What to do When Your Cat Starts Living with your Neighbours

We let a neighbour's cat in because we don't want it to freeze here in Canada. We try to get it out in the evening. Never has stayed overnight. Owner seems to kick it out early am, especially on the weekends.

My cat thinks he lives between 3 houses. He sneaks in the neighbors cat flaps and steals their food even though he's well fed. They can't shoe him away because he takes off if they're around. We've tried keeping him inside for days at a time to no avail.

My neighbors have been locking my cat inside there house and trying to adopt him. I text and ask them constantly if my cat is there and if I can have him back. It’s gotten to the point where my cat can no longer be outdoors because he will run away from me and try to sneak into their house. I’ve had my cat for 8 years and this only started happening 6 months ago. I’m so fed up and annoyed, my cat won’t even let me pet him without growling and constantly cries to be let out (not be outside but to go into neighbors house).

Our neighbours cat has moved in. It started with the fact that we have a cat door and an auto feeder and so he was coming in and helping himself. I also happen to be an animal lover who ascribes to the 'live and let live' theory - they have their own little personalities and should get to make choices for themselves so long as they are safe. Anyone who owns a cat knows you can't force a cat to do anything. I understand it must be sad for the owners but you probably need to have an honest conversation and if your cat has truly 'moved on' and the neighbour is on board, ask if they are willing to adopt the cat legally and take responsibility. Then get a new cat if that feels like the right move.

I've been doing cat rescue for 30 yrs, but this is one of the strangest situations I've come across. We had a cat show up this summer. Incredibly thin, tiny and apparently not neutered, he appeared to be starving. Had never seen him before and started hanging around. I put an ad in our local neighborhood next door and asked if anybody knew who's cat this was cuz I did not want to encourage somebody else's cat to hang out unnecessarily. That being stated, apparently this cat has chosen our house instead and has marked its territory. It now is waiting for me when I come home from work everyday and really it appears after having food available to it that it's not even really hungry anymore now it's not starving. (The owners assured me that they were feeding appropriately, but there's no way a cat Is THAT hungry and THAT thin unless it either has a nutritional deficiency, a parasitic infection, or is not being fed appropriately)At this pt however It just wants attention. It has a home, I've met its owners They seem like lovely people, but both times this has happened to the degree where the cat is now believing our home is it's territory. I reached out immediately and the second time I had said did you by chance go out of town again because apparently the first time the cat showed up they had gone out of town and broken its routine leaving it with a sitter. When I reached out the second time I was right on the nose again they had once again been out of town. I'm not sure what the situation is at this cat's house, but it apparently has decided it likes our home better. We have NOT let it inside no matter how many times it's tried to come in, and now it's chasing our cat around our property. I'm not one to be mean to animals, but at the same time I'm not sure what to do with the situation at this point. There's obviously some reason this cat does not want to go home and has decided now to want to live here. It's about ready to get very cold and nasty where we live as we live in Washington State. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm trying to take their cat, which I've been very clear about. I don't want their cat. I do feel like there is something to be said for the fact that the cats choose YOU. I have a thing with animals. We live in the county. This is not the first time this has happened that animals just show up at my house and then never want to leave. I actually run like a spiritual YouTube channel. Some might say my energies pretty good so it's probably part of it and I have a thing with just knowing what animals need when they need it. I used to wake up when I was little and have multiple stray dogs just waiting for me. My parents would get furious. I was five. I didn't do anything except for just give them attention and feed the ones that seemed like they were starving. I have deers that show up and then bring back multiple generations of deers to meet me, they park their babies across the street from me while they go foraging for food during the day cuz they know I'll keep them safe. I have raccoon families, you name it. They live right around our property I think because they know they're safe here barring any unforeseen predators I can't do anything about. 😉 However, this one cat has been nagging at the back of my brain that something just isn't right at home for it because in all the years I've been doing this, I've never had a cat do this that's come from what seems to be a very loving home. It is very odd situation. It's been going on for months now and the cat just doesn't seem like he even wants to go home. At this point. I feel bad. I don't want to take their cat. I don't even want their cat, but it sure seems like their cat wants us. 🤷

we wondered about cats that get bit. The neighbors did not take their cat to the vet when it was bit by an animal. It comes to our house for food and warmth, a bed to sleep on. They leave the cat outside all the time, day or night. It got mauled by probably a racoon or a coyote, It very well could have died as our neighbors had ducks and two of them were someone's snack, probalby a racoon or a coyote. The neighbors did not take the cat to the vet like I said, nor check for rabies. Is that legally required? And the cat wants to hang with us, but usually leaves at certain times after getting a good nap. It does go home. But the neghor is pissed about us feeding it and givint it attention, love. I don't think thte cat likes it at their house, it seems stressed out and vomits. I told the neibhors the cat vomits, but they just wont provide the cat with health care.

