Trying to work out if I’m missing something.
Our neighbour has 20+ animals. One of their cats started coming to us about 10 months ago. She was really skinny when she first started coming over and absolutely riddled with fleas. We started feeding her because she looked hungry and the neighbour had previously said it was fine if the cats came round.
Fast forward and she’s basically lived here ever since. I don’t mean she visits for meals. I mean day and night. Sleeps here, follows us round, is with us all the time. She’s become incredibly attached to us and my children adore her.
The downside is she brought a horrendous flea infestation with her. Our house has been absolutely crawling despite repeated treatments. I’ve spent a fortune trying to sort it. I even rang the vet to ask what the options were and they said they could prescribe treatment, but obviously she’s not registered to us.
So I went to the neighbour and said, look, if the answer’s no then just tell me straight away, I completely understand, but would you consider letting us take ownership so we can get her treated properly?
She became really hostile. She said “they’re mine”, “I didn’t think you’d feed them”, “my other animals don’t have fleas” and “I can’t get near her to flea her because she’s always at yours.”
I also said the cat is covered in fleas, our house is covered in fleas and she’s ended up sleeping outside for the last week because we can’t let her in while trying to get on top of the infestation. I appreciate she may well have felt criticised by that. Equally… those are the reasons I was having the conversation in the first place.
What I can’t get my head round is this: if this is really her cat, why has she never once looked for her in 8 months? Never knocked, never asked where she was, never seemed remotely bothered until I asked about ownership.
I wasn’t demanding the cat. I specifically said I’d accept a no. I just thought after us feeding her for months, dealing with the fleas and caring for her, there might at least be a conversation.
Instead I just got hostility.
AIBU to think the reaction was bizarre? Or can people genuinely be that defensive when they feel criticised… not one word about the wellbeing of the cat!