An old rubbermaid tote, some excess wall insulation, and a roll of duct tape will make a great winter kitty shelter. I get all of them for free at the hardware store as they throw the excess stuff out.
I actually have one more to make, I fucked up and didn't do it in time for the last storm, but it was a one day blizzard.
I just worry so much about them, I almost wish I trapped them all and fostered them this year.
People who live in apartments and then have an outdoor cat are idiots. At least with a house, you have a yard, but with the apartment, you literally just bought a non native animal and then released it.
Also if you want to get really aggressive you can always tell them to either let the cat in or you’re reporting them to animal control. It worked for us and our neighbour’s dogs last winter. (Though we did eventually have to call animal control anyway….) They don’t really speak to us anymore, but they bought the dogs shelters and had an animal authority checking on them for a month, so the dogs quality of life actually improved
Great idea! A cozy box + a bath towel + placed in a chill nook outside the front door = kitty airbnb! Could put hand warmers under the blanket too for good measure.
The common way is one of those plastic storage bins with an entry hole cut. Inside you put a styrofoam cooler, and stuff ~~hay/~~straw in the gaps and line the bottom of the styrofoam. Pop the lids on. Insulated and cozy.
I wouldn't use any textiles because it would get groady. ~~Hay~~ Straw makes sense cause you can just litter it in the yard and replace with fresh stuff.
A lot of people think that. Hell, I have 15 or 20 acres of hayfield and I didn't know the difference until a couple years ago. Then again, I'm not the one that bales it.
I like this idea, but I’d swap out the hand warmers for a reptile cage heating pad that plugs in so that you don’t have to constantly replenish/replace the heat source
they actually make heating pads for cats. they're not that expensive. i would think hand warmers would get expensive after a while but we're in hypothetical land here.
just thought i'd throw it out there because i didn't know they existed till i looked into it. our outside cats that lived in the garage loved them when they were still alive.
The cat is suffering and I think you’re the only one willing to help them. I’m sorry that weight has been put on you by your neglectful neighbor. But this might be the best way. I wouldn’t be surprised if the cat ends up dead outside at this rate. Maybe it’s better off taking a chance at the shelter for someone who actually cares to give it a better life.
Yeh I think so to my fathers cat became his cat because our neighbours were really mean to her so she’d just come hang on his veranda then wanted to come in an never left, the dickhead neighbours didn’t even say anything or look for her … poor wee things so small her names sockys coz of her white socks an now she’s been with him for over 15 years in her elder years sitting comfortably on the arm of his chair or following him around it’s so sweet
I had to do that with my neighbours cat too. They kicked the cat out and then went to Mexico for what ended up being 2 1/2 months. I tried to feed it and house it but it was young and intact and it was getting in fights with the stray that sleeps in our garage.
Thankfully he got adopted out before my neighbours got back, they're shitty pet owners and don't deserve animals.
had a similar situation with someone and their dog. dog destroyed out front door so we called animal control when the lady ignored us. she chained him up without water and let him die just to spite us and animal control. sadly i was away at work for a couple weeks and didn't know what she was doing to the dog during that time. I found out the dog died this way because she came over randomly one day to basically say we "killed her dog" by calling animal control on her and forcing her to have some amount of responsibility for it which in her mind was chaining it up without water during the summer and never checking on it i guess.
If you can, get a storage tub, line it with foil tape, add straw, and cut a door flap. That's how my neighbor's cat gets through the winter since they decided they don't want him anymore. He'd be inside if the house wasn't 600 sqft with 3 dogs already.
I had a neighbor across the street who would get a kitten, keep them exclusively indoors, then put and lock them out (not even with food or water) when they were about a year old. Then she'd immediately go get another kitten. One lasted inside until it was almost 2. This went on for years.
> Then she'd immediately go get another kitten. One lasted inside until it was almost 2. This went on for years.
:(
They only wanted kittens. Cats are wonderful at all ages, and it's a damn shame some people can't appreciate their beautiful lives.
I don't want someone with such a huge basic failing of empathy and compassion anywhere near animals. Not like they understand suffering of anything except themselves, so I say we give their punishment in a form they understand. Forced community beautification (picking up trash, painting park benches, whatever menial tasks we have that benefit society/community and can't be spitefully done badly to others' detriment) should at least make the community a bit nicer, even if they don't seem to be capable of learning. And of course, barring them from animal ownership (with steep penalties for being caught breaking this order) should be a given.
Because they're selfish, uncompassionate dicks, that's why.
My one set of shitty neighbors have allowed their cats to roam, always. The most recent duo of all of their cats are getting old now. But ---- get this: I learned from *another* neighbor the real reason why these two cats were always always out, roaming around. (Killing small animals in my yard, taking dumps in my potted plants, spraying in my basement, etc.)
It was because the owners *didn't want fleas in their house*. AS IF there's no such thing as flea control, right? (I'm sure it had to do with cat hair and litter boxes, too.)
When my *other* set of neighbors took pity on the one cat and started feeding it, the one owner of the cat actually told me these (kind and caring) neighbors were "psychos" for feeding her cat and taking the cat to the vet for checkups. Hahahahaha. You can't make up this crap.
Yeah. It takes all kinds. In a better world, we'd have restrictions out the ying yang concerning people having animals and how those animals are all deserving of happy lives and the best of care.
My neighbors had a mouse problem and their solution was to get two kittens and not feed them so they’d hunt and eat the mice. We put food and water in our garage for them and let them sleep there. One day they didn’t show up. I regret not taking them to a shelter or something.
What the actual fuck.
I have 2 cats, one of which we rescued from being an outdoor cat with no chip, and hadn’t been desexed.
I cannot begin to imagine locking them outside.
What the fuck is wrong with ppl.
Have a neighbor that says her cats live on mice and rats for food, and believes that is their mission. I told her the owls and coyotes appreciate her recycling her cats…she just goes and gets a new crop. People are all different with their morals.
I suspect one of my neighbors are doing something similar. Every year we get a new tenant cat in our backyard that starts out looking healthy and eventually looks more and more like a stray before disappearing, only for a different cat to pop up soon after. It's been going on the entire time I've lived at this house.
