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

Original poster

Neighbour leaving cat out every night

39 replies

RubyGoat · 10/02/2021 19:06

It's currently below freezing here at night, I think it was about -3 last night, a couple of nights ago it was -5, & felt even colder. We have several inches of snow a few days ago. Their cat is let out every evening but usually comes back by 10-11. They don't let it in & it goes away again. It usually comes back throughout the night, we hear it meowing at the door until they let it in sometime between 7-10 in the morning. Regularly we hear it there every couple of hours through the night. We're high up on the edge of a hill, no shelter & it's pretty windy some nights. There are also diggers etc around as the houses are new build & some houses are still being finished, the cat obviously runs away when the diggers come as they're noisy.

I've never had a cat. Would love to, but I'm allergic. When I get the milk bottles in the morning, the cat sometimes tries to get into our house.

Would you appreciate a knock on the door if your cat was waiting outside? Obviously not in the middle of the night. I'm hoping they're going to get a cat flap.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 10/02/2021 19:19

That's horrible. They shouldn't have a cat if they're just going to shut it out all night.

DogsSausages · 10/02/2021 19:22

Poor cat. I would be temoted to film it and report to cat protection. I would also make a little shelter for it, do you have a shed or garage it could hide in.

Gottalovesummer · 10/02/2021 19:25

That poor cat is unlikely to survive being out in the night time temperatures we're getting at the moment.

Please report to your local cat rescue centre, you will save its life.

Frequentlymisunderstood · 10/02/2021 19:25

I wouldn’t need my neighbour to knock, if she doesn’t come in I constantly open the door to check. If I have to go to bed, because I get up early for work, DH stays up to wait for her to let her in -summer and winter. He wasn’t impressed at her 2am arrival one time but he knows I’d worry if she was out all night.

Maybe knocking will shame them into taking better care of their cat! If they aren’t prepared to let it in, they need to at least provide somewhere warm for the cat to shelter the poor thing.

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/02/2021 20:34

I’d buy a cat shelter and put it out for the cat. No owner shuts a cat out in -3 if they give a toss about it. It’s a wonder it’s survived this far.

ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn · 10/02/2021 20:48

Are you absolutely sure it's their cat?

We had a visiting cat (still do but less so now our flap is shut) who appeared to be trying to move in and did a very good job of looking like he lives here, but he doesn't, he lives down the road and is just a cheeky sod.

Mangofandangoo · 10/02/2021 22:28

Our cat goes out every evening, rain or shine - his choice! If he doesn't get let out then he yowls on and on all evening Confused

We made him a little garden chalet out of waterproof materials and try and tempt him in early when it's really cold but cats will be cats I guess.

Perhaps the cat isn't happy being indoors and wishes to roam free during the night. Unless the cat looks unwell/moth eaten/ skinny I would probably mind my own business and if you are really worried maybe build it a little shelter like a PP said Smile

Original poster
RubyGoat · 11/02/2021 07:15

It’s definitely their cat. I’ve seen it sitting in their window during the day sometimes- they do let it in but not during the night apparently. I can hear it out there now. It’s -4 & there is snow forecast again this morning, there is still snow & ice on the ground from last time it snowed.

When it rains really heavily the cat usually hides under their car which is parked at the front.

I was under the impression that the threshold for animal abuse was ridiculous & owners basically have to be beating & starving them for anything to get done? Is that not the case?

OP posts:
AmySosa · 11/02/2021 07:18

My cat is nocturnal and when we try to keep her in at night she goes ballistic. She also likes to sit on our outside windowsill. She doesn’t want to come in, she just sits there surveying her domain.

Now I’m worried my neighbours think we’re abusing her.

WhatsErFace2020 · 11/02/2021 07:25

Second what @AmySosa said. Ours will not stay in overnight however she does come back and try meowing but it’s only ever for food (VV greedy girl) and then she’ll cry to get out again. If we force her to stay in she will without fail poo indoors which is a sign of distress the vet said. Cats may be domesticated but they are wild animals who originally would have always been outdoors in all weathers...is what I tell myself when she just won’t come back and it’s FREEZING!!

