Neighbours are stealing my cat!

[bread 10]

He seems very happy at home. i think he's just a bit of a tart and loves the attention when we're not around. I'd never keep him in. That's cruel. He loves being outside. He is actually on special cat food. It's well pricey. Maybe I should present them with the bill for saturday's vet visit and challenge them to give him a worming tablet more efficiently than me!

[Daid 10]

Are they aware your cat is on a specialised diet or not?

[medusa 16]

One of mine visits at least 6 houses that I know of (and probably a whole lot more that I don't know about) and if they don't let him in by choice he breaks in through open windows, including upstairs windows.

 

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen him sitting on everybody else's windowsills and sometimes they don't know he's sitting on their bedroom windowsill or even in their house until I tell them because they don't think that a cat is going to run up the outside wall of the house and in through an upstairs window.

 

If I keep him in he shreds anything nearby when he wants to get out, he sprays up all sorts of things including the dog and he will also jump out of upstairs windows so if there's even the little window in the bathroom open he'll jump out of that.

 

On top of that he's fine with being cuddled or stroked as long as he thought of it, but if you're trying to touch him and he doesn't want you to he will just sink his teeth in to whatever bit of you he can get hold of, so he's wilful, strong, very well armed and a hell of a lot more mobile than me.

 

How much chance do you think I have of training him to stay in? Even the vet handles him with gauntlets!

 

It's all very well having a plan, but if the cat didn't read the same book you're a bit screwed. Is there a reason why he shouldn't visit other people and then come home?

[vwkittie 10]

My tom spends a lot of time at our neighbours house, not much I can do about it if they leave their door open. They don't seem to mind and so long as they aren't actively feeding him it's fine with us.

 

I think the only thing you can do is spend as much time with him as possible when you're at home - playing with him, fussing him and grooming him. You could even get some tasty treats and teach him to come when you call, also some cats go scatty for cat nip so you can try that on your toys and scratch posts etc (get the dried herbal type it's the best).

 

Although our tom spends time at the neighbours when we're not around, we have a brilliant bond with him and as soon as he hears the car or we call him he comes running, and it's with us he really wants to be - but you can only get that by putting lots of time in with them and of course it depends on the personality of the cat too.

[bread 10]

He does always come back. He's currently super comfy on my bed. I just miss him when he's gone and worry that he'll start to prefer the others (although they are not in possession of his favourite toy!). He'll be at home all day today because I'm off work but in this weather if I was out he'd def be slinking off to someone else's house. There's definitely more than one house he visits. One I've talked to and they've locked their cat flap so he can get out but not in and they don't feed him (I told them he was on a diet) but they also don't kick him out if he runs in through the door. I haven't worked out who the other neighbours are yet but I can tell when he's been round as he always smells delicious when he comes back. They must have a little spray-on pet shampoo or something. The other cat obviously gets really bored without him. The RSPCA only let her be re-homed in a house with other cats because that' what she was used to. Poor thing.

[Daid 10]

What is it exactly you're worried about. You have a cat that goes out and comes home again, I fail to see where there is much to concern yourself over other than dietary and that's where you come in.

[Beechwood_S6 101]

some cats are very social and love the attention, having been in sheffield just over a year one of ours has his own fan club down on Taplin Road in S6, he's a tart and he knows it.

[Moonbird 10]

Next door but one have started a bit of a love affair with one of my cats, he did tell me that he really likes her and could he feed her so that she would get more used to him and get on his knee

 

To be honest I don't mind a semi cat share so long as they never take her away from me and I did tell him that, they are getting on a bit and their dog is on her last legs, they dont want to get another pet as they are getting too old...so we will have to see how it works out, up to now all is as usual and she spends as much time and eats here as ever.

[Bypassblade 10]

so you don't think i should pursue this with the neighbours? Get them to stop letting him in?

 

I'm afraid a cat is a cat, and will do as it pleases we have had them for years and about 45 years ago we had a ginger tom, he'd go missing for days. one day mum went round to the neighbours and he was sat down eating his tea, the neighbour said it was hers and mum said it was hers, he just used either house as it suited him.

 

Back in 92 we had a cat turn up at our house and my brother gave her some tuna, we never got rid of her till she passed away, she was roughly 21 as the kids knew how old she was; as they knew where she'd come from.

[bread 10]

Daid: I just don't like the fact the neighbours think it's ok to keep my cat in all day and all night. I just wouldn't do that. I don't think it's right. I know a cat has it's own mind and will do what he or she wants but I don't think he should be encouraged. Sounds like it's a fairly common thing though!

[MuteWitness 10]

Daid: I just don't like the fact the neighbours think it's ok to keep my cat in all day and all night. I just wouldn't do that. I don't think it's right. I know a cat has it's own mind and will do what he or she wants but I don't think he should be encouraged. Sounds like it's a fairly common thing though!

 

I often use to find someone elses cat asleep on the sofa when I got home from work, the neighbours have lives I am sure they are not holding the cat hostage. I would let this cat out, send him home then as soon as i went out he would be back in. Just be grateful they are nice people.

[medusa 16]

I think if you get a few ground rules sorted with your neighbour then it's perfectly OK for your cat to enjoy visiting and for them to enjoy your cat visiting.

 

The ground rules I have with my neighbours are that I'm happy for him to visit for cuddles but they can't feed him and they chuck him out overnight.

 

That keeps them happy (even though they aren't so sure how he got in to the house in the first place sometimes!) and he knows where 'home' is because he's in here every night with the other cats.

 

I don't think it's practical expecting them to keep him out. They are allowed to have a cat flap and to open their windows and if he wants to be in their house that is all of the invitation that he will need.

 

Talk to them, set up some rules and then allow your clearly sociable cat to enjoy socialising