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?

That poor cat has the most selfish ignorant entitled fuck of an owner. She booked the holiday, she knew when it was going to be and instead of taking no for an answer and spending the time wisely trying to find a cat sitter shes spending it trying to guilt trip you and your child into it. Entitled fuckers are what is ruining communities not people saying no to things because they are otherwise busy.

Did you miss the part where OP isn’t even going to be home for four days ? 🙄

OP just for the cats sake not the owners perhaps just send a text saying hope she got sorted with a catsitter and mention you are off away TODAY yourself for a few nights so about to pack up and go letting her know not to leave the keys with you for the sake of the cat. I would lie to save the cat not for the entitled neighbour.

Maybe that poster thinks cat minding can be done remotely is all I can think at this point cos surely they read ALL the op's posts before offering an answer?

I really hope she hasn't just left the cat 😞

Asking and not taking no for an answer is rude
Not saying please or thank you is rude
simply saying 'that's no good' in response to OP's offer of her own pet sitter is rude
Only offering £30 for 2 weeks to OP's son is rude
refusing OP's son's friend offer because she doesn't want to pay the money yet is apparently desperate and again without as much as a thank you is rude
Demanding OP's son's friend help now last minute, yet again, without as much as a please or thank you and then calling him unreliable for daring to have a life of his own and not immediately responding to her is rude

How isn't she rude?

How difficult is it to feed a cat next door for a week?

RTFT!!! OP is away, her son is away. They tried to come up with a plan to help but that was too expensive for NDN.

That's how hard it was!

How hard is it to RTFfuckingT before posting a pointless fucking comment?

@Spaghettimonsta

you sound a little unhinged. Are you ok?
Are you really seriously suggesting OP’s son postpone his trip with his girlfriend for the sake of some random cat and its entitled, stingy owner?! 🤣
yeah….no. Never gonna happen.

I swear this thread is going to completely fill up because of people who cannot RTFT/ comprehend.

Bet she still goes even with nobody. Probably just leave down a million water bowls and an open bag of biscuits or two and hope for the best.

When she comes back and he is matted and poo bummed she will take him for a full shave and say she booked a cat sitter but they didn’t turn up so she doesn’t get in trouble for neglect.

It’s like I’ve seen this story before 😑

This thread contains so many stupid comments from people who CBA to RTFT !

I wish there was a way to compel posters to read all the OPs posts.

Yes, that's my only concern. The last post I read from OP was that the neighbour was going to cancel her holiday, which is what I'd do. My cat is more important than all the holidays on earth.

If she does turn out to have just posted the keys and left, the sensible thing to do is call the RSPCA or Cats Protection League or similar. Not least as otherwise the cat won't be getting looked after during that period when everyone is away.

Quite hard for OP considering that she will be away for work next week.

The amount she is offering is laughably low!

Fairly difficult if, as the op has stated, YOU WILL NOT BE HOME to do so.

The neighbour sounds like an absolute pain in the arse. She won't pay the going rate for cat sitters and is trying to foist the responsibility for sorting out care for her cat onto OP who has got more than enough on her plate.

If she had accepted the help offered by one of OP's son's friends when he originally offered, she would be going on holiday now. She quibbled about the amount he was charging so refused his offer but has now decided, on the day she leaves, that she will employ him but she can't get in touch with him. Her penny pinching has been her downfall. It would take a heart of stone not to laugh (to misquote Oscar Wilde).

Next time you plan and book a holiday - have a think if you would cancel three days before you go because your neighbour needs you to feed their cat.

as the OP has explained so very very many times - he has a job so can’t just take time off for whenever and for £30 would you seriously have missed a camping trip so you can be neighbourly??

get a grip and stop shaming the poor boy who you know nothing about

asking once politely is not a problem IMO. Pushing the OP to put pressure on her son, refusing to try any of the services that the son kindly found for her and then expecting them to negotiate between her and son's friend, offering a pittance, getting arsey when he doesn't IMMEDIATELY contact her...... yeah I'd say it was her behaviour!
As I have said several times on this thread though, its not just feeding the cat, its being completely responsible for the cat. I wonder if all the "oh be kind...I'd do it" brigade have thought of that?

so nothing like pretty much every other thread on MN then? 😅

You're offering? Excellent.

and when CF owner reports you to the RSPCA because YOU took responsibility for her beloved Fluffy and it died while she was on holiday?

Thing is, I was on the OP’s side from the first post - if neither she nor her son want to do it then that’s the end of that. But with each post the neighbour has become more and more entitled and it’s as if she’s trying to make this OP’s problem. It’s not cool.