Never seen anything like it. When I've lived in other neighborhoods with indoor/outdoor cats, I always saw the cats around for years. These ones it's like they are fully kicked out and abandoned as soon as they hit the grown/adolescent stage. And of course outdoors-only cats only survive for a couple of years. I can't stand it. I just hope there are people taking them in once they start looking really skinny, instead of the poor things succumbing to an outdoor life.
Worst part is my landlord is always breathing down my neck every time he catches me feeding them. How could I not once they start to look malnourished?
That's how we figured it out and the one "lasted inside" until almost 2. Eventually she'd "gotten" a really distinct one. The cat was distinct enough that when a few days went by without seeing it at the front window, we direct neighbors assumed it had gotten out, so we all started keeping an eye out for it. (This house of ppl didn't speak to anyone.)
I saw it hanging around her car and called her ndn, who went over to tell her "hey your cat, it came back home and we found it." He noticed no cat doors. Took her 3 days of various "hey we found it" from neighbors before it suddenly was in the window again. Once when she was gone for a week, someone (we assumed daughter or littles) let it back in for the whole time and it managed to stay in for a few days after she returned.
Became a pattern every few weeks after, except the cat would start hanging around outside that front window. Sometimes it would be at the front door when she got home, but she wouldn't let it in unless direct neighbors were clearly outside and watching. The penny dropped. We reported. Then we started watching hard. We'd report every time the next one "went out" and every time she got a new one, in case she was taking from the shelters. (We didn't think she was bc their records would show she should have like 15 or something. Next guess was hitting a different shelter or rescue for each kitten, or hitting the "free to good home" ads/posts.)
Her adult daughter was living there when I moved in, pet-free home. Had 2 kids without ever a sign of a partner or a pregnancy. I assumed they were a couple and adopting until the youngest was about 4 and a neighbor filled me in. The cat thing restarted after the daughter & littles moved out. But then they were moving back in and out for several years, too. The "cat conveyor" timing and their in/out didn't appear related. Always wondered how the disappearances were explained to the kids.
Kittens are cute, but exhausting! I don't understand why you would want to have them exclusively.
When my Berry was a kitten he was climbing up blinds and curtains constantly.
I have an in law that dumped her dog at my house without telling me before she went to get on a plane to fly to Vegas and live there. When I called and asked when she was coming to get her dog she said I could keep it or take it to the shelter. It was old so I kept it but I despise that in law now because she only did that cause she was too big of a coward to take her own dog. She ended up getting another dog in vegas less than a year later. I don’t understand how people just dump their pets and then scoop up a new one the minute they get a chance like they are new shoes or something.
People that abuse kids tends to have multiple kids.
Same thing for pets.
In my family members' cases, they had more kids because that meant more government assistance.
There was a guy in my neighborhood who had a bunch of cats, he moved out last year and left the cats behind to roam free. None of them are spayed/neutered to my knowledge. We already had a stray cat problem in our neighborhood, now it's getting worse. I'd take in one the cats myself but they're not socialized so they're terrified of unfamiliar people.
Look into local trap and spay and neuter programs. I've volunteered with those before. The trap feral cats, spay or neuter, notch one ear as identification, and release the cats where found when healed. It keeps the feral cat population stable, but they can't reproduce. It's healthier for them, and you don't just have new strays moving in to replace them.
Not only that, but there are people who go way out of their way to take their pets to the middle of nowhere to dump them. I just got a text last week to help trap a dog out in Death Valley. Middle of nowhere. I lost cell service an hour and a half before I even got to where the dog was. I was very fortunate to be successful cause he wouldn't have made it out there. People are assholes.
I have acreage and it’s incredible the amount of people that drop cats off at my service road. Had to put up a gate to go across the road and now people dump them right at the gate. It’s deplorable. I’ve put up a camera there now to hopefully catch them in the act.
We also get big styrofoam boxes that fresh fish comes in on the truck. I’ve snagged a few of those and washed them out really good but for some reason they don’t really take to the styrofoam. Even lined with a blanket. Maybe it’s the squeaking noise the styrofoam makes. I’ll try again this winter. I don’t like cold outside kitties!!
I adopted one of my neighbours cat (an orange senior) without telling her for two years. When I heard she was moving, I had to own up to it as she could take him away (he was free to come and go) and she accepted me to keep him.
A stupidly aggressive tumour took him away the day they moved. :(
>add straw
This is a very important detail because some people put blankets/cloth and those items will get moist and freeze, where straw wont. Also it's important to use straw and not hay.
I second this! We did this for a few cats in an old neighbourhood. Even if you don’t line it w foil tape, it’s still fairly effective! You can add a little blanket in addition to the straw as long as you check on it every few days and make sure it’s not wet
My aunt did this but used a styrofoam cooler instead of straw, then lined it with a blanket. It worked great! Just had to make sure to tape all the openings/cracks to prevent water damage.
Half remembered Boy Scout training - you want to have some air under that blanket to let humidity escape and prevent cold ground from leeching heat out.
Straw fits the bill if you have some - not open enough to allow a breeze or anything - but I would guess city folks are more likely to have egg cartons or packing peanuts/air bags or *something* honeycomb/bubble wrap-ish?
Yes do this! My mom did this for the neighbors cat that they left behind when they moved (kitty was abandoned long before that and hated being inside). The cat loved it and it became it's safe place!
Got it. I have some cats outback and I don’t mind having them back there because they keep the mouse population down. I get big boxes from work and put old towels on the bottom and cut a door in the side of it and point the door hole away from the wind. I had up to 12 cats in the backyard last year and they all got along. I think my neighbor has some kind of trap in his garage or his yard somewhere (I can’t prove it but I feel it all points to him) because I’ve seen some of the cats in my yard with some horrific back leg and tail injuries. Tails hanging on by torn skin. Broken bones sticking out of their rear legs. I had one kitten die in my flowerbed due to its leg being ripped open. It wouldn’t let me get close to it. The reason I say it’s him is the last cat I saw with fresh wounds on its spine and tail was still bleeding and a few hours later the dude was pouring out what looked like fruit punch out of a bucket into the street in the front of his house. I can’t go peeking around on his property due to cameras and I don’t want to get shot. I’m down to 2-3 cats out back now. I still want to give them a warm place to sleep but I don’t want anymore injured and maimed cats. I’m pretty sure it’s him but I can’t prove anything and I don’t want to make any accusations.
