Got a cat "problem"...

[replayme]

Got a bit of a dilemma...

I've been friends with a neighbour's (old) cat for a few years. I'd always stroke it when I saw it outside etc, but never feed it, or give the impression that I wanted it to be my cat.

Recently, I was coming back from the gym on a really cold evening, and found the cat to be outside as it had been locked out whilst the owner was out. The cat followed me in...

Taking pity on it, and assuming that it was cold and hungry, I let it in and fed it.

Now, it tries to come round whenever it sees me.

I've spoken to the owner, and he insists that I should leave the cat outside (which I don't have a problem with).

The problem however is that it is freezing outside, and because the cat isn't properly housetrained (maybe because she is really old now) the owner insists on keeping it outside even when he's out as he doesn't want the cat to stain his house.

I don't know what to do.

I don't want the cat to freeze, and also don't want to encourage the cat further into coming round. Even though it doesn't take the hint, and I was pretty harsh today by leaving it outside on 3 occasions (before caving in as it just started meowing outside my front door).

I don't want to confuse the cat on who its owner is, and certainly don't welcome the hassle of having to become embroiled in a "custody battle".

I know that cats have a fur coat, so am I just being too soft?

What would you do?

Please note: It's currently sitting outside my front door right now, even though I "kicked it out" 30 mins ago...

Actually left some food in its neighbour's front garden walkway... And after finishing that, it's now sitting outside.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Kill your neighbour, let the cat feed on the corpse and live in the empty house, problem solved.

[soprano1]

My two cents on the matter: You already gave it food, so now it won't leave you alone. If it has a owner, let the owner deal with it.
It might sound cruel, but having bad neighbours is worse than having a dead cat in your conscience.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Try these guys.

[evil_ash_xero]

Cats don't handle cold weather that well.

Also, if you feed the cat, it's not going to leave you alone.

[replayme]

The cat left after 40 mins, but came back again briefly and started meowing. It's gone again now.

In future, should I at least let it in and not feed it - so that it stays warm but gets the hint?

Or should I leave it outside and ignore it from now on?

[drauch]

Tell your neighbor to stop being a little bitch. You want to raise a creature, you've got to fuckin' take care of it. Most people learn this in grade school.

You can easily make/buy a cold weather shelter for outdoor strays. Something like this: http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/HOW_TO_ ... ER_SHELTER

Cheap and easy to make. Probably the second best thing to telling your neighbor he's a fuckhead with zero responsibility.

[Xyga]

Don't know how cold it is outside, but I second what evil_ash_xero wrote, only healthy cats with a really specific thick and dense fur can handle below-0°C temperatures for several hours.

Your neighbor is an asshole. Would you let your grandpa out in the cold so he doesn't stain your house ?

[replayme]

According to my weather app, it's 9 degrees outside right now, but feels like 6.

Should I see if it's around and let it in?

[TransatlanticFoe]

Cats will choose to bugger off and live with someone else if they're getting food and warmth from them. Sounds like the cat has chosen you! If you stop feeding it, then it'll eventually move on and probably just use your house as a visiting spot for warmth when it needs it.

Not sure what the point is in having a cat if it's outside the whole time, you may as well let it in because what's your neighbour to know any different? As long as the cat doesn't troll you neighbour by finding a comfy spot on the windowsill in plain sight!

Better it's inside than tries to find warmth near a car's engine.

[dan76]

Take the cat on as you own and tell the neighbour he's a douche. They are so easy to have as pets (my girlfriend has three rescue cats!), and are virtually no trouble at all. If the twat doesn't want the house "stained" he shouldn't have a cat in the first place.

You can always take it to a shelter, and just plead ignorance if he asks.

[replayme]

Going to go look for it now...

Edit: couldn't find it. I assume it's either inside its house now or one of the other neighbours took pity on it.

I'll keep checking outside for the next few hours every 30 mins or so (just to be sure).

[viper_phase1]

I don't claim to know a whole lot about cat survival but I think that cats are pretty tough if they need to be. I've noticed stray cats in my neighbourhood that make it through winters where the temperature routinely gets to -30 and sometimes to -40°C. It's possible that some don't make it though. Also you said that it's an older cat who is used to being indoors, which would make it more difficult for it to adapt.

[drauch]

Cats are very resilient creatures with a high threshold to pain. But like you said, if it's an older, clearly domesticated house cat, it probably won't fair too well in the winter. As long as cats have some place relatively enclosed or hidden from the extreme cold, they usually can persevere.

[CMoon]

I'm with most of the others here. If you have a basement where you don't need to worry about it pissing on stuff, that's even better. If your neighbor doesn't care enough to even let it inside, s/he won't care when you do.

And yeah, I have a carpet pisser myself. It sucks, but freezing to death sucks more.

