Neighbour’s Cat

[AchillesLastStand]

Posting for some opinions or advice. I’m not a cat owner and never had a cat. My neighbour has three cats. One of their cats, a very young petite cat, has become really taken with our home, and has been visiting us daily for the past year or so. She started visiting us in our garden last summer, sleeping on the bench, and now comes to my kitchen door every day and sits under a canopy whatever the weather. I don’t have any issues with her visiting me and I’ve grown very fond of her.

The problem is my neighbour lets her cats out all night whatever the weather, and is often away for long periods of the day as well. I have been over to explain that her cat is always at my house and they said she was a stray when they adopted her as a kitten and she is basically a street cat and is used to being outdoors. But this was January when I spoke to them and it was very cold out and I read cats can get frost bite on their ears and paws if left out for long periods.

I have to confess this cat has been sleeping in my kitchen for short periods when her owner is out and the weather is awful. Her owner has no cat flap for her to get back in. I don’t know what to do. I feel guilty having someone else’s cat in my house but I don’t want to see her suffering. I don’t know anything about cats but I do know that she loves being indoors in my house and she wouldn’t be an outdoors cat if she had a choice. But I also know cats are opportunists. Any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you!

Usually I would say Oi not your cat, send her home. But I have limited sympathy for cat owners who don’t have a catflap and aren’t there to let their cat in.

It’s hard to know because some cats prefer to stay outside regardless of the weather but it sounds like this cat doesn’t have a choice.

What does your neighbour do with the other two cats? If they are generally indoors then it suggests that the cat you are concerned about is also given the same option to go out or stay in and chooses to be outside. If all of them are nearly always outside, in all weathers, then I would think they have no choice about it.

Sounds like you're being a lovely person to a cat who isn't looked after very well. I wouldn't feed her but maybe a little TLC is lovely for what was a street cat 🐈‍⬛😻🐾

Can you make a warm and sheltered spot outside rather than taking the cat in. (Apart from anything else they don’t sound like great cat owners and may not flea treat.)

The other cats are outdoors too. They sit on the front door mat (their house in opposite mine), in the summer, they leave the windows open upstairs and I’ve seen the cats trying to get through them via the garage roof.

The thing is they had a cat flap installed in their front door when they moved in. And then they had new windows and doors put in and the cat flap went. When I spoke to them they told me they had a cat flap but this cat doesn’t know how to use it. I think they weren’t telling the truth because the other cats would be using it and not waiting around to go in. As soon a the front door opens they shoot in.

I’m not feeding this cat. She eats food off a neighbour’s bird table. Last winter I was very worried about her because she lost all the fur on her back legs and her belly. It’s all grown back now.

😕

I am really, really against people poaching other people's cats but in this case - where they owners can't be arsed to put a cat flap in and leave their cats out for days in all weather - I think you should just adopt this cat. It clearly wants to be with you and its owners should know better.

It’s unlikely that a cat knew how to use a cat flap in a front door but not when moved elsewhere. However, I have two cats that much prefer to scrape at the front door for me to let them in than lower themselves to going to the cat flap round the back of the house.

I absolutely agree with this. If the cat is eating birdfood, it must be starving.

I am a cat owner of a rescue cat who spent several years as a stray before he came to us. I would say feed the cat and let her come into your home. I have learnt that is this how my boy survived for so long, he charms people for food, makes himself at home, and will eat absolutely anything. I can't stop him doing this and he is a bit chunky as a result. If I shut him in he would be miserable. He also loves to be outside in all weathers, and will go out/let himself into any window upstairs or downstairs. So I maybe look a bit neglectful as an owner but he is incredibly loved and looked after, old habits just die hard.