Hi, I wanted to tell our experience of 'sharing' a neighbours cat.
I've not been able to have another cat in my house for various reasons, and its hard for me. I love cats and my last one who passed a few years back was a fantastic and fluffy friend. So, when we moved home several years ago, I noticed a rather grumpy neighbours cat. He gradually got used to me saying hello, and eventually let me stroke his head. He was quite affectionate, just had the odd moody moment. Then came a time when his owners were away (about 3 weeks) and this cat started to become friendlier and more frequently visited our driveway. Several months progressed and one day he followed me indoors, just to the hallway, for a little head rub. Gradually he decided rather cheekily to shoot past me, and he entered our living room and jumped right up on a chair. There he stayed for a clean and sleep before leaving after an hour. I didn't feed him, yet he still insisted on coming into the house and went to that chair for weeks.
Fast forward 2 years and we had a by now very vocal cat sitting outside the house waiting for us to get up so he could receive cuddles and find his favourite spot when the owners were away. We talked to them about his visits, they were OK with it, and actually did not realise that he was showing signs of distress during their extended holiday absence (they have an automatic feeder for 5 days and then a friend was dropping in to feed regularly) He is an elderly cat and is well cared for. They don't have him on chairs or beds, so I think the novelty factor is what this cat likes at our place. I do feel guilty sometimes and am careful to make sure he goes home - he's too much of a distraction for me as I work from home.
If any of you have a neighbour who likes to pet your cat, like me, please don't feel bad. I always accept he is their cat, encourage him to spend time there. Through discussion with them, they know they can rely on me to look after him during any extended time away from home. I think we worked this one out. I just hope they decide not to move!
Purrs and paw prints to you all
x
I've not been able to have another cat in my house for various reasons, and its hard for me. I love cats and my last one who passed a few years back was a fantastic and fluffy friend. So, when we moved home several years ago, I noticed a rather grumpy neighbours cat. He gradually got used to me saying hello, and eventually let me stroke his head. He was quite affectionate, just had the odd moody moment. Then came a time when his owners were away (about 3 weeks) and this cat started to become friendlier and more frequently visited our driveway. Several months progressed and one day he followed me indoors, just to the hallway, for a little head rub. Gradually he decided rather cheekily to shoot past me, and he entered our living room and jumped right up on a chair. There he stayed for a clean and sleep before leaving after an hour. I didn't feed him, yet he still insisted on coming into the house and went to that chair for weeks.
Fast forward 2 years and we had a by now very vocal cat sitting outside the house waiting for us to get up so he could receive cuddles and find his favourite spot when the owners were away. We talked to them about his visits, they were OK with it, and actually did not realise that he was showing signs of distress during their extended holiday absence (they have an automatic feeder for 5 days and then a friend was dropping in to feed regularly) He is an elderly cat and is well cared for. They don't have him on chairs or beds, so I think the novelty factor is what this cat likes at our place. I do feel guilty sometimes and am careful to make sure he goes home - he's too much of a distraction for me as I work from home.
If any of you have a neighbour who likes to pet your cat, like me, please don't feel bad. I always accept he is their cat, encourage him to spend time there. Through discussion with them, they know they can rely on me to look after him during any extended time away from home. I think we worked this one out. I just hope they decide not to move!
Purrs and paw prints to you all