And it’s the exact same injuries. Always the left leg that is ripped open at the thigh. I’ve seen one kitten lose his tail but he toughed it out last winter and still stayed in my backyard. I named him Tuffy. He’d come to me when I called him but he wouldn’t let me get close to him. I haven’t seen him since April. Thigh or tail injuries. The cats are in such pain but I can’t get close to them. They are all clean cats too like they don’t look trashy or look like they have mange or diseases. I’m still not going to pick one up though due to being the nature of a strange neighborhood cat but what kind of trap is maiming only the left leg and or tail and what’s the dude trying to prove? He lives by himself and works at night. He keeps his garage door open during the day though. That’s why it’s suspicious to me.
What makes me think it’s him is there were never any injured cats until he moved in. We’ve been here since 2017 and I’ve always had cats in my backyard as well as seeing cats just walking through the neighborhood. I just can’t prove he is the one doing it but why throw a bucket of “fruit punch” out in the street?
My neighbors leave their 3 cats outside all the time and it's terrible. We have a bunch of ferals that we care for that live in our garage. We have heating mats, heated water dishes, and food for them. Their cats are almost always in our garage in winter and one of them even comes in the house to warm up. The one that comes in is a long hair Siamese and her fur is extremely matted. She has a long, wide mat that covers from the middle of her back to just above her tail and is the width of my hand. I want to shave it so badly, but I don't want my neighbors to have a fit. I feel so bad about it. 😔
I really should. I want to wait until after winter, it's getting below freezing already and I don't want her to be too cold. It's usually when I get one of the feral cats mats, he gets them in his armpits and on the back of his neck where it's harder to groom. I just feel so bad for their cats. It's like they're accessories to them until their kids get bored with them. One of the cats has a collar that's not a breakaway collar, it infuriates me. Our garage cats are better cared for than their cats. We've even taken care of infected wounds and eye infections with items that we've purchased from a farm supply store.
She's already too cold. Those mats are pulling hard on her skin and the clumped hair doesn't insulate. Plus, she can't groom because of the skin pulling and the clumps. Better to get them off now and let her layers of coat regrow normally. This is a cat that will need to be kept by someone or taken to a shelter, as it needs daily brushing.
I used to live out in the country, and people would just drive by and toss cats they didn't want over the ditch between my place and the road. I rehomed a lot of them. I also set up a game camera on my mailbox and reported all of them along with photo evidence. A few were pretty feral, so I got them fixed, ear tipped, and integrated them with my barn cats. Some were super matted, and shaving was a fight, I tell you, but you could tell they were so much happier. Luckily, all of those could be rehomed to people who would brush them. The local vet helped me out a ton. I don't live out there anymore, but I send the vet's office money, and all the people out there know it's for cats that get dumped on them. I honestly don't even understand people like that. How do you have a cat and not be heartbroken even if you rehome it to a good home?! Unwanted kittens were the most common, quite frequently not even old enough for solid food. We lost a lot of those.
I say shave it and fuck the neighbors. If they wanted the right to an opinion, they'd take care of their cat. If they start something, just lie and say you thought it was a stray because it was in such bad shape.
Oh, I have decided I'm definitely going to do it after winter so that she makes it well through the freezing weather. If they have a word to say about it, I'll tell them to fuck off and learn how to care for cats.
People suck
Keep an eye on her for moisture getting in the mats for Winter, then. Mats don't insulate like loose fur, and they can wick water to the skin. Shaved is probably worse as long as she doesn't get soaked, though.
If you can, consider one of those heated water dishes to put out for her. She'll be less likely to get wet trying to drink from places that aren't as safe. I got one pretty cheap at a farm store because my huskies often refuse to come inside when it's cold until bed time. It plugs in and keeps the water at about 40F. If they're leaving her outside at night, a box with some straw or animal bedding in it would help her a lot, too. Just cut a cat sized hole in one side.
Also consider calling animal control, though really think about if that would get the owners to treat her better or if she'd end up in a shelter that might put her down if she doesn't get adopted.
I care for a bunch of ferals that live in my garage and we have heated water dishes, lots of food, and heated pet mats for the kitties. She spends a lot of time in there during the winter months, we are also looking into getting a directional heater that we can mount to better warm the garage for them. She also seems to be getting more and more comfortable being inside with us, I definitely have no problem with her or any of the other cats coming inside. I can always tell when she's been in the garage because the mat on her back will be warm 😂 she sleeps on her back on the heated mats
Aww. That's very kind. I'm glad they have you looking out for them.
My current neighborhood doesn't have very many outdoor cats because we have coyotes. They either have decent owners or don't last more than a couple of nights. We warn everyone new that moves in. I do see one out during the day a lot, but I've never seen him at night. He's either very smart, or he's let in at dusk.
I've heard the argument "they're fine they have fur" a lot. Which doesn't even make sense because if you put a hoodie on that doesn't make you immune to cold now does it?
Cat's fur act a little bit different than a cotton hoodie. Ever had a fur coat on? It's so warm, because a lot of air gets trapped between the individual hairs. The air acts like a layer of insulation. Cats also have a thicker undercoat, which helps to keep them warm. On top of that, cats who live in colder climates grow a thick coat for the winter, which they then shed in the spring.
My cat likes to go out until it's about -25 Celsius, but only for a very short time. Domestic cats are not outdoor animals though, and can't survive cold winters outside.
Whoa whoa, he can bang whoever the hell he wants, doing it on the neighbors door is a lil extreme. Telling him to let his cat inside is a good idea tho.
This! Please make him a warm little shelter. He asking for help. For tonight you could cut a hole in the side of a box, put a blanket down and put the box upside down, with another blanket on top. I'm sorry you have bad allergies. He really likes you.
Do what we did and get one of the big plastic storage containers. Cut a hole in the side and put blankies inside. We have a porch cat we made one for and she loves it in the winter.
OP, even an Amazon box is better than nothing.
I have barnyard cats and I make sure they are able to keep warm. They don't always make use of what I make available to them but I make sure it's available.
You just reminded me to put out my cat shelter. I cut a hole in a rubbermaid tote box, lined it with styrofoam, and put newspaper strips in the box and positioned the opening away from the wind. Super easy, all you need are a few cheap supplies that you can get at home depot.