[Khan]

We took our Mikey in because he was neglected by his owners he was constantly being locked out in cold weather and left to starve we let him in the house gave him some milk and food, later that evening we took him back to his original owners a street away who said thanks and insisted they couldn't look after him it was supposed to be a birthday present for their daughter or something but wasnt working out. Everyday for a week he was locked out again and stayed under a makeshift shelter in our garden in the end my father eventually caved in and we got to keep him xD the arsehole owners came around and dropped off 4 tins of cat food and apologized and left.....fucking cunts.

Mikeys been quite resilelent over his younger days staying out even sometimes for a whole day or two getting laid and partying hard of course we would go out and look for him as worried parents do, hes old now though and my Parents swore they would never keep another cat again since the death of our first who was also taken in by us on the same premise (neglecting neighbour) anyway Mikey is getting on abit now 17 odd years later though now hes old.

He poops in the house and we are getting a little sick of cleaning up after him but hes old now and never really given us any bother till the last 2 years bless the little bugger.

[drauch]

Getting any animal for a child's birthday is one of the worst ideas so many idiotic parents make. Last job I had some redneck twat bought his daughter a goddamn pig because she thought they were cute. That was until it got ugly after about two weeks and began to grew, no longer being cute, to which she lamented and got another dog. Scum.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

I knew a guy who got an adult dog from a shelter, then decided it'd be more impressive for his soooper training skills if he got a puppy instead and raised that. He ditched the dog with some other family (it was super adorable and well-behaved, didn't deserve to be replaced by a puppy) and got a snake at some point down the road he got rid of later (he wasn't in a financial position to own one dog, let alone multiple animals!).

my solution is still the best by the way `<`

[evil_ash_xero]

According to my weather app, it's 9 degrees outside right now, but feels like 6.

Should I see if it's around and let it in?

At that temp, yeah. He could die.

[RegalSin]

First off, cats are able to survive out in the cold, they grow extra fur just for the winter. Second thing to think, is how many cats you see outside, while walking around. I am sure you see a ton of cats.
Yes I know it hurts when you see a brand new little born baby cat, walking in the snow, fearing you, or even the gigantic mother and or father cat, who also runs but warns by showing it's claws and teeth. It even hurts when you see the traditional stupid box of kittens, or a mother cat carrying it's babies down the street one by one.

I have seen tons of terrible things with cats. Cats with eyeball hanging out it's face. Baby cat with a bad case of wax mites ( it looked like a mosquito bit the living daylights out of it. ). Even cats that looks like it has been diced by the tail. Even the baby cat out in the rain running away, bald like a little human. Cats fighting each other over food, etc.

The reality is that many house owners, leave a little food outside for the cats. People do this all the time, just for the fun of it. Like a bird feeder.

........

I can't own a cat because I already have too many things to worry about. The fish tries to pick up the bird, the cat attempts to knock the cage down, and the dog will even start making threats to the owner, because it is so usted to chasing all kinds of animals.

The reality, is that if you start taking care of it, why not carry it to the vet to cure it's ear mites. Hey I know you can even build a dog house and get another cat for it to mate with. Maybe the offspring will have wings. Yes cat got wings. It is like watching my money burn out the window. I had a perfectly peaceful life, and now I am slave to a kitten. Everyday you wake up that cat will demand food by clawing at your feet, with it's teeth.

.........

Another thing to know about cats, asides that cats got wings. Cats unlike dogs do not remember kindness, towards you. Meaning if you give them the chance, they will take advantage of you. Cat owners have been found dead, eaten alive, because they are locked in, and thier is no food. So the cats will go after the corpse. Cats are most likely to scratch a kid, or try and carry a baby away. Because all cats, are big cats at heart.

If the cat is old, it is old, and has lived it's life. The only thing you can do for it. Is leave a little food outside, or maybe something to act as shelter, that nobody will pick up. Chances are the cat already has shelter for it to be alive still.

But that is how the world can be. Some people have the same thing, but one is rubbish and the other is gold. I just do not see cats, we got Giant Raccons. Looks like a dog off the lease.

[shmuppyLove]

I hate cats

[Hibachi]

My wife and I have a house cat and if he urinates where he shouldn't, we use a product called Feliway that puts them at ease. (I'm in the UK) But if you choose to let the cat stay, an equivalent could help it stay calm.

They do like the warm and because you fed it, it's likely to come round for more of the same but I'm a big believer in that humans do wrong by animals and it's not the animal's fault it's in the situation it's in. The neighbour seems like an arsehole to me and my wife "took a cat in" and it lived out it's remaining years very happily with her.

Cats do like a cuddle and company at times and are not as always as solitary as some would have you believe but then it can depend on the type of cat it is.

If you're fine to feed it, show it affection and give it warmth then go ahead. Apparently cats choose their owners and not the other way round.

