Neighbours leaving cat out while they go on holiday

I don't think that's right at all. At the very least, they could have got someone to pop in on a regular basis to make sure the cat was fine. Don't have a pet if you are not going to take responsibility for it and make sure it is cared for at all times!
A few years ago, we were 'adopted' by a cat after the neighbours a few doors down emigrated and simply abandoned him. We found him on the roof of our garden shed one freezing cold night, tired and hungry - and that was it. He came to live with us after that. How anyone could simply abandon an animal is beyond me.

Well, I certainly would n ot leave my cats to fend for themselves outdoors while I went away on holiday.

Previously, we left the cats indoors and they were fed by a neighbour who changed their litter tray and spent time with them each day.

The two I have now, are used to going out during the day and being kept in overnight - and I am in a bit of a quandary knowing what to do, if I decide to go anywhere this summer.

I imagine that even if the cat-flap is left open, they will both come in at night and stay in overnight, but leaving them to do so worries me.

To those of you who suggest that I should help, I probably wouldn’t be able to find the cat as we have some large gardens round here and I can’t bring it into our house as our cat would have a heart attack!
We got our cat just before lockdown and then we weren’t allowed out because of my lungs so our big wimp is frightened of strangers and other cats.

Could you make the neighbours cat a shelter in your garden or something?

What a palava for someone else's cat!

This is definitely unacceptable! I wouldn't dream of going away and leaving my cat to fend for herself - not even for a weekend. It is the cattery every time. This is shocking 😮

That's just cruelty!

Someone I know left her cat for 3 weeks. A neighbours child was feeding it. But the cat obviously missed its routine and no cat flap. So it wandered around the neighbourhood, crying.

He ended up dying after being hit by a car.

I do my best to avoid this woman. I was very distressed by it all, as was the neighbour's child.

My son in laws Mum had a cat, she recently died aged about 16.
She was feral and would never go into the house only the conservatory to eat her food, she had a cat flap but rarely used it. She had a kennel in the garden which she only used if very cold or snowy, son in laws Mum used to put a warm hot water bottle in it.
The last 2 years since her daughter moved out when she went away on holiday either her son, daughter or next door neighbour went in everyday to feed her.
She wouldn’t have gone to a cattery, the last couple of months when she became poorly getting her to the vets was a nightmare, she attacked anyone who touched her.

Oh that's awful Louella

The cat must feel abandoned during those two weeks. It has no way of knowing its owners are coming back, and no idea of time. He just knows he’s been shut out of his home.

Our previous next door neighbours used to leave their dog about every three weeks or so from Friday to Sunday night, summer and winter, while they visited relatives. He had the "shelter" of an outside toilet, a water bowl which he regularly knocked over and a bowl of dried food. He would howl for hours at a time...

When I contacted the RSPCA, they weren't interested. According to them he had food and water (he would drink from the toilet if he got desperate, they said) and wasn't being physically mistreated!

What disgusting humans they are! They don't deserve those cats

I just reread your post and you say they don’t have a cat flap , so is the cat outside all the time ? . Leaving food outside will encourage rats, mice and foxes .
My neighbour liked to have her cats in at night , so when they were away , I’d stand at the back door shaking their food and calling and they’d come flying up the garden .
Have you suggested feeding the cat when they’re away .

I’d like them to be forced to stay in the garden and not be allowed into their house for a week and run out of food at the same time.

I hate people like this. My cats have all been completely pampered and totally loved. We pay a lovely cat sitter to come in twice a day to feed and play with them. They have access to a cat flap to go in and out but at night it locks so they stay in and are safe ( they can always get in but not out after a certain time)

I’m disgusted the RSPCA don’t take more notice . Don’t have a cat if you don’t put it first. These cats must be so stressed please try and help them yourself

I should make clear the cat sitter only comes a few times a year when we go on holiday. I don’t like cauteries

Totally disgusting and very cruel. As you say other cats, rodents will eat the food left out for the poor cat. Where will it go when if it rains.?
I would call Cats Protection or RSPCA and report them. They should be prepared to act on this information.
We are all animal lovers on GN and love and care for our dogs and cats. They are totally reliant on us. Why have them if you are not prepared to look after them, not matter what arises for the rest of their of lives.
They should be ashamed of themselves but honestly l bet they don't care.... vile people.

I saw the neighbour’s cat walking along our fence this morning. The back door was open and there were three bowls of cat food - wet, dry and Dreamies. I suspect we have had a visit!

I have 2 cats and one hardly leaves the house, sleeping on our laps and bed, the other strolls in for food but then is outside for most of the rest of the time. He sleeps under bushes and trees and doesn’t seem to mind the rain or cold. Its good that you are concerned for this cat who seems to have been abandoned by his owners, but some cats do seem to prefer the outdoor life,

No you're not...they have a domesticated cat, they leave it outside, where it may it may not get to food left out before the other neighbourhood cats, it may well start hunting..then they'll come back to a not so domesticated cat! Me, if my cats are ok with it, I'd feed it at my house and let it hangout..if they dont want to pay cattery fees or put in a cat flap they face the consequence of their cat finding a new home..they aren't good owners in my opinion.

If we go away for a couple of nights in the summer we leave our cat outside, and my daughter pops around to feed him.
He would really hate being inside for that amount of time, and he hates going to the cattery.
It’s not ideal, but I don’t think it’s cruel.

Cat flap Sara?

I had a large dog who broke three cat flaps thinking it was a dog flap for her!

I agree GSM, a cat flap is needed if you go away and don't use a cattery.
My elderly neighbour won't put in a cat flap though and doesn't use a cattery so l always help her out when she goes on holiday.
I make sure her cat is in at night and goes out when he wants too during the day. I do understand that some cats like to be outside but l would worry if l owned one myself.

My son once lived next to a couple who asked him to feed their 2 cats for 2 weeks, whilst they were away. No cat flap, just a shed with the door ajar, and dirty, damp blankets for the cats. There was snow on the ground. Being a cat lover, I went round there, bought 1 back here (someone had taken in the other one), and I looked after it at my home. I took it back when the owners turned up (I had 3 cats myself), and gave them a telling-off. They moved a few months later taking the cats with them.

Incidentally, the RSPCA are already full with animals and wouldn't be likely to help.

Well I’m the expert I suppose. Used to look after our limit of 30 cats over Christmas but when begged by clients took a kitten into the house which meant whole family making sure all doors closed. Rest of them down the cattery were kept separate and hand fed ham, fussed, talked to etc. Can’t understand why so many people think cattery owners are torturing them. We changed their litter 3 times a day between the three of us, husband, wife and grown up son.
Now we would absolutely love to have a pet cat but are travelling whilst we can and our son’s fiancé is allergic. When done roaming the plan is to have a totally pampered cat.