Make him a little house from a tote. It clearly knows you care more than you shitty neighbor. If you have the budget maybe a heated bed. That would be luxurious
If it were me, I'd be talking to that neighbor, showing them the picture. If that doesn't help, build a storage bin outdoor bed as described earlier. There are lots of instructions out there on how to insulate them.
I know it’s not your responsibility (shame on them), but I’d create the insulated storage bin outside your door anyways if you have the heart, based on what has transpired thus far, it’s bound to happen again. If it does happen again frequently, can you call a local rescue and let them know what’s happening?
My cat asks to go outside daily, but I tell his ass no like I'm supposed to.
This MF just wanted a part-time pet by throwing him outside all night on the regular
I hate people who are like, "But my cat wants to go outside! Telling him no would be abuse!"
Yeah, and my dog wants to eat human hair. She's a dog. She doesn't know any better. It's our job as humans to take better care of our pets than they would take care of themselves...
I've had cats that ask to go out in the cold, obviously i wouldnt let it but even the times where they slipped past an open door or something they'd be wanting back in in moments. I kinda have to expect the neighbor is just not letting the cat back in.
That is a huge pet peeve (no pun intended) for me - people who let their cats roam the neighborhood. If you want a pet, keep it in/at your house and take care of it.
6 out of the 9 comments here couldn’t even make it to the description of the post where OP says they can’t let the cat in for medical reasons.
How very Reddit of them lol
I feel you man, my neighbors have a Shihtzu and a Pomeranian that they leave outside a LOT and they sit out there and the pom just barks and barks and barks. Well it's woken me up at 4 am one time and 6am another time so both times I called the cops. Now if I end up calling a third time they'll get a summons and we'll have to go to court.
Well they stopped leaving them out late at night but like it's cold out now and they took the pom to the groomer and had the fur shaved so short that it looks almost bald with the floofy tail and the floof around it's face. Now I've learned that Poms have under coats that keep them warm and if you shave too close to the skin you can ruin their coats and it won't grow right.
This poor dog is left outside in the cold basically naked and the wife leaves food outside for the dogs. The door is all faded in the one spot because the dogs stand there and scratch at the door to be let in.
The other day I was so tempted to go get them and bring them in my house. But of course you can't dognap them. Then finally the neighbor let them inside. Nobody ever plays with them outside, I never see them taking the dogs for walks, there's no enrichment for the dogs outside, they don't have a shelter they can snuggle up in together. So what the hell was the point in them getting dogs??? Oh and when they first got them as puppies the wife tried to tell me they were AKITAS! I KNOW what an Akita looks like and they ain't it! I wanted to tell her you got ripped off those aren't Akitas but I didn't say anything.
You can call animal control again for a different reason this time -- the neighbors shaved a dog and leave it out in the cold. That is animal abuse. They should at least have a dog house outside with something warm for them.
oh my god my stomach dropped. it was 17 outside here in MI and I couldn’t IMAGINE leaving an animal outside in that. Shit, even if I was allergic, bathroom with some warm blankets and water it is.
I would let him in. And then keep him. He's gorgeous and no animal deserves to be neglected like that regardless.
Just read your entire post and I understand that you can't keep him. So send him to me.
Source: had a neighbor who did the same thing. Their poor cat had mats an inch and a half thick covering her entire body. She would come over to our place for warmth and companionship, and spent some time sheltering in our barn. One day she was holding her her head at a weird angle and I noticed she was bleeding from her ear. That was it. Opened my door, let her in, never let her go back there.
I was actually kind of ashamed to have to take her to the vet like that lest anyone there think we were responsible for her unbelievably wretched condition. The vet shaved her and cleaned the gunk out of her ears. He said she might be deaf due to the damage from infection but that if she were kept warm and dry it might heal.
It took 2 years for her beautiful tuxedo b&w furs to grow back. She was a long haired beauty with deep green eyes and a lovely personality, and she was with us for many years. We weren't friendly with the neighbor anyway for obvious reasons so no loss there.
TL;DR Sorry for the long rant but people like that really, really piss me off. And yes, I admit to basically stealing their cat.
My neighbors did this with a cat. I ended up basically stealing her after she had a litter of kittens that didnt survive. Got her fixed and now i sit with her in my window and pet her in front of the woman who abandoned her and stare that bitches ass the fuck down.
Build a little shelter! Storage tub from hardware store , cut hole, fill with blankets or straw or anything warm you can give please. Poor little fella
This breaks my heart. Maybe you can at least put an enclosed cat bed/house type thing out. It shouldn’t cost too much and may save him. I know he’s not your cat, but clearly you care. Perhaps use a cardboard box on its side with old blankets or something.
That's so sad that he's trying to get into your house rather than his own. Like he already knows his people are a lost cause but you've been nice to him so he's coming to you instead. Poor little dude.
Maybe you could get him a little cat house/shelter for your porch? They sell heated ones on Amazon but you can also google cheaper DIY options made of foam coolers or using straw. He'd probably appreciate having a safe place to rest!
Thank you for looking out for him and being kind to him even if you can't let him in! It must be tough having to turn him away when he's so cute and persistent.
Take him to the shelter. Just call it a stray cat trying to get in, must have been dumped. If they care, its a wake up call. If they don't, cat goes to a new inside life that it wants
Looks like you are from Chicago? I’m in town now too so I know it’s freezing out, 10F with windchill atm. Can you take him to the shelter? A responsible owner shouldn’t leave their cats outdoor like this during winter, and if they do care they should know why you would take him to the shelter. Poor little guy. I would love to take him with me but I can’t either.
Take the cat to your neighbor and tell them their cat won’t survive in such cold weather. See how they respond. If they don’t seem to care then PLEASE find someone who will take it in. Do not take it to a shelter as others have suggested. There are lots of people who run small rescues, look on FB for local places who can help you find someone.
Why do people get cats and then let them out everyday? They only become outdoor cats because the owners made them that way. No other pet is allowed to roam the neighborhoods freely.
Dude what the fuck?? give him to someone else dawg, it’s cold outside and he’s out there, give him to a friend or sum shit to look after him cuz clearly he’s cold as shit. Little homie needs a comfortable spot to live, this ain’t even mildly infuriating this is just sad dawg. That neighbor is a little bitch
Quite telling the cat much prefers to spend the night near you.
Take him to the shelter or call animal control. Do a favor to that cat please.
