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The litter tray

I appear to have been adopted by the neighbours kittens <<sigh>>>

40 replies

SummerRain · 16/07/2012 15:31

I have 3 cats already, really don't need or want any extra mouths to feed

The girls next door are early 20's and, tbh, complete bimbos.

They got 2 tiny kittens last week and 3 days ago seemed to get bored so dumped them outside 24/7 with a bowl of dry food outside the door.

the poor things are tiny... 6/7 weeks max and shouldn't even be away from their mothers (they're apparently from different litters)

I've been resisting the urge to be the crazy cat lady up til now but this morning I opened the door to take a call (crappy reception in the house) and the kittens dashed in past me out of the rain. I didn't have the heart to kick them out into the rain so put some wet food down and they almost ate the plate they were so hungry.

So they've been in my hall since 10am with the door open but showing no inclination to go back out. They had a play and then went to sleep in a box.

One of the neighbour girls was going into her house 20 mins ago and my 3 year old called over to her and said 'Your kittens are in our house' and he response was 'Oh, that's fine' in a tone that suggested she couldn't care less.

So what do I do now? I have no idea if my 3 big cats will tolerate this incursion but I can't force them to live outside (there's a busy road, loose dogs, foxes and lousy weather out there just to name a few dangers)



OP posts:
JennerOSity · 16/07/2012 15:36

Awwwwww.

Poor little kittykats. :(

I can't imagine pointing out where they are going wrong will make a jot of difference to the kittens and probably get you some bad attitude from the girls.

I can't imagine the kittens will live/be cared for is they stay where they are, if they can't care about them when they are so small it's hardly going to get better when they are less cute is it!

So I think either accept the adoption or if that would be too much (5 cats!) pretend to be all caring and offer to help them with their problem and assist with finding them a new home... at least that way you would know they would go to a good home.

Grumpla · 16/07/2012 15:39

I'd take them to a shelter where they will have a good chance of being rehomed and then lie about it.

JennerOSity · 16/07/2012 15:41

Yes, that could work. If they ask if you've seen them... 'no, no, you haven't, how sad they should go missing, oh dear, well they're only small maybe lost and who knows when that could have happened, hmm'

SummerRain · 16/07/2012 15:45

I had 5 til last year when two of my boys went missing so I can deal with that many, but we're pretty broke so food and vets bills for two extra isn't great timing.

They are super cute (see profile) but round here rehoming kittens isn't easy, I've taken in a lot of feral kittens and it is very difficult to find good homes as most people are dog people round here.

They're awake and roaming the house now

OP posts:
SummerRain · 16/07/2012 15:47

Shelters are pretty non existent round here (west of ireland) and what ones there are are full to bursting, I volunteer for some of the rehoming charities so know the situation unfortunately

Good idea though, thanks

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JennerOSity · 16/07/2012 15:58

Cute kittens! Hmmmm can see why you'd find it hard to kick them out. Fancy leaving them to fend for themselves so young! Meany bimbo girls.

Love your profile info, especially the 'what she does' section. I like Nina Simone too. Grin

SummerRain · 16/07/2012 16:09

o god, I haven't updated my profile stuff in ages Grin must get round to that one day

the grey one is snuggled into the crook of my arm so i can't do capitals atm....

dd just told me a gem... apparently she said to bimbo no 1 yesterday that the kittens were a bit young to be out (she's 7 and could figure that out!) and B1 answered 'they'll just have to get used to it'

OP posts:
ColouringIn · 16/07/2012 16:12

It pisses me off that people can so willingly abandon theur pets. OP is it worth contacting the RSPCA about this - these girls need a kick up the bum.Angry.

I have just taken in my neighbours cat which was abandoned covered with fleas - a week on and she is doing well, the fleas are gone. Some people are just SO irresponsible.

SummerRain · 16/07/2012 16:40

not in UK and the local SPCA doesn't do much. There's not really as much legal protection for animals over here and cats are definitely not considered 'worthwhile' animals by most Angry

It pisses me off too, poor dp has been listening to me ranting for days but unfortunately there's not much that can be done from a legal viewpoint... all I can do is keep an eye on the situation and let the kittens get comfortable and hopefully the bimbos won't cause trouble.

How's litter training going, any luck yet?

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 16/07/2012 16:44

Oooh super cute, I love ginger cats.

Looks like you have 5 cats again.

I wouldnt have left my cat out at that age (he was with his mum till 16 weeks), I'd imagine they thought cats are easy pets and got bored with cleaning trays out and feeding 4 times a day and being pounced on.

Pretty shocking behaviour though from them.

ColouringIn · 16/07/2012 16:46

Litter training is going well now Grin

SummerRain · 16/07/2012 17:38

That's great colouring Grin

B1 has just asked the kids for the kittens so I sent them over.... I'm betting they'll be back outside within 10 mins Sad

They haven't fed them since last night (and aren't aware I have) and this is the first time they've looked for them today. They're tiny, especially the ginger, and when my kids told her 'they ate all the food' she said 'that's why i'm not leaving food out for them anymore, they eat too much' Shock. Can I just reiterate... they're skin and bones, like little cat skeletons with fur.

head::wall

update... they're back outside already... apparently 'feeding' means dumping some dry in a bowl outside for them Hmm

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 16/07/2012 17:45

What legal redress is available? There going to freeze in this weather.

