Neighbours kittens

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

We've recently had new neighbours move in next door. Towards the end of last week two kittens appeared in their garden, I'm not sure whether they'd just got them or had been keeping them inside for a few days.
One of the kittens kept popping its head over our fence and watching DCs playing.

Yesterday when I went to take the bins out the same kitten was sat on my path mewing. As soon as she saw the open door she was in the house. I ushered her out the back door, but she spent the rest of yesterday coming back in, or playing with the DCs toys in the garden. Every time something made her jump she ran to me and hid under my long skirt! By about 6.30 she was clearly hungry, had jumped up and eaten some scraps in my kitchen and drank DSs milk, so I shooed her back out the front door where I'd found her as she just didn't seem to want to go over the fence back to her own garden.

She was v v thin and seemed confused about where home was. Yesterday she was coming in the windows from the garden and mewing a lot. What do I do if she comes back today? It's obviously more interesting here as neighbours are out most of the day and we are home from lunchtime onwards most days and have a garden full of toys and balls etc which she spent hours playing with yesterday. I'm worried about how thin she looked but don't know a lot about cats or kittens so don't know how normal that is. Any advice would be v much appreciated!

You're brilliant OP it seems you're now a cat mother too!

I would speak to the neighbours and just say 'look I know you've got a lot on with the new baby and your dog, would you like me to take the kittens and look after them if it would be of any help to you?'

They escaped. You pushed the window shut because you're a nice person like that.

Thanks for your input thecatneuterer, those were my concerns re the RSPCA. I don't want them to get offended for the sake of being offended iyswim. They seem the type to get possessive if they think someone is trying to take something that is theirs and not because they care about that thing, and as I seem to be the only one with the cats best interests at heart I think I need to avoid it becoming a neighbour war or power struggle.

I think stealth is def the best plan. I think I will pull the window open a wee bit tonight. If they are away on holiday then they probably won't be back until the weekend and I'm out all day Saturday anyway so I won't be in if they come knocking. Will just play it by ear from there.

And yes, I need to psyche myself up for the neutering conversation.

Isn't stealth going to turn it into a war/power struggle though?

Mmmm, I'm not sure. 'stealth' could easily be interpreted as 'going behind our backs', no?

A direct conversation is exactly that: direct, and open, and the neighbours have a chance to put their side of things.

I thought the RSPCA might work as a mediator. But I do have to admit I've no experience of dealing with them, so I don't know what position they'd take.

On balance though I would still favour open communication over what might look like sneaking around. NB OP I don't mean that you ARE sneaking around! Just that it's easy to misconstrue actions unless there is communication, IMO.

They can't decide for themselves when the owners shut them in and go on holiday, though, or come and get them back for night-times.

I didn't know about how the RSPCA operate, so thanks for explaining. I find it sad that they'd probably be rehomed to someone not the OP.

Even leaving the RSPCA out of it, though, I have to say I still feel that a frank conversation with the neighbour about where they live would be better. Otherwise surely the OP will just continue as she is – looking after them when they're at liberty to come to her, but having to go through the same dilemma about letting them out or not whenever the owners go away and/or shut them in?

'Only the OP really knows what they neighbours are like'

Yes, you're right. The OP has said a couple of times that the owner has been and 'got them back' though, and obviously if she keeps doing that then they can't properly move in with the OP.

I do hope the neutering conversation happens soon. I just don't quite know why people who have taken on pets NEED neighbours to point this kind of elementary stuff out to them!

Without wanting to sound awfully judgemental, the neighbours are of a certain type. Swear a lot, switch to aggressive mode very easily, react to "good morning" with "what the fuck do you want". I DO NOT think it'd be a good idea to have a frank conversation. I live alone with two small children. I do not want to make myself a target. The neighbours have only got their cats back twice, once when there was a storm which brought my fence down and once when they had only just started letting them out. They just don't bother the rest of the time. I am trying to balance doing the best for the cats and doing the best for my family.

Cats aren't stupid, they know where they are best off. They'll gravitate to op if she's providing food and affection.

I know, OP. I don't mean to criticise AT ALL and I'm sorry if I sound like I am. I think everything you're doing for the kittens is kind and right, and I hope I've been clear about that throughout.

I know the neighbours don't bother with them and, Fluffy, I agree with you too. My only point is that yes, it's true to say the kittens will want to choose who they live with, but in cases where they're shut in as they have just been, they can't get out and so they can't vote with their paws!

Perfect outcome IMO is that the neighbours stop shutting the kittens in entirely and they simply come and live with the OP.

OP, do you think you could have the 'I could take them off your hands if you've got too much on your plate' conversation with them? From your last post it doesn't sound too hopeful, but I might be wrong.

So I've just had both cats on their backs playing on my bed and I noticed what seems to be a scrotum on both cats! Is it possible that one was sexed wrong by the breeder? Google tells me that females have two holes close together. I can't get a good enough look to see distance of holes but I saw what I think must be scrotum on both of them. If I try and get a proper look later what exactly am I looking for?

It's not unheard of. My cousin thought she had a female until it dropped a fine pair of Pom-Poms.

I don't know how to sex kittens. Fcat was obviously male.

Its pretty easy to see if they are boys you can't miss their wee testicles.

Have you put flea stuff on them or checked for fleas?

I've just picked them up and had a look, they are definitely both boys. So I'm guessing the breeder sexed them wrong as it was the neighbour who told me they were male and female. So what does that mean - do males need their bits off as well as females?

Makes need castrated or they will spray everywhere.

Males.

It's cheaper to castrate males as well.

Oh no, will they spray in the house? When will they start doing that?

Think between 5 &6 months, my lad is 20 weeks so will be getting done in next few weeks.

It's not a given though, mine didnt.

I like neuter male cats more than females tbh.

OP, I got my male kitten Neutered this week. It only cost £45, and that included micro-chipping. So the neutering itself probably came to about £30? I got that done at Pets At Home/Vets For Pets.

BTW, I think you're brilliant for adopting these abandoned kittens from your scary neighbours!