Neighbour left me to look after cat for month! (rant)

[Lorrymum]

I have looked after my neighbours cat for the odd week or weekend for the past few years. I would pop in feed him, clean out litter tray and give him a stroke and a cuddle.
This year I was asked and agreed to take care of him. I was told that his Mum was leaving home on 21st July and Dad on 2nd of August, returning after 2 weeks. However an hour before Dad left he informed me sheepishly that he was returning on 28th August. They actually arrived back on 30th August! The poor little lad was shut indoors for a whole month. He was desperate to get out of the house and would cry pitifully when I left.
I am still angry with myself for effectively being lied to and being part of the poor cats misery.
They have just slipped £70 in a thank you card through my front door.
I will never agree to look after him again. I think he would have been happier in a cattery for such a long length of time.

Next time they ask tell them you’ve developed an allergy so can’t help, sorry (not sorry) have you tried a cattery?

oh the poor pussy cat
we get a house and cat sitter in, our current one does not charge, has the use of our whole house, gas elec, store cupboard, WIFI etc, cat likes her. the last time I had to put our cat in a cattery she came back with cat flu, never again.
put a note through the door with names of a few online sites

Pop a note back thanking them for the money, but that you aren’t comfortable with them leaving the cat indoors for so long and hopefully in the future they can look for a more suitable arrangement.

When you say 'mum' and 'dad' are they actually talking cats, or do you mean the two humans that own the cat?

"Mum and Dad" are just shorthand for owners. Couldn't think of an alternative description. I thought it would be self explanatory!

I would let them know in advance of booking their next trip, that you're unavailable to commit to looking after a cat for that amount of time.

A weekend or a week is different than them forcing you at last minute to make yourself available for a whole month, every single day. That's incredibly rude.

I would say, thank you for the money, unfortunately just letting you know that I won't be doing that again, you need to look into a cattery for next time.

They have taken the absolute piss out of you, so don't be feeling bad! A hour before they left - what if you'd had plans?

Some people are such cheapskates! £70 is the equivalent of about 5 days' worth of a professional cat-sitter popping in once a day.

I think being in his own home is so much better, though, than being in a cattery as in a cattery he wouldn't be able to go out either and he'd have had far less space.

I completely understand why you wouldn't want to look after him again - I'd feel exactly the same as you, and please don't be angry with yourself - how were you to know they were going to swan off like that! You were being kind and neighbourly.

That sounds unbelievable - not you - your neighbours. They knew didnt they, that they were going to be away a lot longer than 2 weeks. I agree with other PP's that a polite note thanking them for the cash, but declining further cat sits would be a good idea.

In my road we catsit for each other at different times. Money only changing hands to children. I was asked to catsit this year for neighbours that had done so for me. I could manage it, but it ended up being over 2 weeks in total which was plenty. They kindly dropped me off a goodie bag - and the holiday treats have been of great interest in my family. Croatian Fig cake, anyone? My mum used to travel a lot but is now near house-bound - so I took over some of the treats to share - and it gave us a much more interesting conversation than normal! I am hoping to be away later in the year - my current cats (both house cats) are less easy than most, so I am hoping my neighbours will reciprocate!

Don't make up any excuses, if they have the nerve to ask again say no and that they took advantage of you last time so you are not prepared to do it at all anymore.

I will never agree to do it again. He isn't an "easy" cat and would try to bite my legs every time I went into feed him (took to wearing wellies.
They didn't even bother too text to ask how he was. Some people really don't deserve pets.

That poor cat locked inside in solitary confinement. It must have been going slightly mad with no mental stimulation or company. It was abusive on their part 😥

I would kick off at them, firstly for not informing you of the duration, what would have happened if you had a holiday booked in their last week? And secondly for being cruel to another sentient animal. Poor poor thing.

First you are great for helping! Poor cat, he must have been so lonely and bored. He sounds a bit neglected. I would do that for a neighbour but then I live with an adult daughter who would happily go in and keep him company for several hours at a time so spread the care with me. And hammer it home that you can't leave an animal like that, they suffer from mental health problems just as we do.
My pets all have health issues and I'd love to have sitters who would care for them properly. If my daughter is away when I want to, well I just don't go!

At least in a cattery he would be getting more mental stimulation with the staff going past and all the other cats nearby.

Do they usually pay you ? How did they get to the sum of £70? That’s about £2/day 😳Our local chattery charges £10/day per cat , no discount for sharers.

Dh and I leave the cats and the house in the hands of our adult DC. And we do give them some £ , takeaway and food bought. Cats have their company and access to the garden.

definately don’t cat sit for them, check buggers

Cheeky buggers