Neighbours leaving cat out while they go on holiday

We have had quite a number of cats over the years in order to keep the vermin down, on our many properties we have lived in over the years. Whilst animals of any sort should never be deliberately mistreated they are not humans and should be treated as the species they are. When we had cats they either had a cat house outside or a cat flap so they could enter the garage. If we were away we would ask a neighbour to ensure the animal's food and water bowls were topped up.

We have no need of cats anymore we have them visiting our garden on a daily basis and killing off the vermin.

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Well ,this is something I am particularly vested in as we have 2 cats “ Bobby & Marley ,” they have lived outside for what seems like a long time now 🤔
It began when we had to move out due to a house flood in July 2020 though they had access to the house & we obviously came home to feed them . Our builders also fed & petted them . Then after moving back in April 2021 we had another horrendous flood & so it began again through till March 2022 .

But then we arrived home with 2 puppies Teddy & Jagger , now the cats only come in when T& J aren’t home , though they come in at night & sleep on the table .
They have comfy beds on top of our hot tub or in a shed given over solely to them . When we are away ,DS comes over to feed them both . They are very happy cats 🐱

NB: The addition of T& J was coincidental due to the fact that we more often than not we had DD KCC come to stay he was our fur granbaby & SIL promised us a pup if ever he bred him . Well that just happened to be during
1 Lockdown
2 While we were living in rented accommodation
And there were only 2 pups in the litter so we paid the going rate for the other .

Clearly, they are abandoning their cat! They have no compassion for their animal and its safety (and the animal kingdom in general, I’m sure, or they would not be so heartless.)

I would definitely feed kitty and even take him (her?) in for the duration. Secretly, I would probably claim their pet as mine. But that’s just me. I don’t mind sharing either, in which case I could win it over. 🙌🏼 😉

I’d never use an automatic food dispenser. I knew someone who left her cat for a week. The food thingy jammed and never opened so the cat was never fed until they got home a week later.

If you hope for a humane, caring response, think twice about contacting the RSPCA.

Report them to the Rspca for not having adequate arrangements for their cat. Do not feel guilty about it and no you're not overreacting. The cat may or may not find the food left in the garden. Others or vermin will find it which will attract more rats etc.. And the food left there will be contaminated which is dangerous for their cat and yours if they decide to eat it. Cats are not used to finding food if they are pets. Some feral cats might but this is not a feral cat. It is a recipe for cruelty and neglect. Let the Rspca deal with it but in the meantime please feed the poor little thing. Sadly these people are irresponsible, ignorant and selfish.

I have left my cat for a week on his own I don’t like doing it but he would hate a cattery more. He can get in and out at will and neighbour checks and leaves extra food. Would not do it for more than a week and to shut him out of his home unthinkable

I wouldn’t think we’re the only ones who hardly see their cats in the summer. We thought he was getting older, and wouldn’t be so anxious to be out all the time this year, but he’s off again, and so far has come back every night.
He’s quite often gone for a few nights, his record is three weeks.
So whilst I definitely wouldn’t go on holiday for two weeks, as long as he was being fed, I’d leave him for a couple of nights.

It's not a main road where I am, but one where the parents of 6ft 2in teens with moustaches (and that's just the girls!) must be picked up at all costs, without hurting their little leggies.

So it is like a mad house at school times, with people on pavements and reversing to and fro.

I know it's a commonplace that cats living near a main road are more at risk, but my family's cats on a country lane had a very bad track record for RTAs. I don't know if it's just a statistical blip, or if they aren't as traffic-wise because there's so little traffic, & they come straight out from mousing in the long grass onto the road so drivers can't react. My 3 cats at two houses on main roads have luckily just avoided the front & roamed the back gardens safely (I 'm not tempting fate saying this - we no longer have a cat). Sorry this is off-thread.

We no longer have our very loved cat. She was part of our family and when we went away she went to a lovely cattery to be cared for. Don’t have an animal unless you are prepared to care for them appropriately. My neighbour leaves her dog alone in the house when she goes on holiday with someone coming in just to feed and walk twice a day. Disgraceful!!

*Madmeg...sorry, spellcheck stepped in!

I was offered a black or black and white kitten a while back.

I said no, because of the road outside, and because I worry if I was taken ill.
Plus, I want an outdoor cat.
I can't sit cooped up in my flat all summer.

MissAdaventure - bite the bullet and get a cat!

Cruelty in the 1st degree !

Terribly sad ..

Ooh, I really wish I could find an unwanted cat (or kitten) abandoned on my doorstep, so I have no choice but to take it in and love it.
I really, really want a cat.

Madmen, your account of your nine cats is lovely and made me feel teary. We've had 7 cats in 45 years of marriage and also have cared for and loved them all.

I'd feed it. If possible I'd also bring it in overnight. It's really mean to leave it for 2 weeks.