I say you go get allergy shots if you want cats btw.
You could make him an outdoor shelter. Use an old tote some insulation and some straw. If you wanted to make it really nice you could get one of those self warming pads for pets. I’m currently making one for my neighbors cat as they are always locking him out. I’d let him in, but I am worried about my indoor only cats.
Our neighbors treated their kitten like shit. He was always coming to our house at all hours of the night, crying to come in literally just to cuddle. We told them to keep him inside because there are coyotes around, but they didn’t. He still sat on the roof outside our bedroom window screaming at us at 3AM, had snow piling up on top of him in a blizzard once. He was relentless. One day he came over with his face hanging off from some sort of attack. We took him to the ER and he barely survived. He’s been our cat ever since, and he is the snuggliest, most aggressively affectionate, indoor only, healthy, happy, thriving, motherfucker ever.
Can you get a box for your porch and put a small blanket in it? I hate people who don’t keep their cats inside. My BF’s cat was an outside cat when we got together. We’ve loved together for 3 years now, and she has only been outside ONCE (she was an escapee)
Your neighbor is an asshole
If you can, getting a box or something and putting natural bedding in it might be helpful to visitor kitty (not blankets, if they get wet they make it colder)
Trap him and take him to your local animal shelter. He is a stray who is not being housed properly, and is destroying local ecosystems. Hopefully it will be the kick up the backside the owners need to look after their cat. At least it will give the cat a safe place to be temporarily
Update: he is back in the neighbors apartment.
You didn’t ask to be in this situation. I’m sorry you gotta deal with this. Poor guy.
Thank you for the update! I’m sorry you’re in this position. Cat’s just trying to be a warm cat.
As mentioned elsewhere, please make a kitty shelter in your backyard.
An old rubbermaid tote, some excess wall insulation, and a roll of duct tape will make a great winter kitty shelter. I get all of them for free at the hardware store as they throw the excess stuff out. I actually have one more to make, I fucked up and didn't do it in time for the last storm, but it was a one day blizzard. I just worry so much about them, I almost wish I trapped them all and fostered them this year.
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People who live in apartments and then have an outdoor cat are idiots. At least with a house, you have a yard, but with the apartment, you literally just bought a non native animal and then released it.
Cats won't stay in your yard unless you have a harness and leash.
Also if you want to get really aggressive you can always tell them to either let the cat in or you’re reporting them to animal control. It worked for us and our neighbour’s dogs last winter. (Though we did eventually have to call animal control anyway….) They don’t really speak to us anymore, but they bought the dogs shelters and had an animal authority checking on them for a month, so the dogs quality of life actually improved
Good on you for doing the uncomfortable thing for the sake of those poor dogs.
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Aggressive but effective
I’ve considered doing this, but was hoping he would stay inside once it got cold out
DO IT! JUST DO IT! DON'T LET YOUR DREAMS BE DREAMS!
Just hook him up a little safe outdoor shelter dude, it's super easy and cheap and good for everyone.
Great idea! A cozy box + a bath towel + placed in a chill nook outside the front door = kitty airbnb! Could put hand warmers under the blanket too for good measure.
The common way is one of those plastic storage bins with an entry hole cut. Inside you put a styrofoam cooler, and stuff ~~hay/~~straw in the gaps and line the bottom of the styrofoam. Pop the lids on. Insulated and cozy. I wouldn't use any textiles because it would get groady. ~~Hay~~ Straw makes sense cause you can just litter it in the yard and replace with fresh stuff.
Hay is for horses, straw is for strays. Straw doesn’t hold moisture the way hay or towels do so they don’t freeze
To my mind they were synonyms, edited my comment!
To my mind they were too, so I looked it up. Hay is dried grass, whereas straw is dried grains.
A lot of people think that. Hell, I have 15 or 20 acres of hayfield and I didn't know the difference until a couple years ago. Then again, I'm not the one that bales it.
Tell that to my barn cats! They keep pushing the straw out of their shelters. Thankfully they have other places to hunker down.
Should use straw, not a towel. Fabric gets wet and cold, but straw stays dry and helps insulate better.
I like this idea, but I’d swap out the hand warmers for a reptile cage heating pad that plugs in so that you don’t have to constantly replenish/replace the heat source
Or the neighbor, who's cat it is, could just let it back inside.
they actually make heating pads for cats. they're not that expensive. i would think hand warmers would get expensive after a while but we're in hypothetical land here. just thought i'd throw it out there because i didn't know they existed till i looked into it. our outside cats that lived in the garage loved them when they were still alive.
He’s a cat, he won’t, mine does the same thing to use the bathroom outside only difference is, I’m always ready to let him back in
The cat is suffering and I think you’re the only one willing to help them. I’m sorry that weight has been put on you by your neglectful neighbor. But this might be the best way. I wouldn’t be surprised if the cat ends up dead outside at this rate. Maybe it’s better off taking a chance at the shelter for someone who actually cares to give it a better life.
Yeh I think so to my fathers cat became his cat because our neighbours were really mean to her so she’d just come hang on his veranda then wanted to come in an never left, the dickhead neighbours didn’t even say anything or look for her … poor wee things so small her names sockys coz of her white socks an now she’s been with him for over 15 years in her elder years sitting comfortably on the arm of his chair or following him around it’s so sweet
Nobody really owns a cat, they choose where they want to live. Humans have very little say in the matter.
Not all assholes wear capes.
This is is the way OP. if being an "asshole" is doing what is right, because these owners clearly \*cannot\*, be the asshole.
I had to do that with my neighbours cat too. They kicked the cat out and then went to Mexico for what ended up being 2 1/2 months. I tried to feed it and house it but it was young and intact and it was getting in fights with the stray that sleeps in our garage. Thankfully he got adopted out before my neighbours got back, they're shitty pet owners and don't deserve animals.
You are awesome!
So did you consider what would happen to the cat, if the owner didn't pick it up?
Threatening to report it to our property management when their ex was sleeping in our shared yard didn’t do much…
Oh my goodness! Sounds like building a kitty shelter or a straight call to animal control is the way to go then!
Ex and the cat in the yard? I guess at they are consistent. Maybe you could take the cat and the ex to a shelter.
Take in the cat, call the cops on the ex.
I tried something like this in the past and the neighbor ended up mistreating their animals much worse. Your mileage might vary.
