Neighbour keeps leaving their cat alone for over a week

[Heatherland77]

I am absolutely fed up with a neighbour of mine who keeps going away and leaving his cat alone with just a bowl of biscuits, sometimes for longer than a week. I have previously helped him out and checked on the cat but he's now just taking the piss.
The cat is a bit dim. She hangs around howling and is constantly getting under my feet whenever I come out of my front door. She steals my cats' food any chance she gets. One of my cats has thyroid medication on their food and this could kill a healthy cat. I have previously warned my neighbour about this problem.
My neighbour is now away from home more and more and this cat is becoming a real issue. She's becoming aggressive and territorial, pooing in my garden and fighting my younger cat, to the point that he doesn't want to go out because it's just hassle for him. When he does go out, this dim cat will sniff him and then swipe him.
My neighbour texted me the day before going away for a week's holiday, asking if I could 'just pop my head in' to see if his cat was okay/had enough food.
I said no.
The reason is that I thought asking me the day before he goes away was taking the piss!
I have previously spoken to him about using the local cattery and that he'd need to book a few months in advance to get a place.
He managed to book a holiday months in advance so why not a cattery?!?!
Plus, the RSPCA strongly advises that a cat should not be left alone longer than 24 hours. Cats do get lonely. I have said all of this to him and he ignores it.
I'm at a loss as to what to do, as this neighbour is clearly going to carry on doing what he wants. I think it's selfish and irresponsible. He also has a dog who he takes everywhere and is treated like royalty. I feel sorry for this cat who is clearly pissed off with this bum deal.
Can I contact the RSPCA and get advice from them?

You're right but I couldn't watch a cat starve to prove my point.

.@Catnipcupcakes .Well done for taking her in and giving her 12 good years. Imagine how awful it would have been for her if you hadn't taken her in.

Still not sure what the relevance of the 3 cars is that the OP keeps banging on about

Really? If he has 3 cars it shows he's not skint, he could afford to buy the cat better food and put it in a cattery rather than leaving it alone

I think it’s more about the OPs dislike towards the neighbour and this dim cat that gobbles all her expensive cat food than about actual concern for the cat

@Heatherland77 how would the cats behaviour would be any different if the owner wasn’t away? It sounds like you want to complain about your neighbour.
Ha, cross post

I don’t think people are understanding the issue. The neighbour has the means to look after this cat properly, as shown by how he treats his dog, but he doesn’t.

OP seems not to mind if he gives notice if he needs her to look in to the cat but asks the day before as if it’s an afterthought, not giving any consideration that she may have plans that week. On top of that he isn’t caring for the cat properly, the fact she is aggressive, steals food, is overweight and yowls all the time is indicative that the cat is neglected.

The fact the neighbour can afford nice holidays, has three cars, either takes his dog with him or put the dog in kennels shows that he can afford to give the cat proper care. I have a cat, if I want a holiday I won’t go on it if I cannot afford to put my cat in a cattery or have a cat sitter come in. This is also neglectful of the neighbour. Just asking people to pop in to look check in on the cat doesn’t afford the cat the socialisation they need every day. It is neglect. People seem to think because cats are self sufficient that means they don’t get lonely or upset when their owners are away, but they do. They’re incredibly sensitive.

@Heatherland77 I think you do need to contact the RSPCA at least just to get advice on what to do. She more than likely isn’t microchipped if he is as laissez-faire with her. If it were me if RSPCA can’t help is taken into a vet and claim it as abandoned and maybe they may actually find her a home where she’ll actually be looked after.

This one is simple. I would take the cat to a rescue - and not the closest one. Say you found it wandering.

If it’s not chipped - good. Cat has a chance of new life. If it is - he’ll be called. It will cost him to get cat back. You - ‘Oh I thought it hadn’t seen it for a day or so! Ah, it will do this every time now, I suppose, now it’s worked out that it’s best to wander further looking for food. My fault for not feeding it? No I don’t think so. In fact I’m so angry now about your neglect of the cat that I’m hoping you go away again soon and the poor thing wanders even further. I’ll also be able to let me cats out again without being attacked. So no don’t bother asking me again!’