Mangofandangoo · 11/02/2021 07:29

@AmySosa we are the same. The cat makes the rules in this house and if he wants to go out, he goes out.

Sometimes he likes to just sit outside and yowl to pretend he is needy, just like he likes to pretend he's being starved when people come to our house, when actually he is very well fed.

As I said before, if the cat looks underfed/ill then I would perhaps mention it but I wouldn't imagine the neighbours will take to that very well especially if the cat wants to be out

LST · 11/02/2021 07:30

I have 3. 1 isnt allowed out yet, but the other 2 are. If my cat is out when I go to bed I try to get him in front and back and if he doesn't return its on him. He can get on the roof to our bedroom window though so meows there and I let him in if he wakes me.

LadyGAgain · 11/02/2021 07:32

Out of interest, why don't people have cat flaps? It never occurred to me to not have one. Have a cat, have a cat flap. Clearly I'm not in the majority of those responses on here so I'd like to hear other perspectives.

Original poster
RubyGoat · 11/02/2021 07:33

I don’t know. I just know the cat comes back through the night every couple of hours & meows at the door, sometimes for an hour or so, then goes away again. When I see it indoors it’s always in the daytime, in the window. Like I said, it’s tried to get into our house a number of times. Maybe it is a pain in the arse & wants it’s own personal doorman. I hope they get a cat flap soon.

OP posts:
Wandavision · 11/02/2021 07:39

I have a sort of similar concern about NDN's cat, but not 100% sure it is their cat? I know I thought it was? But now they have a dog I'm thinking maybe it's not? Or maybe it was but now it's not? I know it spends a lot of time in their garden and hanging about/sheltering under their garden bench during the bad weather. And I went outside in the early hours last week when it was flopped in the middle of my garden at 2am in freezing temp to try coax it into my kitchen. But I also have a dog so unsurprisingly it's not keen! But it's still hanging about their house so much I feel it was/is theirs? But at what point can you call a rescue to say 'well I've spotted this cat but I've really no clue what's going on?' 😕

PinkyParrot · 11/02/2021 07:39

put out a cardboard box with some woolly jumpers /duvet - while it's cold but not wet that should help, is there a log shed?

AlwaysLatte · 11/02/2021 07:49

You could offer to buy them a cat flap
So it can come and go to its own house?

Clymene · 11/02/2021 07:52

Cats that are happy outside aren't sitting outside the door, meowing for an hour at a time Hmm

Angel2702 · 11/02/2021 07:57

@LadyGAgain

Out of interest, why don't people have cat flaps? It never occurred to me to not have one. Have a cat, have a cat flap. Clearly I'm not in the majority of those responses on here so I'd like to hear other perspectives.
Our door I has no flat surface big enough due to the panels at the bottom.
LST · 11/02/2021 07:58

@LadyGAgain I dont have a cat flat because my house would be full of dead things.

Original poster
RubyGoat · 11/02/2021 08:02

We would be allowed to install a cat flap. Housing association, neighbours too.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 11/02/2021 08:03

We got a whole new door to get a cat flap. It had to be the front door as the back door is a sliding glass one

Gottalovesummer · 11/02/2021 08:55

Lots of people saying their cats like to be outside at night.

This cat clearly doesn't, it's meowing to be let into it's home.

OP please ring your nearest rescue for advice. The night time temps are below freezing right now and all my local rescues are advising people to show concern if a cat is being left out at night (when it clearly doesn't want to be)

Frequentlymisunderstood · 11/02/2021 17:58

@LadyGAgain

Out of interest, why don't people have cat flaps? It never occurred to me to not have one. Have a cat, have a cat flap. Clearly I'm not in the majority of those responses on here so I'd like to hear other perspectives.
Because I imagine it would let draughty cold air in and we paid £££££ for new DG windows and doors a couple of years before we even got our cat. The cat goes out of the sliding patio door and I wouldn’t want a cat flap in the front door blowing cold into the hallway & up the stairs.

@Wandavision if you are concerned it is better to report it, and it turn out to be fine, than to not and the poor thing end up freezing/starving to death.