AIBU to think my neighbour’s cat care problem is not mine?

[Thepartwhereidrun]

My neighbour stopped my son on his way out last night to ask if he would look after her cat when she is away from tomorrow for 2 weeks, going in twice a day. He said sorry but he couldn’t.

I didn’t know she had spoken to him until she knocked our door and told us. Her cat sitter has let her down last minute and now she won’t be able to go on holiday unless she can find someone else. Nightmare for her, but her cat sitter is ill so it can’t be helped. I said I can’t help her but I text our dog sitter, who also does cat sitting to ask if she had availability and said I’d get back to her if she could do it.

She asked if I would also ask my son again, which I did when he got home, but he doesn’t want to do it. He has just finished his A levels and wants to be free to come and go as he pleases which is understandable. I said that if he has said no then that means he can’t.

Our dog sitter text me back to say she didn’t have any availability for the first week but could do the second week. I text my neighbour to let her know and to give her sitters contact details. She has just text back ‘no good, what am I meant to do for the first week?’

I haven’t replied as although I get she is probably feeling desperate, how the fuck is her cat my problem?

Omg I’ve just seen this update. She doesn’t deserve to have a cat and should be banned from having pets for life, that’s utterly cruel.

And the poor elderly couple.

When are you and your son away?

OP you really need to report her and take the cat to an animal charity where they can be properly cared for - take the meds etc. or at least report her the bare minimum if you can be brokered with neighbour backlash. She won’t know it’s you.

your so good to look after the cat
i think if it was me she wouldnt be getting it back 😡

Seconding to report her.

Why has that anything to do with the neighbour fucking off and abandoning her cat?

That’s awful. I posted earlier to say we always use a cattery as we were also let down by a cat sitter but reading on your updates to see that the cat needs regular medication, I’m more disgusted that your neighbour put this responsibility onto an elderly person and their carers.

OP has plans to go away, OPs son has plans to go away, OP said she couldn’t look after the cat due to this, OP then said I will let the cat sleep in our utility room for the next few days and nights if he wants and lead him over the road at mealtimes if he finds his way over here. He often sleeps in our garden - the couple left with the cat aren’t doing anything and the carers don’t have enough time to be looking for the cat.

So don’t you think that all might be relevant when there is no one to check on the cat?

Thats what it has ”to do with the neighbour fucking off and abandoning her cat?”

As I have said many times if you read the thread, I have been away this week from Monday until last night (Thursday) for work. I will be going away again next week.

I will let the cat in our utility when I’m here, around work commitments and other plans I have over the weekend, if he wants to be in there, and take him across the road for his meals and medication when I’m here. When I’m not here, hopefully he will go to the carers when they call him but I can’t help it if he doesn’t.

My son is still away and I don’t know when he plans on being back.

I said I couldn’t commit to looking after the cat for 2 weeks because I couldn’t. We are where we are though and when I arrive home to the cat in my garden and find out it hasn’t been having all meals or going inside my elderly neighbours house for shelter, I’m not going to not give it shelter on the few days I’m here and lead him to where his food and medication is. That is all I can do though, for a few days out of the 2 weeks.

Why the fuck am I even justifying myself ffs? 🫠

It’s annoying that she probably feels like she’s won here! Free cat care from people who clearly have a conscience and she won’t have to pay a penny. That would make me so cross.

Did you mean this reply to me or have you not tagged whoever you meant to tag?

Notice how all the #bekind do-gooders up thread have disappeared now OP has updated, and shown just how despicable a pet-owner the CF neighbour is!!

@Thepartwhereidrunyou have behaved dignified and honourable throughout, as has your son. I truly hope he is enjoying his post-exam camping trip and that you feel vindicated in reporting your neighbour for the manipulative, negligent, disingenuous bint that she is.

Yes, they have all disappeared into the mists. Not an ounce of worry from them for the poor cat.

OP's posts show the timings of when OP is away.

Most likely carers will just go back to calling the cat and the cat may miss a few more meals. It's far from ideal but none of it is OP's fault.

I'd be taking the cat to the RSPCA and saying it's been neglected. Owner doesn't deserve a pet 😡

That woman would be getting the mother of all bollockings from me when she got back. If I could get the carers and the elderly couple in on the act, so much the better. I'd be lighting up any Whatsapp neighbourhood chat with how she's treated her cat and her neighbours, and warning them, and all.

OP, your CF neighbour has been unbelievably unreasonable,and irresponsible. Some people just shouldn’t have lets, and she’s one of them. If a cat needs medicine, it’s really important that you either get a reliable sitter, or put them in a cattery, and pay accordingly.

I would be calling the RSPCA tbh

I don’t this this woman should be allowed to feel she’s won or that it “all turned out ok”. She needs to feel a consequence.

OP mentioned once 7 days ago when she was away, sorry I missed that one post.

Not once did I say any of this is OPs fault. I have no idea where you got that from.

You said once that you are going away from Tuesday to Thursday. Once, and I’m sorry I missed that one post. I’m not asking where you were this week just gone. I was asking when you are next going away. Instead of answering you posted what I consider a fairly rude reply.

I have read your thread. I’ve been here since the start, I’ve been supporting you and your viewpoint so far.

I know you let the cat in the utility. I know you will take it across the road to get its food and medication. I read it all.

I know you couldn’t look after the cat. When other people misunderstood, I corrected them.

You said ”Why the fuck am I even justifying myself ffs”

Why are you justifying yourself to me? I don’t know. I READ YOUR THREAD AND I’M SORRY I MISSED THE ONE POST WHERE YOU SAID THE DATE YOU WERE AWAY.

Good luck, I’m out.

I'm my last house neighbours had a cat (admittedly an unplanned stray) they would go away EVERY school holiday, we had a cat reactive dog.

They expected us (and other neighbour) to feed it, and restricted it to their utility room with cat flap, but it was a sociable cat and would clearly get lonely

One Christmas they left it for 17 days, we had to keep the curtains shut as it would spend most the day on our window sill meowing to get in and winding up our dog, so we spent the entire Christmas holiday sat in the dark.
In the summer it would climb in through our windows.

It was a nice enough cat, but ruined our peaceful enjoyment of our home whilst they enjoyed their frequent holidays.

I now live in a different house where i can't enjoy my garden because of the amount of cat shit.

You don’t need to justify yourself OP.

As for reporting the neighbour, I think it’s unlikely that anyone would do anything. The cat has technically been left with neighbours who have said they will provide food, medicine and shelter so I don’t think they will do much sadly. You could try though and see what they say.

RSPCA wouldn't be interested. The cat's being cared for.

Ok. Sorry that I seem to have misjudged your post. It sounded to me and obviously others, like you were questioning why I couldn’t look after the cat and questioning my movements. I had mentioned being away in quite a few posts.

Anyway, I am sorry, as you have explained you didn’t mean it that way. 💐

The cat slept in our utility room last night and I took him over to the neighbours for his breakfast and medication.

I’m out until late tonight so won’t be here for his dinner, but the carers gave him lots of fuss this morning so hopefully he’ll be keen to go back to them when they call him for dinner. I’ve left a shed open in my garden and made him a bed in there which I’ve showed him 🤣 so he can have shelter and be out of the sun if he wants.