The fact that he can organise everything else, and pay for it, tells me that he doesn’t give a shit about the cat. So to be clear - I would absolutely take it to a shelter and to hell with him.

Please try Cats protection before the RsPCA. I have never come across any positive outcomes from them.

Totally agree with this comment re Cats Protection

She more than likely IS microchipped because the owners take her to the vet

A vet isn't going to just take in a cat and her a new home, what planet are people on ?

I think at this point in time the OP should ring the RSPCA just to show how ridiculous some of these responses are

Yeah good idea, then she can get taken to court because it's obviously been microchipped with the neighbours address on it.

Unreal stuff.

Curious as to why the vet visits from the neighbours don't result in the cat being taken away due to it's neglect? Obviously the vet doesn't know as much as MN posters though.

Just report this to the RSPCA. Writing letters to this neighbour will be ignored. This poor cat is suffering so it really needs to be reported and eventually rehomed.

Hi @Floccy actually vets do take cats that have been surrendered and/or are strays and rehome them, at least all the ones I’ve had pets go to have done so. They give it a week, cross post on lost and found sites in the area then put them up for adoption if no one reaches out.

You've yet to offer a useful solution so maybe just stop aggressively arguing with people? You’ve not countered any of the other things I mentioned in my response and just thought the vet thing was ridiculous when I literally experienced it and was told what the vet does the time I found a lost pet

My cat would hate it in the cattery, he's allowed to go outside whenever he wants and comes in for food. That's about it! Would I be concerned about leaving him for a week? Not really, my only concern would be if he was injured, but even then it's unlikely and I would like to think if it was that bad some animal lover would take it to the vets.
Leaving a cat for a week with adequate food and water needs is not cruel. Cruel is to take that cat from its own territory and put it in cat prison.
I've been away on holiday for 16 days before and my neighbour came in and fed it. That was it, the cat was fine.

Having worked in 2 different catteries, albeit many years ago, I heartily agree that a cat is better off in its own home wherever possible.

I used an automatic cat feeder and extra litter trays when I went away for a day or so and was lucky enough to have neighbours and family that helped out for anything longer.

Wtf. She just hands it in. No she doesn’t give her real name, address etc. Honestly. And, ‘taken to court’?! Even if she did give her address etc, you honestly think someone would be prosecuted for, not stealing a cat, but handing in a cat they assumed was a stray to a shelter ?!

Where do you live? I want your dedicated, non-stretched-to-breaking-point police and court system in my life! 😍

It does not have adequate food. One bowl cannot possibly be enough for an extended holiday.

Ah right so you're basically suggesting she illegally steals her neighbours cat. Traumatises it by driving it to a shelter in the middle of nowhere. Doesn't give her name and address though, that's ok. I guess when the shelter describes her to the neighbours after they've found the chip they won't twig or anything.

And if the shelter says sorry we cant help which they 99.99% will say, what then. A long journey to other shelters with a roaming cat crying and wailing in the back of a hot car in a carrier? What a fun day out that will be.

Or should she just dump it outside the shelter door like all the strays that get dumped near my local shelter and end up in my garden? I guess you're one of "those" people.

And given the fact it's get vet checkups, it's obviously chipped and it's only going to get returned to the neighbours anyway. So what's the point?

The cat's not even neglected either, it's just a roamer.

yeah WTF. You must be trolling right? Either that or just enjoy causing people unnecessary drama and difficulty right?

They ask people to check in on it and make sure it has enough food.

He has asked the OP before and she has done it, this time she said no. He’s still gone. The cat is repeatedly left with no-one checking and an assumption the neighbour will. That is not adequate.

Where does it say they didn't ask someone else?

Who's making assumptions here? Seems to be you. They probably asked another neighbour. This happens every day in every neighbourhood up and down the Country. It's nothing unusual.