Big Badger House (aka Noisy Lodger) HE'S GONE!

Badger_Lady

OK, so this isn't exactly a lodger issue, but it's really starting to bug me :mad:

Opposite me are a couple of elderly neighbours, who are lovely - chatty, friendly and poking their noses into everyone's business! As soon as I moved in (over a year ago), they took a shine to my cat and offered to look after him if ever I went away. I don't very often go for more than a couple of days, in which case it's better for him to stay at home... though, like most cats, he's an independent creature who comes and goes as he pleases, wandering up and down the cul-de-sac meeting with other cats and scrounging off the neighbours.

Well, shortly before Christmas, I went to England for an overnight stay and left Tufty with his autofeeder and NiceSoFarLodger to let him in and out. Unfortunately, that was when the cushion incident occured.

Tufty legged it from the house (understandably) and sulked outside on the pavement, like they do. The neighbours opposite picked him up, he hissed and scratched at them, they took him inside and kept him until the next day when I returned to find a note through the door. I knocked them up and they said that they thought he was abandoned, neglected, abused... all just implied but each of those words popped up at some point.

I'd already arranged for Tufty to stay with them for Christmas and had nowhere else to leave him, so I dropped him off before I left with toys, food and £20 (plus a personal gift for the neighbours). When I got back, they'd bought him a litter tray and kept him indoors the whole time, abandoned his Whiskas and fed him roast goose, duck, salmon and prawns... and then had the nerve to say he was happier with them and probably wouldn't want to come home with me :mad:

Well I held my tongue and took him home. Of course he was fine - cuddling up to me as usual, scoffing his whiskas (he ignored my tinned salmon) and generally being Tufty. I kept the litter tray so that he could use it during the very cold weather, so he chose not to go outside very much to begin with... when he did, it was round the back gardens and then in again.

The last two nights I've come back from work, the cat's been missing. He's been over at theirs. As far as I can tell, he goes on his perfectly cat-like wander, they spot him, lure him with prawns and then trap him in their house.

When I went to collect him last night (tired from a long day at work and really just wanting to go home and chill), I told them "if he comes around, just let him out again and he'll find his way home". They kept saying, "no we won't let him go in the road" (a small residential cul-de-sac full of cats!), and "we couldn't possibly let him outside after dark". I couldn't convince them.

So this morning I kept him indoors, but he obviously asked a lodger to let him out while I was at work and he's gone again. To my mind, he shouldn't have to stay indoors anyway - he prefers doing his business in the garden (which saves me clearing up after him!) and he likes his independence... I shouldn't have to trap him indoors just to stop the neighbours from capturing him!!!

:mad: What do I do??? :mad:

JanCee

Get them their own cat. Or ask them first if they would like a cat of their own, as they seem to have taken such a shine to yours. Point out to them that they could keep their own cat indoors if they preferred as your cat prefers to spend a lot of time outside and doesn't like to be kept indoors.

Timmne

Argh how annoying! My wife would be distraught if this happened to our cat- I wouldn't be over the moon either!

Sadly I have no idea how to fix this other than for you to write to them (being old this probably will work better anyway) stating that you have always appreciated their help when you've gone away but you are very upset that tufty is being taken from you and that you won't tolerate it any longer.

This has actually angered me now!

Good luck lovely BL!

Badger_Lady

If they were my own age, it would be easy for me to assert my authority - "I know what's best for my cat" - but it's so difficult when you've been brought up to respect your elders: they're supposed to know best

Oh, I'm sitting here really angry now - I want to feed my puss-cat and let him curl up on my lap but he's trapped in someone else's house... at some point this evening, I'm going to have to work up the courage to go over there and rescue him - and to say something!

poppysarah

I had a cat kidnapped once. It was horrific. She was only tiny and was missing a week before a friend told me how much a neighbours new cat looked like my kitty. Turned out it was my cat and some person has seen her in the garden and nicked her. We got her back - only because we went and got her back (She was in a flat on the second floor so wouldn't have ever got back on her own)
You've got my sympathys really.

Is your cat tagged? Wear a collar?
Without keeping your cat in all the time, which is unfair, you can't stop him going over there. Some cats like having two homes. BUT if they're keeping him locked in when he wants to go out or come home, that's not fair.
You could try spoiling him rotten and see if he'll stay away.

I like the suggestion of getting them their own kitten. But it's a big risk if they turn it away.

I'd be absolutely fuming mad though.

Timmne

did you say tufty was all black? If so, it would be easy to carry out my latest idea: go to the local rescue centres and rescue a black cat - tiptoe towards their door, bang something and then run, leaving cat in situ. Cue old lady, she steps out, rescues the cat and traps him inside.

That one's a winner for you, them, tufty AND the rescue cat!

Badger_Lady

Tee-hee, like your thinking Timmne!

Yes, he wears a collar with his name and my phone number on it... I wouldn't have a problem with him going there, it's the fact that he can't get out again (even to go to the toilet, and he's not keen on using a litter tray). From my own selfish point of view, I don't see why I should come home from work each day only to have to go back out and be polite to someone that's going to tell me what a bad pet-owner I am

They're perfectly entitled to live however they like of course, but I'm not personally partial to a house that's full of smoke (they're both chain-smokers) and loud tweety-birds, and it just tires me out listening to stories about their families on a daily basis (I will listen out of politeness, and the occasional story is quite interesting, but not when all I want to do is put my dinner on and my feet up).

It doesn't help that my friend's mother-in-law's cat recently died of lung cancer after living in a smoke-filled house

If Tufty wants two owners, great, but surely he should have the freedom to leave his second owners and come home in the evening of his own volition? I'm convinced that he would leg it over here as soon as he hears me - he always has done wherever we've lived. I don't even need to offer him treats (not that I could beat roasted goose anyway!).

poppysarah

Eww does he come back smelling all smokey? That's horrid.
Maybe you should say you don't want your cat being made ill by being exposed to their smoke - but then you'd not be able to leave him there if you needed to.

Yes he should be able to come and go as he please. It's how you get them to see that.

spirit

Aw, poor Tufty and poor tufty's mummy. It sounds a bit like my ex-MIL, they just like having someone to fuss over. The have clearly overstepped the mark though.

They clearly know how to lure your cat in with lovely treats. I'm afraid that cats are not terribly loyal and will 'live' with whoever feeds them and looks after them. I bet they've bought him a lovely new bed and have thought they've adopted him.

you do need to nip it in the bud. I wouldn't write but go over there and say you appreciate their care but he is your cat. Be assertive but not aggresive. The neighbours might sulk for a while but that is their problem IMHO.

I've got 3 cats btw

Lisey_Loo

Get the chickens to knock on their front door as decoys, then when the aforementioned oldies are at the front door you can slip in the back way and rescue Tufty! :-)

I`d be very mad if someone had commandeered an animal of mine, especially if they were smoking all over them! :mad:

You need to be firm with oldies, I know how stubborn my Nan can be, she won`t budge. Sometimes they need a firm telling. Put them in their place if they can`t take the hint...

Hope it`s all sorted soon BL...keep us updated.