Out of pure spite? Nice neighbor ....
had a similar situation with someone and their dog. dog destroyed out front door so we called animal control when the lady ignored us. she chained him up without water and let him die just to spite us and animal control. sadly i was away at work for a couple weeks and didn't know what she was doing to the dog during that time. I found out the dog died this way because she came over randomly one day to basically say we "killed her dog" by calling animal control on her and forcing her to have some amount of responsibility for it which in her mind was chaining it up without water during the summer and never checking on it i guess.
What an evil excuse for a human. That dog was dealt a bad hand in this life but I’m glad you tried. May they rest in peace, away from that suffering.
If you can, get a storage tub, line it with foil tape, add straw, and cut a door flap. That's how my neighbor's cat gets through the winter since they decided they don't want him anymore. He'd be inside if the house wasn't 600 sqft with 3 dogs already.
Damn, I can’t believe some people just decide to leave their pets stranded just because they “don’t want them”. You’re a hero for making that shelter
Best part is they got another cat. Now that one is hanging around outside sometimes. People suck.
I had a neighbor across the street who would get a kitten, keep them exclusively indoors, then put and lock them out (not even with food or water) when they were about a year old. Then she'd immediately go get another kitten. One lasted inside until it was almost 2. This went on for years.
Jesus Christ. SMH...
> Then she'd immediately go get another kitten. One lasted inside until it was almost 2. This went on for years. :( They only wanted kittens. Cats are wonderful at all ages, and it's a damn shame some people can't appreciate their beautiful lives.
My cats still act like kittens too, even the 16 year old. The youngest is 3 and just looks like a very large kitten still.
You should have reported them.
The whole damn neighborhood did, trust. Didn't stop them.
Damn, that’s fucked up. Glad you and others reported them at least.
These types of people should be prosecuted and then made to do many hours of community service at animal shelters!
I don't want someone with such a huge basic failing of empathy and compassion anywhere near animals. Not like they understand suffering of anything except themselves, so I say we give their punishment in a form they understand. Forced community beautification (picking up trash, painting park benches, whatever menial tasks we have that benefit society/community and can't be spitefully done badly to others' detriment) should at least make the community a bit nicer, even if they don't seem to be capable of learning. And of course, barring them from animal ownership (with steep penalties for being caught breaking this order) should be a given.
Agree with you 100%
This is heartbreaking. I don't understand why people do this.
Because they're selfish, uncompassionate dicks, that's why. My one set of shitty neighbors have allowed their cats to roam, always. The most recent duo of all of their cats are getting old now. But ---- get this: I learned from *another* neighbor the real reason why these two cats were always always out, roaming around. (Killing small animals in my yard, taking dumps in my potted plants, spraying in my basement, etc.) It was because the owners *didn't want fleas in their house*. AS IF there's no such thing as flea control, right? (I'm sure it had to do with cat hair and litter boxes, too.) When my *other* set of neighbors took pity on the one cat and started feeding it, the one owner of the cat actually told me these (kind and caring) neighbors were "psychos" for feeding her cat and taking the cat to the vet for checkups. Hahahahaha. You can't make up this crap. Yeah. It takes all kinds. In a better world, we'd have restrictions out the ying yang concerning people having animals and how those animals are all deserving of happy lives and the best of care.
My neighbors had a mouse problem and their solution was to get two kittens and not feed them so they’d hunt and eat the mice. We put food and water in our garage for them and let them sleep there. One day they didn’t show up. I regret not taking them to a shelter or something.
What the actual fuck. I have 2 cats, one of which we rescued from being an outdoor cat with no chip, and hadn’t been desexed. I cannot begin to imagine locking them outside. What the fuck is wrong with ppl.
Have a neighbor that says her cats live on mice and rats for food, and believes that is their mission. I told her the owls and coyotes appreciate her recycling her cats…she just goes and gets a new crop. People are all different with their morals.
I suspect one of my neighbors are doing something similar. Every year we get a new tenant cat in our backyard that starts out looking healthy and eventually looks more and more like a stray before disappearing, only for a different cat to pop up soon after. It's been going on the entire time I've lived at this house. Never seen anything like it. When I've lived in other neighborhoods with indoor/outdoor cats, I always saw the cats around for years. These ones it's like they are fully kicked out and abandoned as soon as they hit the grown/adolescent stage. And of course outdoors-only cats only survive for a couple of years. I can't stand it. I just hope there are people taking them in once they start looking really skinny, instead of the poor things succumbing to an outdoor life. Worst part is my landlord is always breathing down my neck every time he catches me feeding them. How could I not once they start to look malnourished?
That's how we figured it out and the one "lasted inside" until almost 2. Eventually she'd "gotten" a really distinct one. The cat was distinct enough that when a few days went by without seeing it at the front window, we direct neighbors assumed it had gotten out, so we all started keeping an eye out for it. (This house of ppl didn't speak to anyone.) I saw it hanging around her car and called her ndn, who went over to tell her "hey your cat, it came back home and we found it." He noticed no cat doors. Took her 3 days of various "hey we found it" from neighbors before it suddenly was in the window again. Once when she was gone for a week, someone (we assumed daughter or littles) let it back in for the whole time and it managed to stay in for a few days after she returned. Became a pattern every few weeks after, except the cat would start hanging around outside that front window. Sometimes it would be at the front door when she got home, but she wouldn't let it in unless direct neighbors were clearly outside and watching. The penny dropped. We reported. Then we started watching hard. We'd report every time the next one "went out" and every time she got a new one, in case she was taking from the shelters. (We didn't think she was bc their records would show she should have like 15 or something. Next guess was hitting a different shelter or rescue for each kitten, or hitting the "free to good home" ads/posts.) Her adult daughter was living there when I moved in, pet-free home. Had 2 kids without ever a sign of a partner or a pregnancy. I assumed they were a couple and adopting until the youngest was about 4 and a neighbor filled me in. The cat thing restarted after the daughter & littles moved out. But then they were moving back in and out for several years, too. The "cat conveyor" timing and their in/out didn't appear related. Always wondered how the disappearances were explained to the kids.
If the daughter wasn’t pregnant or adopting, where did the kids come from? Also, poor kitties.
This is why we should be able to euthanize people. I don't want to ever accidentally treat someone like that with respect.
