Advice - neighbour complaining about cat

[Catmom86]

So I know not everyone is a cat lover but I've just had a note though the door from a neighbour a few doors up...never met them and I was sat in the front room so not sure why she didn't knock.

Basically it states my cat has been going into her house and has attacked her cat leaving her with a vet bill of £100. She's said she understands its hard to keep cats in but he's a pest.

What do I do? He's been an outdoor car for 4 years and this is the first issue I've heard of.

I'm planning to knock on her door but not sure what I should say or do except try and keep him in forever?!

I had a neighbour's cat that used to come in through our cat flap. It never occurred to me that I should complain to the neighbour. You can't exactly control cats when they're out, and I personally wouldn't keep a cat indoors. I simply solved the problem by getting a microchip cat flap. Better for me, better for my cat. No involvement was needed from my neighbour.

Right. Except you can't control where your cat goes, or put them on the naughty step if they do go in someone's house.

If the neighbour doesn't want cats in her house, she pays for a microchip cat flap. Simple as.

That attitude disgusting. Your pet is your responsibility if you have any respect for others. You can keep them in and not allow them to go anywhere, which controls their movements very effectively.

I don't think snugglemonkey likes cats 🤣

Everyone saying about getting a microchip cat flap have you considered it may be going in to neighbours house via a window or door? Why should the neighbour have to keep her windows and doors shut because of someone elses pet? Everytime i open my bedroom window next doors cat comes in and sleeps on my bed, DP is allergic to cats so i have to change all the bedding and hoover the bedroom it really pisses me off!

OP i dont think you should pay any vet bills and im not sure what you can do to stop your cat going there apart from giving her permission to scare him away.

We have this, but from the other perspective. New cat on the block and he's incredibly friendly. I'm not a cat person in the slightest but would never hurt one. So on a warm evening a few weeks back I had the back door open and in he walked, jumped up on the sofa and made himself at home. All my shooing made no difference, and I couldn't bring myself to pick it up as I just really don't like them. By this point, my dog had come in from the garden and chaos then ensued. A lamp got knocked over, cat knocked various things off the kitchen side. My dog then chased it outside, cat went under the car, my dog forgot to duck down and slammed straight into the side of the car, resulting in a trip to the vet as he knocked a tooth out.
I know where the cat lives as it's the only house which has been sold to someone new recently, but would I present the owner with the vet bill? No. Do I want it to stay out of my house? Yes. Has it been back since? Yes, many times but I quickly shut the dog out and gently push it back towards the door. It then leaves. It's winter soon so no open doors. It's a shame your cat is upsetting your neighbour but I wouldn't pay any bills. It's my responsibility to keep my house secure, and by having my door open, the cat easily got in, making it my fault.

I do is the weird thing. I used to have one. I kept him in though, so he was not a menace to wildlife and others. What I dislike is people not taking responsibility for their animals.

Have you thought about getting a catio?
But I think it's the neighbour's responsibility- if your cat can get in, then theirs can go out and could do exactly the same to someone else.

Tbh if I was your neighbour I'd be furious!

A friend of mine had a cat come in through the kitchen window once and was in her newborn baby's moses basket while the baby slept. The mum had popped to the loo for a couple of minutes. When she got back, the cat was sitting on top of the baby. She was absolutely horrified. Nobody should have to put up with people's pets entering their houses like that.

Cats are considered animals covered by a 'right to roam' law, which means that a cat owner doesn't have an obligation to keep the animal on their own property. What is this? This means that technically that trespassing cat in your garden is not trespassing at all
It isn't your problem to be honest, but if it is your cat you can choose to come to an agreement. She also has a cat and cats will be cats!

That does not make it right at all! If she is a decent person, she would see it as her problem.

OP - you are doing the right thing by talking. There's no point in ignoring it as sometimes we just need to be heard and have the problem acknowledged.

Are both cats neutered? Yours has lived there for four years, how long has hers? If hers is a recent addition then they might be settling a territory dispute. Is yours entering the house? More importantly take a photo of your cat. Its amazing how many cats suddenly look the same when there is a fight.

Advise the neighbour to spray your cat with water if he comes in again. Water spray bottle. He'll get the message pretty quick.

I say this as a cat lover and one of mine kept running into neighbours when they opened door to parcels. She'd then hide under the table. This was because previous occupants of that house wouldn't stop feeding her! They told me she was doing it and I told them to spray her. She hasn't been back there since.

It won't harm your cat having a little spray of water from a water bottle. They'll quickly get the message of what happens at that house.

I’d be sorry her cat was injured but certainly wouldn’t offer to pay vet bills etc.

cats come and go - there’s always a fair few who play the “I’ve never been fed in my life” card very well and get dinners from half the road before someone clocks on.

my cat scraps with the neighbours cat (both neutered - they just dislike each other). She’s never come round to mine to complain much in the same way I don’t go to hers.

Advise the neighbour to spray your cat with water if he comes in again. Water spray bottle. He'll get the message pretty quick

This.

Dont pay for anything. It'll never end then. She'll be hassling all the time.

I posted my number to talk at 7pm and not heard. (No answer when I knocked on her door).

So I let the cat out (reluctantly) for a few hours...he's back home. She has my number to call if he enters her house.

We've also just found her cat
Is that cat that used to come to our house and scrap with our cat so..
What goes around....

Anyway. I'm paying no vet bills..and if her dog attacked my car nor would I expect her to. I let him out..its part of the responsibility.

All the best op

Update! She called round and apologised for her not and told me not to worry as 'cats will be cats' she's just worried if her dogs hurt my cat we will want them to pay vet bills...I've told her we won't! So all sorted!

What a brilliant update! Thank goodness you actually tried to communicate instead of ignoring her like some pp suggested. Its always worth a preliminary chat first

you’re not responsible for vets bills, they can get into scraps anywhere, with any cat & although I’d be sympathetic, it’s her responsibility to make her house secure against cats coming in, I.e a micro flap.

My cats are housecats by choice, I often leave the windows and doors open but they never go out. Neighbours bloody cat comes in and chases them.

It's annoying but what can she do? I did notice she added a bell because he was a hell of a hunter leaving maimed wildlife in his wake so she's obviously doing what she can.

I think I'd even avoid a conversation in your position, nothing can come of it because you can't control a cat and he's a right to roam.

If you know there's anything he hates eg loud noises or a water pistol you could let her know. My ndn has effectively trained the annoying cat to stay away by spraying with water every time.

Great update!

Ah great update OP, glad you got it sorted.

Cats will be cats indeed.

I walked into my kitchen the other month, and there was a strange cat just sat on my kitchen table 🤣 what was also funny was my cat was also sat there purring away, and my mastiff just looked at me as if to say "mum did you get another cat friend for me 😍" and started sniffing/slobbering all over it.

I just picked up the strange cat and put him back outside, much to the disappointment of the actual animals that live here.