Will try and condense back story as much as poss as it's long.

A year ago we cut contact with my father (in his 70s) owing to lots of toxic and manipulative behaviours past and present.

There was an area of concern that related to DD who is now 9, was 7/8 at the time.

My father has a close friend who is the next door neighbour, he has a key and lets himself into my dad's house at will. He has been doing this for several years, and helping out as my Father's mobility is poor.

Neighbour is in his late 60s and lives alone now his mum has passed away. Is estranged from all family including adult daughter and has not worked in years. He found religion in the last 10 years. He has always been keen on our two children, giving presents etc, to the point DH has been uncomfortable but I always just saw him as a lonely man.

Just one a year ago the neighbour found a pregnant cat which my DD was really excited about (keen animal lover and we are a cat family). The cats owners found out that he had her and came to get her.

Within a fortnight the neighbour had 'found' three orphaned newborn kittens and DD was enthralled. Neighbour would bring them into my dad's place when we popped in.

DC were never alone without us but my father started pressuring us to leave the children with the neighbour and the kittens at his place, which we obviously said no to. Then a kitten died and DD was distraught, wouldn't sleep in her own bed etc, felt like she was really grieving for the kitten.

My father ended up in hospital for a short while and at one point tried to engineer a situation whereby I would have no childcare and had to go to the hospital, therefore He wanted me to leave the DC with the neighbour. I point blank refused which led to my father getting cross and trying to convince me that he could trust the neighbour with his life.

DH and I were very concerned and for various reasons we went low contact and then no contact. DD is still, a year on, devastated that she is no longer involved with the kittens. She is fixated on those kittens. Before going completely no contact my father passed DD photos of the kittens, including the dead one. This was after we explained we were establishing boundaries with the neighbour.

I will be honest, I feel as though there has been grooming behaviour towards DD and despite cutting contact DD is still confused and grieving. It's always the kittens she mentions, not her grandad. She has also had friendship troubles at school and she is quite honestly a shell of her former self.

I am poised to go out and get a kitten (like I say, we are a cat family so no big deal) to try and give her some closure.

Does anyone have any other advice? Would this warrant a child counsellor as we are just acting on red flags?