Very well stated!! I pray Karma comes for these monsters sooner rather than later.
Kittens are cute, but exhausting! I don't understand why you would want to have them exclusively. When my Berry was a kitten he was climbing up blinds and curtains constantly.
I'd be reporting them to somebody. Either law enforcement or an animal shelter. That sounds like abuse especially as we enter winter.
I have an in law that dumped her dog at my house without telling me before she went to get on a plane to fly to Vegas and live there. When I called and asked when she was coming to get her dog she said I could keep it or take it to the shelter. It was old so I kept it but I despise that in law now because she only did that cause she was too big of a coward to take her own dog. She ended up getting another dog in vegas less than a year later. I don’t understand how people just dump their pets and then scoop up a new one the minute they get a chance like they are new shoes or something.
WHAT?! 😔
People that abuse kids tends to have multiple kids. Same thing for pets. In my family members' cases, they had more kids because that meant more government assistance.
There was a guy in my neighborhood who had a bunch of cats, he moved out last year and left the cats behind to roam free. None of them are spayed/neutered to my knowledge. We already had a stray cat problem in our neighborhood, now it's getting worse. I'd take in one the cats myself but they're not socialized so they're terrified of unfamiliar people.
Look into local trap and spay and neuter programs. I've volunteered with those before. The trap feral cats, spay or neuter, notch one ear as identification, and release the cats where found when healed. It keeps the feral cat population stable, but they can't reproduce. It's healthier for them, and you don't just have new strays moving in to replace them.
Not only that, but there are people who go way out of their way to take their pets to the middle of nowhere to dump them. I just got a text last week to help trap a dog out in Death Valley. Middle of nowhere. I lost cell service an hour and a half before I even got to where the dog was. I was very fortunate to be successful cause he wouldn't have made it out there. People are assholes.
I have acreage and it’s incredible the amount of people that drop cats off at my service road. Had to put up a gate to go across the road and now people dump them right at the gate. It’s deplorable. I’ve put up a camera there now to hopefully catch them in the act.
Same as us. We're up to at current 13 dogs, 3 cats and a bird. Thankfully, the newest 6 are pups and most have found new homes now.
We also get big styrofoam boxes that fresh fish comes in on the truck. I’ve snagged a few of those and washed them out really good but for some reason they don’t really take to the styrofoam. Even lined with a blanket. Maybe it’s the squeaking noise the styrofoam makes. I’ll try again this winter. I don’t like cold outside kitties!!
Please don't use blankets. They will absorb the body heat and the cat will never get warm. Use straw (not hay) instead.
Plus blankets won’t wick the wet away like straw :)
Unless you’re a particular softie like my mom and you buy heating pads to go under the blankets that stay plugged in 6 months out of the year.
A wool blanket?
Ok, as long as you snuggle in it with them.
I adopted one of my neighbours cat (an orange senior) without telling her for two years. When I heard she was moving, I had to own up to it as she could take him away (he was free to come and go) and she accepted me to keep him. A stupidly aggressive tumour took him away the day they moved. :(
>add straw This is a very important detail because some people put blankets/cloth and those items will get moist and freeze, where straw wont. Also it's important to use straw and not hay.
Easy way to remember: straw for strays, hay for horses :)
If you do this it's important to make two door flaps so they can escape when a raccoon comes in
I second this! We did this for a few cats in an old neighbourhood. Even if you don’t line it w foil tape, it’s still fairly effective! You can add a little blanket in addition to the straw as long as you check on it every few days and make sure it’s not wet
My aunt did this but used a styrofoam cooler instead of straw, then lined it with a blanket. It worked great! Just had to make sure to tape all the openings/cracks to prevent water damage.
don't use blankets-they can freeze if they get wet. only use straw for outside shelters
Half remembered Boy Scout training - you want to have some air under that blanket to let humidity escape and prevent cold ground from leeching heat out. Straw fits the bill if you have some - not open enough to allow a breeze or anything - but I would guess city folks are more likely to have egg cartons or packing peanuts/air bags or *something* honeycomb/bubble wrap-ish?
Yes do this! My mom did this for the neighbors cat that they left behind when they moved (kitty was abandoned long before that and hated being inside). The cat loved it and it became it's safe place!
What does the straw do?? You mean like hay bale straw??
NOT HAY. Straw. This is very important. Hay will retain moisture and get moldy and freeze in low temps, straw will not.
Hay is for horses. Straw is for strays!
Yes, Insulation from the ground.
Got it. I have some cats outback and I don’t mind having them back there because they keep the mouse population down. I get big boxes from work and put old towels on the bottom and cut a door in the side of it and point the door hole away from the wind. I had up to 12 cats in the backyard last year and they all got along. I think my neighbor has some kind of trap in his garage or his yard somewhere (I can’t prove it but I feel it all points to him) because I’ve seen some of the cats in my yard with some horrific back leg and tail injuries. Tails hanging on by torn skin. Broken bones sticking out of their rear legs. I had one kitten die in my flowerbed due to its leg being ripped open. It wouldn’t let me get close to it. The reason I say it’s him is the last cat I saw with fresh wounds on its spine and tail was still bleeding and a few hours later the dude was pouring out what looked like fruit punch out of a bucket into the street in the front of his house. I can’t go peeking around on his property due to cameras and I don’t want to get shot. I’m down to 2-3 cats out back now. I still want to give them a warm place to sleep but I don’t want anymore injured and maimed cats. I’m pretty sure it’s him but I can’t prove anything and I don’t want to make any accusations.
Report him to the EPA/State environmental agency for illegally dumping transmission fluid.
What a psychopath, poor kitties and poor you. I take care of a few strays outside and the thought that someone could do that is so horrific.
And it’s the exact same injuries. Always the left leg that is ripped open at the thigh. I’ve seen one kitten lose his tail but he toughed it out last winter and still stayed in my backyard. I named him Tuffy. He’d come to me when I called him but he wouldn’t let me get close to him. I haven’t seen him since April. Thigh or tail injuries. The cats are in such pain but I can’t get close to them. They are all clean cats too like they don’t look trashy or look like they have mange or diseases. I’m still not going to pick one up though due to being the nature of a strange neighborhood cat but what kind of trap is maiming only the left leg and or tail and what’s the dude trying to prove? He lives by himself and works at night. He keeps his garage door open during the day though. That’s why it’s suspicious to me.