You must be so frustrated. I'd leave the back door open, they obviously know their way to your house.

Then I would deny all knowledge of them and tell the kids to keep quiet or father christmas wont come.

I dont usually condone stealing others pets (or lying to kids) but their going to cause suffering to those kittens.

SummerRain · 16/07/2012 17:57

I know, that's where my moral compass is dithering. I can't abide cat stealers but it looks like the only way to protect them is to steal them Confused

DP is on board with letting them relocate into our house... I'm going to try the subtle approach first. Unfortunately due to the way the houses are I can't deny knowledge, we have no barrier in front between the houses and the houses are tilted ever so slightly towards each other so they will see them coming and going. Plus my kids are terrible liars Grin

I'm just going to call them into our house every time they get left outside... if war breaks out so be it but you never know, they may concede defeat Hmm

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Fluffycloudland77 · 16/07/2012 19:04

Good lord the things you have to do, they do sound clueless though.

I cant stand animal abusers. We got our tortie as two students abused her, didnt feed her or loosen her collar while she was growing.

She paid us back by being scared of us for 12 years. Fond memories.

At least your dp is on board.

Cailleach · 17/07/2012 14:23

Bless you for taking them in - you are looking at the equivalent of a six month old child there, and who would leave a baby outside to fend for themselves?

I would just "steal" them..no question about it. They cannot defend themselves or fend for themselves and if a dog or fox gets hold of them...Plus, they will have absolutely no road sense at all...dreadful what some people do to animals... :(

SummerRain · 17/07/2012 14:36

I couldn't get them in last night, house party next door so they were either hiding really well or allowed in as entertainment but when the bimbos drove off at 9am they were outside in the rain and came running as soon as I opened the door.

They've been in my house since. Still no sign of the bimbos returning and it's been raining constantly.... they'd be dead soon if constantly left out in this Sad

Cailleach.... that's what frustrates me so much, they're tiny baby animals and how anyone can look at them quivering and scared outside in the cold and think they can fend for themselves is beyond me Angry

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Fluffycloudland77 · 17/07/2012 15:30

Sad.

Do your neighbours rent or own? I'm thinking if they rent the LL might not want pets, maybe the letting agents could intervene and then you could have them/foster them until a home is found.

It's making me so cross, those poor kittens must be so scared and cold and hungry.

SummerRain · 17/07/2012 17:27

I know the landlady, she's lovely and I wouldn't involve her as a) her mother died last week and its not a good time b) she probably won't care about pets, the house stands empty most of the time so she's just happy to have tenants.

Not to mention we rent too and although our landlady would be a hell of a lot harder to contact it wouldn't be wise to give them motivation to cause trouble Grin

Kittens are happy atm, still ensconced in my house. They're sleeping a lot and waking up every few hours to raid the food bowls and play. Still no sign of bimbos though, so almost 9 hours since they left and as far as they're concerned the kittens haven't been fed since last night and are out in the rain all day Angry

OP posts:
SummerRain · 17/07/2012 22:33

So..... They've been home since 7, haven't looked for the kittens. Ginger is currently snoozing on my lap purring like a tractor and grey is terrifying my big black cat by playing in the hall

Even more bizarre, I went out 20 mins ago as my boy cat was fighting with a strange tabby our front. B1 was out there and this was the extent of the conversation:

Her: are they yours?
Me: the black one is, I don't know where the other one came from.
Her: oh right, I got a fright when I heard the noise
Me:Shock

Not a word about the kittens she hasn't seen since 9am!

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JennerOSity · 18/07/2012 14:02

Excellent! - next time she sees them they will have doubled in size and be unrecognisable, she'll ask "are they yours", you'll say "yes, we have several cats of various shapes and sizes". She'll nod and shut the door. Problem over. Grin

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/07/2012 14:07

Unbelieveable! why on earth get a pet you cba to look after?

Are they both male? can you get help neutering them?

It's a good job you live next door to them and not someone who doesnt like cats.

SummerRain · 18/07/2012 14:14

You know... I think they might actually be dumb enough for that to work! They certainly don't seem to give a monkeys about whether the kittens are alive or dead so at this point if they do ask I think I'd be entirely justified giving them the Hmm look and closing the door in their faces!

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SummerRain · 18/07/2012 14:18

ginger is definitely male, I checked in case he was the 0.1% of gingers who are female but his bits are fairly obvious already. Grey is harder to be sure... I think female but I'm not 100%, she's bigger though so I would expect boy parts to be more visible at this stage so I'm almost sure she's a she.

Local vets are totally anti cat but I have a vet about 20 miles away who's good with small animals and isn't too dear for neutering. Hopefully money will be better in a few months when the time comes... It'll be me going without food to have them done if not!

OP posts:
JennerOSity · 18/07/2012 14:28

Do you have such as thing as the PDSA anywhere near you who could help with the neutering costs?

It sounds like a very different cat culture than here in England. Not something I expected really in a country I always think of being not-so-very-different, you are a bit of an anomaly aren't you! Do people think you are odd (IYKWIM)?

Doesn't sound like you could not neuter them as more kittens would be a massive disaster in cat-hater-country!

Didn't know so few gingers were female! We had one when we were kids who went on to have kittens so was definitely female! The kittens were a beautiful silver colour but tabby pattern - most striking.

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