You are not overreacting. Its wrong to leave the cat outside both with regard to the cat's welfare and the neighbours who feel obliged to provide the care that the folk on holiday don't. I think I'd go as far as to report them to the RSPCA.

Some of these replies are very interesting and it’s lovely that so many care about cats.
I brought back a cat from Corfu that I’d met on holiday there - like all the others, she was scraggy and mangy and had had a kitten when she was six months-ish old. However, due to all the tourist presence, she was very friendly. She was always wanting to come back to the apartment and get inside.
I got her back to the UK seven years’ ago and she has been a delight - so loving and affectionate (with a couple of little feral-y antics from time to time). In my mind, it puts paid to the “cats can survive easily without a human owner”idea; yes, they can survive for a while but cats have become highly domesticated over the years - even “street” cats in many cases. Once they have accepted human contact, there’s no going back. Leaving a cat to fend for itself whilst the owner goes on holiday is cruel and unnecessary, and they can indeed starve.
We use trusted Housesitters ( the house-sitting agency) but if we didn’t have our dogs as well, would simply have people coming round regularly to feed and check our cat a couple of times a day so that she could remain in her own home - her territory.
Perhaps the OP could copy some of these replies and stick them through this cruel person’s letterbox!

I agree with you..What if it got ill? I think that is very irresponsible of your neighbours

Im sure they were loved Madmeg- but it does seem like it was a mistake to still let them roam freely when you werent at home?If they'd been in then these problems wouldnt have occurred- im sure your lovely neighbour would have still been happy to pop in to feed them & clean a cat tray maybe? I could never be away from home knowing my lovely cat was out somewhere on his own, maybe gone looking for us?

Theres also a white cat outside most of time, long furred pedigree by looks of her, but a bit unkempt) but i think belongs to one of the other neighbours- and someones sprayed it red/pink on its head, and it had it on paws as well (maybe it tried to clean itself?) I dont know why no one else seems bothered about all this, but i feel so sorry for the poor things.

We've experienced 9 cats during our 54 years of marriage, and each one had a different personality and needs and we made sure they all had the best life. Early on we used a cattery but on moving to our current home (43 years ago) a wonderful neighbour looked after them for us (usually two cats, three on one occasion. We always had a cat flap so they could come and go.

The "wimp" once went missing and we found him two weeks later by chance in a nearby field - he had become completely ferrile. We managed to get him home (we were well and truly scratched) and he recovered. Another was v elderly and some new neighbours decided he was neglected so enticed him into their home. The friend looking after him asked them several times to stop but they woudn't. When we returned and went to claim him he was so confused that an undiagnosed tumour grew rapidly and he had to be put to sleep. I "blamed" the neighbour for causing him stress as he was clearly happy to be back home. the vet said the neighbour's interference was undoubtely the cause of the growth spurt.

A third cat was a wanderer and often away for several days. Despite having the cat flap she was almost always outside come rain or shine. During one vacation she wandered nearly a mile away and got run over. We were lucky to find her and bring her home to bury.

A fourth cat was "given" to us following the death of our first cat. He came with a cancerous tumour that the vet said was terminal. He had a happy five years with us before dying while we were away, peacefully, in the garage. Our lovely neighbour buried him in the garden.

Despite these hiccups, all our cats led the best lives possible. Free access in and out, good food, regular visits to the vet and occasionally for more serious treatment, not a penny spared on them (but we were fortunate that none had expensive care needs).

We stopped having cats after we retired cos we wanted to travel more and it would have been cruel. We loved them all - and they knew it.

We loved all our cats

I think our new-ish neighbours have either 2 or 3 cats(not certain if all theirs but theres 3 outside most of the time.I say most as they seem to be out in all weathers, at all times and 1 is quite young- weve been here since october and neighbour was moved in in september (new build houses) so i'd say youngest about maybe 9/10months old now? But it was small at first, started to grow & fill out more as ive started to leave out my pampered puss's leftovers- (he wont go back to it later if he's had only a bit) and its all premium cat food he refuses cheap stuff! So next door cats are all eating good nosh- i also leave water out in a container as my cat likes to drink outside if we take him out(hes 17 now so since moving he only goes out for a bit & back in.) He used to be out whenever he wanted (within reason) but i never left him out at night, or in bad weather, or when we went away- had a nice older couple visit to feed him etc who did that to supplement their income and they loved cats- didnt charge extortionately though.But these cats in neighbourhood now are out all the time, and the young one even sneaked in other week when patio door had blown open, out of colder weather, she had gone to sleep on my best dining chair- i put her back out as she hisses at my poor old boy, so i felt a bit guilty- but i was annoyed at her owner- why doesnt SHE feel guilty?? The 3 cats have taken to sleeping on top of my outdoor storage cupboards now we've had a bit of sun.But thing is, when its proper summer if i leave patio door or any windows open they'll be traipsing in i suppose?