My neighbor cat started to move in after I renovated my pets house, and my pets are not cats. I had a dog and chicken. At first I think the cat tried to catch my chicken but the cat didn't bother my chicken at all but instead the cat sits with my dog and my chicken, I tried to sent her back couple of times probably plenty of times but she still returned. I don't want my neighbor to think that I deliberately stole their cat. Right now I already attached to her and feed her because she won't go back to her home. It's been months since she came. My neighbor really good to their cat idk why the cat choose to moved in, they say the cat perfectly healthy and still young at the age of 2. The cat really white, I gave her name Snowy Whitey since she is white. I talked to them but I feel like they still wanted the cat back but they decided to let her go if that what the cat wanted. sometimes I couldn't sleep, I mean If you owned a pet and they moved out or gone it's really sad for them to think what could've happen to their beloved pets even though nothing bad happen like for my neighbor cat and you still can see your pet like they do, but that changed everything because they're not with you anymore. I probably think that the cat attracted to my pet house because it had ceiling fan installed, sofa's and comfy pets bed. I do that because I really like to sit outdoors and drink some beers in the evening, so I make my pet room with half glass walls and put furniture in it since it's basically a room with half outdoor style and it connected to my outdoor dining room and my garden. Plus the cat didn't afraid of my dog. I mean shouldn't cats afraid of other animals especially if they met for the first time or something. Idk maybe my dog didn't growl or do something spontaneous to triggered it since my dog didn't bother to bark at the cat or do anything to the cat.

My cat as chosen to live with my next door neighbour it won't come anywhere near me she as kidnapped all my cats since living here & now she wants me to pay for flea treatment? What do I do?

I just had this situation in reverse - a neighbor's cat has adopted us. However, we have never fed this cat until recently (the owner left for the weekend, with no way for the cat to get back inside). Personally, I do not think that cat owners who have outdoor cats can go around policing their neighbors. It isn't my job to keep other people's cat's out of my house - it's the owners of said cats. I like my neighbor's cat. The neighbor has been informed of the situation and has my number and email address. She's free to come to pick up her cat any time.

We adopted a kitten at 6-months of age, kept him inside for around 4 months before we started to let him out. Now he’s close to two years old, and until recently, he slept every night in our apartment, and fed three or four times a day here. Two weeks ago and still now, he has slept here only one night and two days: we see him in our neighbouring apartment building’s garden, call him, but he ignores us. He has simply decided he no longer needs us, though not fully as he has been here three times in the past two weeks. What are we supposed to do? He is chipped with our ownership, but if he refuses to come, how can we care for him with e.g. vaccinations or health checks? We would literally need to kidnap him and put him in his travel basket… It feels like a betrayal to be honest, but he looks healthy at a distance though we can’t touch him being in a private neighbouring garden that is fenced off. It seems obvious he is being fed otherwise he would come home. From a legal standpoint, what are we expected to do for his welfare if he refuses to come home?

So I recently been feeding this cat that’s been coming over my house and the cat wanted me to pet it and I was kinda hesitant since I believed it was a stray so time goes by and it’s been a couple weeks feeding it and I hang out with the cat outside and one day my neighbor starts calling the cat and realized she owns the cat and she knows I’ve been taking care of her but didn’t tell me to stop feeding her or anything so time goes by this cat waits for me day and night coming for attention and food and my neighbor see her at my lawn and don’t do anything or tell me anything I feel bad leaving her out there not knowing if she’s hungry and it’s starting to get hot here in Texas so idk what to do I adore this cat so much but she’s so dirty and doesn’t come for food as much but just for attention and today my neighbor seen her and she just left she just said “ really pumpkin” which is the cat name and I went inside thinking she was going to grab her and she didn’t she left her in my lawn I don’t know what to do if anyone can give me advice !!! I know she’s gets tired being outside and she lays and sleeps on our lawn and when she is home she’s outside sleeping but my neighbor claims she likes being outside but I don’t believe it .I’ve never had a pet before but I just know I have a connection with this cat please give me advice

We live in the foothills, where wild animals can take small pets easily. Our cat wandered off one day when she was feeling sick. She ended up half a mile away in an empty field. She will not let us pick her up to take her back home. The one time my husband picked her up, she did not scratch or bite to get away, she simply squirmed out of his grip and ran off. We are afraid coyotes or a bobcat will killer her if she is out there alone. We are also afraid she will freeze in winter, which is fast approaching. We don't know what to do. I'm heartbroken and sick with worry. The guy who owns the field she is in won't let us on the property after 9:00 pm and said to stay out of his trees, where our cat often climbs. I'm sick about this.

Hi
I have the same problem. I adopted my family cat and was told I was keeping her in with me for too long and I should let her out. I had a couple of times my neighbours knocking at my door late at night letting her out and letting her in to my house. She has ran off to play during the night and the neighbours just laughed. She had to have surgery to remove most of her teeth. The vets advised me that she's gaining alot of weight and that I should reduce her food. I have reduced to 1 packet a day on the recommendation. I had a private chat with one of my neighbour asking them to let her out as its just her and I and I miss her and get worried for her. This was dismissed, however when I explained what the vets said they agreed. Again last night she was in their house and I am at my wits end. I do not want to ruin my neighbourly relationship however to let her in the house everyday. Then to presuming feeding her snacks then to watch me calling for her for an hour. I don't think I can do this anymore. For me neighbours if the cat is in good condition leave it alone. Don't mind petting and having fun not to make it a daily routine. It's just bad manners and quite frankly disrespectful.