour asked if she could leave her keys with us and we go through everything with him, but I’ve said only if we get a text from him confirming that he will definitely do it.

This is a slippery slope, she is 💯 trying to make this your responsibility.

Do not accept the keys. If she can’t sort this out with DS’s friend before she leaves, that is totally her problem. Can you ask DS’s friend if he’s happy for her to have his number?

Also, I would be advising him to take the full
payment in advance and that she has enough food for the cat at the house.

She is 💯 the type of person who will invent a reason not to pay him.

Text the son’s friend, explain what she said and give him the neighbours number. Then it’s between them. I’d also be tempted to pack a bag and go out until neighbour has already left.

"I have passed your number on to him. Please don't attempt to involve me in any of this. It simply isn't my business."

She's such an idiot.
Did she really think she can demand a visit with one hour's notice?!

As a PP said, have your son text the neighbour's number to his friend, then it's between them and no further input required from you or your DS.

If she tries to leave the keys with you, give them right back.

It's really not your problem.

A good deed never goes unpunished.

Agree, it is sad. I don't understand why people are so unwilling to help people out these days.

Amazed at the ongoing cheek of your neighbour. Agree with PP who say give her number to your son's friend and leave it to them to sort out.

She seems to see teenagers as poorly paid servants she can boss about.

You know what's really sad, and really fucking annoying?
People who comment on a post without reading all the OP's comments.

OP AND HER SON ARE BOTH AWAY NEXT WEEK.
THEREFORE THEY CANNOT FEED THE CAT.

Have you asked OP where lives so you can perhaps help out?