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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

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:

Original poster

SummerRain · 18/07/2012 15:00

There are cat lovers, and city areas are definitely more accepting of house cats, and subsequently are a lot better for finding cat friendly vets. It's the community I'm in more than anything, very rural farming culture. Dogs are for company, cats are to kill rats. It's not that most people dislike them (although some do), it's just that they're seen as barely above vermin by a lot of people. Few enough people let them into their homes and those of us that have pet cats and treat them as such are viewed as a little peculiar by the majority.

Ginger females are very rare, you were lucky! The genes that makes ginger kick in differently in females and produce tortoiseshell cats, all of which are female.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 20/07/2012 20:08

Update???

Original poster

SummerRain · 20/07/2012 20:31

Kittens are still here. Neighbours haven't asked at all, and considering they must be able to hear the kids talking about them (all their windows are open when they're home) I'm guessing they don't care.

My friend might take them but tbh I'm wavering as we're all getting very attached to the little waifs!

They're looking a lot better, their noses were snotty and bleeding when I first took them in but they look way healthier now. Still skin and bones but nice fat tummies so hopefully they'll start gaining weight soon.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 20/07/2012 20:50

Speechless! why bother taking them in only to chuck them in the back garden?

DH has woken me at 2am before now to tell me the cat wasnt back, I cant imagine putting him out and just not caring.

It's a good job your their neighbour and not a cat hater.

Original poster

SummerRain · 20/07/2012 23:15

I know, I've spent many an hour traipsing the fields shouting for errant cats, have spent entire daya ringing and emailing every vet abs shelter un the region, have plastered pics of a missing cat all over the net, etc.

Baffles me that they got them when they clearly have no interest in them

Both kittens are snuggled on my lap atm... I've never cone across two sweeter, snugglier or better behaved kittens tbh. They litter trained faster than any other kits I've taken in too! Those stupid bimbos don't have a clue what they're missing out on

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catsmother · 21/07/2012 22:57

You're a star for taking them in. I just hope to God those 2 ignorant heartless Bs (and it's not bimbos I'm thinking of but something far more apt) don't get any more kittens they don't give a shit about.

Original poster

SummerRain · 21/07/2012 23:43

Me too catsmother, I'm dreading the thought of a string of abandoned pets

Hopefully the thought of the crazy cat lady next door stealing their pets will put them off

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JennerOSity · 22/07/2012 10:22

Hopefully the thought of the crazy cat lady next door stealing their pets will put them off

Fluffycloudland77 · 22/07/2012 10:59

If they get a great dane puppy move house.

Original poster

SummerRain · 22/07/2012 16:52

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Original poster

SummerRain · 08/08/2012 23:32

UPDATE

So apparently there are 3 bimbos living there (who knew... We had only ever seen two!) and bimbo number three appeared on my doorstep tonight to shout at me

Yes, that's right 3 weeks after the kittens moving they decide to take issue with the fact.

Apparently 'they're not tiny kittens, they're cats' and its ok to leave them out because 'cats need to be out' she knows this because she's 'had cats [her] whole life' (about 15 years then by the look of her) and I'm a hypocrite because my (adult,) cats are allowed out. When I pointed out it had taken three weeks for them to look for the kittens she said 'why would we think they were next door... No one does that' ... Erm a) because when your pet goes missing the first thing you do is check with the neighbours b) because b1 and b2 knew they were coming into our house and c) because if you leave kittens outside in the pouring rain you don't expect them to be there indefinitely, they either die or get rescued.

Interestingly b1 was at their door looking embarrassed and telling her to 'leave it' so I now suspect that b1 and b2 weren't as gone on the idea of kittens and were hoping they'd vanish and haven't been entirely truthful with this girl (who either doesn't live there at all or only stays part time) about how the kittens were being treated. She claimed the door was always open for they, this is not true at all and

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Original poster

SummerRain · 08/08/2012 23:36

Sorry, phone couldn't type any more.

The door definitely wasn't open as I looked over the fence to check the first couple of days they were out in the rain, a few days before it had been but they obviously decided not to leave it open in the rain.

Anyhow, kittens are huge and lovely. Extremely snuggly and growing like weeds. Their eyes are starting to change colour and they're making friends with my big male cat... The big females aren't convinced yet but we've had no violence

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Fluffycloudland77 · 09/08/2012 09:40

Oh no.

Are they going to do anything about it? It does sound like b1 and 2 havent told her the whole story.

Meowmi · 09/08/2012 14:52

Well done for standing your ground, People like that dont deserve to keep animals.

Did she ask for the kittens back or did she just come round to have a go at you?

Original poster

SummerRain · 09/08/2012 16:45

She just had a go... no way would I hand them over at this point anyway though. imo if it takes them three weeks to notice their loss then they've proven my point about responsible ownership anyway! DD's friends mom was here earlier, her older kids would be the same age group as the bimbos and know them... she thinks B3 is B1's sister, so I'm thinking younger sister decided 'Cool, you have a house... wouldn't it be fun if we got kittens!' and B1 and B2 wanted rid of them.

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