Tom Sanders
A woman has spoken of her fury after becoming embroiled in a bitter row with her neighbours, who she claims keep ‘stealing’ her cat.
In a post on the parenting forum Mumsnet, the anonymous mum claims a local family keeps letting the troublesome feline into their home, even after multiple requests to keep it out.
She claims she often sees her cat perched in the window of the offending family, and says it’s ‘obvious’ they are letting the creature in on purpose.
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Her post reads: “Yes I know that cats are independent, will go where they want to go, have no loyalties etc.
“But a family local to me let my cat into their home every day. I can see him through their windows.
“I understand how in warmer months this is difficult to avoid. But they are obviously letting him in.
"My children are upset as [our] cat has basically buggered off and has to be lured into ours with food! The neighbours have said they’re not feeding him.
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"Am I being unreasonable to feel p***ed off about this and should I go round (again) to ask them to ignore my cat? Or am I being precious (and at least they’re kind to him)?"
The post received a mixed response online, with some siding with the aggrieved mother and others expressing sympathy for the neighbour.
“This absolutely enrages me,” one user said. “Especially as they are very likely feeding the cat - that is the main reason cats move into other houses.
“I took out monthly vet bills for our cat's ongoing treatment round to a neighbour's house a while back. She was constantly feeding her something that she's been told makes her sick.
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“I gave her two choices - take the cat on, bills and all, or stop bloody feeding her.
"Thankfully since she saw the amount she's stopped enticing the cat in with food and I don't have to clear up the aftermath anymore.”
Others were less sympathetic though.
“Cats choose where they want to live,” another user claimed. “If the cat really wanted to be with you it'd come home without having to be bribed by food.
“It obviously prefers the other people/household, not letting it in won't help, it's not as happy with you as it would be elsewhere so let it live with who it wants and give it a happy life by putting its needs and wants over your own.”
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But others refused to pick a side.
A third said: "I would be a bit sad if I saw my cat sitting in the window of my neighbour's house but I wouldn't be surprised, 'some' cats have little loyalty and will take the comfort and kind words wherever they find them."
Who’s in the right? It’s hard to tell. But one thing is for certain - the cat is going to do what it wants regardless of whose feelings get hurt.