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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

Reported to RSPCA

17 replies

typoqueen · 14/03/2017 13:16

we live in the country with a lot of farm land a a river close to our house, we decided when we moved in 16 years ago to get some cats to help with the river rat problems, out cat were in and out all day but i put them out at night, they had beds in the shed and acess to fresh water, however 2011 we got new neighbours and since that day we have had 5 cats over the years all of which she had entice into her home buy hand feeding them fresh chicken and fish and making them hot waterbottles!!! for their beds which is in HER house, we have asked polity and towards the end not so polity for her to leave our cats alone to stoop feeding them and stop taking them in to no avail, it got to the point that OUR cats no longer came home, she got fed up having so many cats and asked if she could rehome them, i would love them back but im sure they will not stay. well it caused an almighty row and she is now informing the rspca that the reason she took them in was because we were starving them, how the hell can i starve my cats if they no longer came home she also said the reason they went to her house is because they dont like our dogs, ffs the cats and dogs never got the chance to bond cos she kept taking them. now sitting here waiting for RSPCA to contact us

OP posts:

RubbishMantra · 14/03/2017 14:24

Well, cats being sensible creatures will go to a warm place if shut out at night. Wouldn't you?

Did you feed them at all, or just rely on prey being their entire food source? Did you provide adequate heated shelter, such as self heating beds in your shed?

On the other hand, why is your neighbour seeking to re-home them after taking them in? Is it because you and neighbour failed to neuter them, and now the cats are having lots of kittens, and now neighbour cannot cope with the growing colony?

Reow · 14/03/2017 14:32

Hmm. Some cats do not want to be 100% outdoor/shed cats. Do you have a catflap so that they can come and go into your house whenever they want? If it is chilly and damp in the shed and the neighbour is offering them chicken then they will of course want to go to hers.

Ask her nicely to stop feeding them and letting them in, as you are trying to re-settle them into your home. Get them back into the routine of coming to you for food and shelter. Get some feliway on the go in your house and make them feel welcome.

But if you do not have a catflap and they don't feel like your house is their territory then they will stray. Many cats don't want to be outdoor hunters.

Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 14/03/2017 14:35

It's not your bad cat ownership in question here but the difference between staying at a YMCA or a 5*hotel!!

She is unhinged so just ignore her.

If the rspca come around report her for stealing your pets!!

ArriettyClock1 · 14/03/2017 14:37

Hmm - agree with others. Maybe your cats don't want to be hunters that are outdoors at night.

RubbishMantra · 14/03/2017 14:51

"It's not your bad cat ownership in question here but the difference between staying at a YMCA or a 5*hotel!!"

I disagree. It seems more the case of cats wanting somewhere warm and dry, which the YMCA provides.

I'd be very sad if my 2 cats voted with their feet. I wouldn't blame them though if I wasn't providing adequate warmth, food and shelter.

Spadequeen · 14/03/2017 14:54

Your neighbour is nuts.

We went on holiday a couple of years ago and kept being woken by phone callsour nutty neighbour about our cats. She said they kept going into her house and she was feeding them but her cats didn't like it.

We kept telling her we were away but that someone else was coming into them twice a day to care for them. We also asked her to stop feeding them as they had food at home.

When we got back from holiday, dh had to go round to get them back as stupid bloody woman had locked them in her house! We then had to keep them indoors for a few weeks so they got used to us and the house again. Dh told her again to stop feeding our cats. She seemed to listen more to him. 😡

HunterHearstHelmsley · 14/03/2017 14:54

It's a bit mean to stick them in a shed all night unless it's adequately heated etc.

I'm torn on this. My neighbour wasn't feeding her cat properly and kept locking him out. The poor sod was cold and hungry. She told us not to feed him... Which we wouldn't if she was!

ArriettyClock1 · 14/03/2017 14:59

When we had cats they enjoyed the comfort of the house, day or night, plus pampering and limitless food and they still went out and annihilated much of the local wildlife when the mood took them.

RubbishMantra · 14/03/2017 15:11

Years ago I rescued a 3 month old kitten who was left behind by his humans. It's always better to feed and give a water supply than not to.

If in doubt they have an owner, you can put a paper collar on them, or take to the vets and ask them to scan. If a cat's not microchipped, it's highly unlikely the owners give a crap anyway.

Original poster

typoqueen · 16/03/2017 23:23

the night time shed was designed for the cats, it was dry and had heating, they were fed by me 3 x times a day, and yes i agree being hand fed chicken, fish and ham was to them much nicer than the generic cat food and biscuits i gave them, anyway the RSPCA came out today and scanned the cats which of course had my name and address, they also explained to the neighbours that deliberately enticing the cats into their home and feeding them, which in turn meant that i could not feed them myself so i was not infact starving them, but they in turn could if we wanted to have them charged with theft, we did not have them charged.

OP posts:

Allergictoironing · 17/03/2017 07:54

Good and sensible result there from the RSPCA. Unfortunately some well-meaning people just don't understand that farm cats have a job to do, also that an over-cossetted house life isn't always the best thing for the cats themselves.

A purpose built shed, access to the house all day as & when they want, 3 meals a day, and loads of fun hunting seems to me to be a perfect life for most country cats .

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/03/2017 09:50

Ooh I'd have pressed charges. Just for fun.

My cat would leave for chicken and ham.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 17/03/2017 10:44

If anyone stole Harry I'd definitely be pressing charges!

Then again they'd probably give him back when they realised how fussy he is and how much he costs in vet fees!

GreyStars · 17/03/2017 10:59

It doesn't sound like they were neglected at all, although as a person who has lap-cats the original post made me wonder how comfortable they were in a shed but that's because mine sleep on pillows stuffed with unicorn hair not really they are just very spoilt.

But you don't no matter what you think, steal people's pets you call the authorities. You certainly don't bloody steal them and then try to get them rehomed!

You never know what that animals circumstances are, I have one cat who would murder you for steak and looks unwell, or not quite right sometimes because she is very unwell. She is under constant medical care, a very controlled diet to keep her well and very much loved.

I would have pressed charges I think, or at least made it clear to them I would if it ever happened again.

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/03/2017 15:01

If anyone steals mine I want £500 to take him back & I'm not going to pay them for the damage he's done to their house either.

One of mils neighbours had a cat enticed away and when it was ill they reported the original owner to the RSPCA because they didn't want the vets bills.

hollinhurst84 · 20/03/2017 02:01

Stable cat doesn't have heating on anywhere. She does have access to rugs, straw, hay and various places to sleep and if she stays in the barn it's all undercover. She gets dry food, whatever she steals off us and ollies rejected stuff but she lives outside 24/7

Comps83 · 20/03/2017 17:12

Oooh this boils my p*ss
I used to live in a backward no horse town full of bored old women who had nothing to do but bitch and moan. I had 2 on either side feeding my cat and then complaining that he was always at their house . I had the deaf old bat on one side complaining to anyone who would listen, and even threw water on him when she had a visitor yet twice a day like clockwork she would put out a China plate full of roast chicken or ham.
Then I had the other old bats daughter round threatening me with the rspca because he was out too much and always at her house even though she admitted feeing him! I mean this cat was huge too! The vet said he was overweight so it's not like he looked like he was starving.
I'm angry just thinking about
In the end I had to rehome him after having him for 8 years because I was already mentally unwell as this was all going on in the worse year of my life and I couldn't cope with the extra stress of being threatened with the rspca or hearing YOURE CATS ALWAYS IN MY YARD! every time I left the house.

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