Edit: RegalSin, you sound very cynical. I get what you're saying but it sounds like you haven't had a cat. They do actually have some personality and my cat can be very friendly and not because it wants food etc and then some other cats will cut your face if you go near them.

[replayme]

My wife and I have a house cat and if he urinates where he shouldn't, we use a product called Feliway that puts them at ease. (I'm in the UK) But if you choose to let the cat stay, an equivalent could help it stay calm.

They do like the warm and because you fed it, it's likely to come round for more of the same but I'm a big believer in that humans do wrong by animals and it's not the animal's fault it's in the situation it's in. The neighbour seems like an arsehole to me and my wife "took a cat in" and it lived out it's remaining years very happily with her.

Cats do like a cuddle and company at times and are not as always as solitary as some would have you believe but then it can depend on the type of cat it is.

If you're fine to feed it, show it affection and give it warmth then go ahead. Apparently cats choose their owners and not the other way round.

Edit: RegalSin, you sound very cynical. I get what you're saying but it sounds like you haven't had a cat. They do actually have some personality and my cat can be very friendly and not because it wants food etc and then some other cats will cut your face if you go near them.

The neighbour isn't an asshole. The cat actually was a stray before it wandered into his house, and at the time, he had his kids living with him. There was always someone in the house to take care of the cat. But since then, his kids have grown up and have moved out, and his gf left him last year. It's just him now, and he's had health problems (heart attack etc), so I'm not surprised that he isn't able to care for the cat as before (even if it is low maintenance).

Tbh: it's a beautiful cat that has aged with grace. Almost like the Christopher Walken of cats (even though it's a SHE).

I have heard that cats are like women, in that they only want you if they can get something from you. And much like how cats choose their owners, women also have the upper hand in choosing who they go with.

You are right in that the cat did "choose" me. But out of respect for the neighbour, I can't possibly choose back. That'll be almost like me being complicit in its attempt to two-time. And trust me, no good will come out of this.

Edit: next time I see it outside, and if it follows me in, I'll keep it warm. And yes, I've always showed affection towards it by stroking it etc.

Just not ok on abducting/housing it. Because even though the neighbour (probably) may have "neglected" the cat, one thing I won't dispute however is that I know he'll be extremely pissed off if I tried to make it my own. And trust me, I'm not signing up for a custody battle.

Cats really can be like women. They cause all the trouble, and the only people that get the shit kicked out of them are the guys.

Edit x 2: the cat's about 20 years old. Apparently it staining ghe neighbour's house is a recent phenomenon (although I've never experienced it personally in the limited amount of time it's been in my house). Like I said, it's an adorable cat. Well behaved too.

[RegalSin]

RegalSin, you sound very cynical. I get what you're saying but it sounds like you haven't had a cat. They do actually have some personality and my cat can be very friendly and not because it wants food etc and then some other cats will cut your face if you go near them.

The thing is that, animals have this thing called "Instinct" built into them. Some have more or less then the next one. For us, we have to learn the things that comes natural, but for them it is hardwired, from birth. This is why you can give commands, teach them words, etc, faster then most humans. However you can't remove the instinct that resides inside of them.

Actually I owned a cat before. It was a Siamese cat. I missed it so much.

[SuperSoaker360]

...

Hahaha what

[Pretas]

We took our Mikey in because he was neglected by his owners he was constantly being locked out in cold weather and left to starve we let him in the house gave him some milk and food

Don't do this. Most cats can't handle lactose and giving them cow's milk damages their digestive system. If you must, cat milk replacers can be found at pet stores.

[drauch]

RegalSin, you sound very cynical. I get what you're saying but it sounds like you haven't had a cat. They do actually have some personality and my cat can be very friendly and not because it wants food etc and then some other cats will cut your face if you go near them.

The thing is that, animals have this thing called "Instinct" built into them. Some have more or less then the next one. For us, we have to learn the things that comes natural, but for them it is hardwired, from birth. This is why you can give commands, teach them words, etc, faster then most humans. However you can't remove the instinct that resides inside of them.

Actually I owned a cat before. It was a Siamese cat. I missed it so much.

What is this "instinct" thing you talk about? I've never heard of it. Sounds very interesting.

[Plasmo]

That's hands down the best explanation of "instinct" ever.

As for the topic: You get in more and more trouble when you care about the cat. Live and let live, as hard as it sometimes may sound.

[Edmond Dantes]

To the OP: Adopt the cat. NOW.

I mean if its old, there's no reason it has to die in suffering. And a lone cat isn't really hard to clean up after. My Yoyo hacks a hairball once a week, but its gone in seconds, and usually its in a place that needed to be cleaned anyway. It serves as a good reminder.

Just make sure it knows where the litter pan is.

[drauch]

20 year old fline is fucking old as shit. Mos jsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

sssssssssshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit


drunk........... sssooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhyyyyyy