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Neighbours kittens

767 replies

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 01/08/2014 09:38

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!

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Fluffycloudland77 · 14/08/2014 21:31

Don't worry, we all do.

I'm hoping the neighbours lose interest in them.

wantacatplease · 14/08/2014 21:34

Me too. Fingers firmly crossed for you here.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 14/08/2014 21:39

I'm going to block up the gap in the fence tomorrow. I need to do it for the chickens anyway as the stupid things keep going walkabout but it means that it's that bit harder for the cats to get between gardens as the fence is very wobbly willow and they struggle to climb it.

Thanks for all the support on this thread btw. I will keep it updated whatever the outcome. Although my fingers and toes are very much crossed as well!

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FannyFifer · 14/08/2014 21:46

Please tell me you've treated them for fleas though or your house will be riddled.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 14/08/2014 21:52

No I haven't yet. Surely neighbours will have done that at least? Wouldn't I have noticed by now if they had fleas?

If not I shall get some stuff on Saturday - what do I need to get, what do I do with it, is there a safety issue re if they've already been treated with something and I then use something different? And is this something that needs to be done very regularly or is it more a once a year type thing?

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 14/08/2014 21:53

Would I notice if my house was riddled? Do I need to get some stuff for the carpet as well?

I hadn't thought about fleas ...

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Fluffycloudland77 · 14/08/2014 21:57

Don't worry about it, you'd notice.

The vet can sort you out for flea treatments.

The next hurdle you've got is the neighbours coming home.

VirginiaWoofs · 14/08/2014 22:25

Regarding the neighbours-

Could you pop round and tell them that the cats have been coming around to your house a lot and you've completely fallen in love with them and are thinking that they have very much chosen you to be their owners? Say that you are happy to keep looking after them if it suits the neighbours? Make it seem like you're apologetic that it's happened? Then they wouldn't flip out?

FatewiththeLeadPiping · 14/08/2014 23:50

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FannyFifer · 15/08/2014 00:18

Our kitten came with fleas,we didn't notice till 3 weeks later.
Kitten had apparently been treated but obviously not.
It wasn't fun.
Check the bedding they have been on, or nit comb them, check back of their necks, if you find black/ brown specks like dirt it's prob flea dirt.

I warn everyone now as it wasn't even something that crossed my mind before we got the kitten.

PeresteckBalveda · 16/08/2014 07:26

Re: flea treatment, don't use Bob Martin , which you get from the supermarket. It causes an allergic reaction in a lot of cats. I had to take mine to the vets to get her hosed down ( after trying and failing to do it myself in the shower). It's horrible stuff and I don't understand why Tescos still stock it.

we use Advocate which we get from the vet, which treats all sorts of parasites

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 16/08/2014 12:21

No sign of neighbours yet. DCs have left for their dads and cats have been out and are now asleep on my bed. I'm going to go out now, so that I'm back later. I'm feeling v nervous.

Sorted out the garden yesterday, fence is blocked up, chickens looked very unimpressed. The cats were out with me all day, pouncing on things and climbing trees. They ventured much further than before in the evening, into the gardens that back onto ours and then along the gardens to the end of the road. They were up a tree 4 houses down when I called them in and they both bombed down the tree and all the way back home. I'm in no doubt that they want to live here, it's just the waiting game now to see what happens when neighbours get back.

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wantacatplease · 16/08/2014 16:45

Still crossing fingers for you. I can't believe they were going to be left this long in that house alone. Disgusting!

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 16/08/2014 18:04

I was sat in Costa this afternoon worrying about them. Dashed home expecting neighbours to be back and cats potentially gone but when I got back still no sign of neighbours. It's been a whole week, that's far too long for them to be alone and shut in, but if they're away for even longer it just beggars belief.

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OnlyLovers · 16/08/2014 18:06

Yes, it does doesn't it? It'd be bad enough for an adult cat, but kittens ...

I hope they get to stay with you, OP!

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 16/08/2014 18:25

They're ARE staying with me, they told me Grin I just can't get my head round it. They are 4 months, they are still having 4 small meals a day, and they're still bouncy enough that they knock their water bowl over. I've bought a heavy ceramic one but when I liberated them from next door they had a plastic one. They had a tiny litter tray which was already overflowing. I'm looking at them right now, snuggled up together on the sofa and I honestly can't understand it. They have friends three doors down who also have cats, why didn't they ask them to pop in and feed them?

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 16/08/2014 18:29

Infact depending on when in April they were born they could still be three months. I'm getting angrier the more time passes though. Half tempted to go round there when they get back and say I'm keeping the cats and if they object I will report them to the RSPCA. I won't though, because if they think it's ok to neglect kittens, they probably have no qualms about getting all aggressive with people.

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OnlyLovers · 16/08/2014 18:30

Because they can't be arsed/don't much care, for a guess. Sad

crazynanna · 16/08/2014 18:32

Just play the long game, Shadows. NDNs will probably eventually give up noticing where the boys are as they clearly don't give a flying fuck Angry

Slowly Slowly Cathy Kitties Wink

crazynanna · 16/08/2014 18:33

Catchy not Cathy FFs
That so spoilt that ditty

wantacatplease · 16/08/2014 18:39

I thought you'd sussed the OP's name somehow, nanny Grin

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 16/08/2014 18:49

That's not far off my name crazynanna, you had me panicking for a min there! I do plan on playing the long game, it's the only way to win this one. I'm going to do my best to hide that they are here, which shouldn't be hard. They can't get out the front of the houses so all their outside activity is conducted via a hole at the end of my garden. They can't get through the fence back to neighbours house, they can go into the neighbours the other side (who are onside with me keeping them) and out the bottom of the garden. Neighbours won't be able to see them unless they stand at the end of their garden and look through fence there, and as the window they "escaped" from is out the front I'm hoping they'll expect them to have gone that way rather than out the back.

I'm very much an introvert and rarely answer the front door unless I'm expecting a delivery or a friend so I have no issues with ignoring them if they come knocking. And if they catch me on the way in or out i shall say that I've seen the cats out and about. Hopefully they'll assume a neighbour further up or in the street behind has got them.

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wantacatplease · 16/08/2014 18:53

I think that sounds like a good plan.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 17/08/2014 10:25

Neighbours didn't get back late last night, no sign of them still. I did realise last night that they put their green bin out before they left, and that's not due to be collected until this Thursday so I'm really starting to think they are away for 2 weeks.

Daft kitties are tearing round the house as they won't go out in the rain! I got woken up by Merlin pacing back and forth on my chest, apparently it was breakfast time Grin I do think this was meant to be in so many ways you know. I know cosmic ordering is very woo and bollocky but I'd been feeling really low dealing with ex leaving 6 months ago and the inevitable empty evenings when kids are in bed. Then I had to go no contact with my mother in order to protect my DCs which took its toll. My eldest starts nursery in a few weeks and I really struggle with mornings, have been known to sleep through 6+ alarms. These cats have come into my life and changed all of the above. I have two lovely cats here to snuggle up with in the evenings. They constantly make me laugh doing daft things and always seem to know when I need a giggle and when I need a hug. They wake me up without fail every morning. My life just feels calmer and I'm more relaxed, feel on top of everything rather than running to catch up.

And because I feel better I've called up friends and had some nights out/in which has been great and I'm not sure I'd have picked the phone up if I was still feeling low.

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wantacatplease · 17/08/2014 11:19

Aww, that's great. Pets are so very good for the human spirit. I'm glad the kitties have chosen you.

Now to the WTF stuff...TWO WEEKS?! They were planning to leave two kittens on their own for two fucking weeks?? Unbelievable!!

I'm so glad they have you (and you them!).

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