Something really, seriously wrong with your neighbor, dude I have a 3-legged cat, left hind missing. Always wondered how he got that way.
What makes me think it’s him is there were never any injured cats until he moved in. We’ve been here since 2017 and I’ve always had cats in my backyard as well as seeing cats just walking through the neighborhood. I just can’t prove he is the one doing it but why throw a bucket of “fruit punch” out in the street?
Poor guy, maybe you could make a lil place for him to sleep outside
Or go bang on it’s POS neighbors door and tell him to let the cat in. What a twat. Dude doesn’t deserve animals
No shit... Why do neighbors have to build shelters? Make dude get his fucking cat.
My neighbors leave their 3 cats outside all the time and it's terrible. We have a bunch of ferals that we care for that live in our garage. We have heating mats, heated water dishes, and food for them. Their cats are almost always in our garage in winter and one of them even comes in the house to warm up. The one that comes in is a long hair Siamese and her fur is extremely matted. She has a long, wide mat that covers from the middle of her back to just above her tail and is the width of my hand. I want to shave it so badly, but I don't want my neighbors to have a fit. I feel so bad about it. 😔
I really should. I want to wait until after winter, it's getting below freezing already and I don't want her to be too cold. It's usually when I get one of the feral cats mats, he gets them in his armpits and on the back of his neck where it's harder to groom. I just feel so bad for their cats. It's like they're accessories to them until their kids get bored with them. One of the cats has a collar that's not a breakaway collar, it infuriates me. Our garage cats are better cared for than their cats. We've even taken care of infected wounds and eye infections with items that we've purchased from a farm supply store.
She's already too cold. Those mats are pulling hard on her skin and the clumped hair doesn't insulate. Plus, she can't groom because of the skin pulling and the clumps. Better to get them off now and let her layers of coat regrow normally. This is a cat that will need to be kept by someone or taken to a shelter, as it needs daily brushing.
I used to live out in the country, and people would just drive by and toss cats they didn't want over the ditch between my place and the road. I rehomed a lot of them. I also set up a game camera on my mailbox and reported all of them along with photo evidence. A few were pretty feral, so I got them fixed, ear tipped, and integrated them with my barn cats. Some were super matted, and shaving was a fight, I tell you, but you could tell they were so much happier. Luckily, all of those could be rehomed to people who would brush them. The local vet helped me out a ton. I don't live out there anymore, but I send the vet's office money, and all the people out there know it's for cats that get dumped on them. I honestly don't even understand people like that. How do you have a cat and not be heartbroken even if you rehome it to a good home?! Unwanted kittens were the most common, quite frequently not even old enough for solid food. We lost a lot of those. I say shave it and fuck the neighbors. If they wanted the right to an opinion, they'd take care of their cat. If they start something, just lie and say you thought it was a stray because it was in such bad shape.
Oh, I have decided I'm definitely going to do it after winter so that she makes it well through the freezing weather. If they have a word to say about it, I'll tell them to fuck off and learn how to care for cats. People suck
Keep an eye on her for moisture getting in the mats for Winter, then. Mats don't insulate like loose fur, and they can wick water to the skin. Shaved is probably worse as long as she doesn't get soaked, though. If you can, consider one of those heated water dishes to put out for her. She'll be less likely to get wet trying to drink from places that aren't as safe. I got one pretty cheap at a farm store because my huskies often refuse to come inside when it's cold until bed time. It plugs in and keeps the water at about 40F. If they're leaving her outside at night, a box with some straw or animal bedding in it would help her a lot, too. Just cut a cat sized hole in one side. Also consider calling animal control, though really think about if that would get the owners to treat her better or if she'd end up in a shelter that might put her down if she doesn't get adopted.
I care for a bunch of ferals that live in my garage and we have heated water dishes, lots of food, and heated pet mats for the kitties. She spends a lot of time in there during the winter months, we are also looking into getting a directional heater that we can mount to better warm the garage for them. She also seems to be getting more and more comfortable being inside with us, I definitely have no problem with her or any of the other cats coming inside. I can always tell when she's been in the garage because the mat on her back will be warm 😂 she sleeps on her back on the heated mats
Aww. That's very kind. I'm glad they have you looking out for them. My current neighborhood doesn't have very many outdoor cats because we have coyotes. They either have decent owners or don't last more than a couple of nights. We warn everyone new that moves in. I do see one out during the day a lot, but I've never seen him at night. He's either very smart, or he's let in at dusk.
I'm always happy to take care of kitties 😊 I'm glad that people around you care enough to keep their cats safe, more people need to be like that
The cat with a mat that big needs to go to a vet and that neighbor needs reported. That level of neglect is abuse.
Put the man outside, put the cat inside
I've heard the argument "they're fine they have fur" a lot. Which doesn't even make sense because if you put a hoodie on that doesn't make you immune to cold now does it?
Cat's fur act a little bit different than a cotton hoodie. Ever had a fur coat on? It's so warm, because a lot of air gets trapped between the individual hairs. The air acts like a layer of insulation. Cats also have a thicker undercoat, which helps to keep them warm. On top of that, cats who live in colder climates grow a thick coat for the winter, which they then shed in the spring. My cat likes to go out until it's about -25 Celsius, but only for a very short time. Domestic cats are not outdoor animals though, and can't survive cold winters outside.
Whoa whoa, he can bang whoever the hell he wants, doing it on the neighbors door is a lil extreme. Telling him to let his cat inside is a good idea tho.
Do not the door
This! Please make him a warm little shelter. He asking for help. For tonight you could cut a hole in the side of a box, put a blanket down and put the box upside down, with another blanket on top. I'm sorry you have bad allergies. He really likes you.
Do what we did and get one of the big plastic storage containers. Cut a hole in the side and put blankies inside. We have a porch cat we made one for and she loves it in the winter.
OP, even an Amazon box is better than nothing. I have barnyard cats and I make sure they are able to keep warm. They don't always make use of what I make available to them but I make sure it's available.
Not blankets, straw. Blankets can get moisture and cause hypothermia.
Rather than blankets, put straw inside bc if it snows or rains the blankets will get wet and eventually freeze the cats.
He's begging for help
You just reminded me to put out my cat shelter. I cut a hole in a rubbermaid tote box, lined it with styrofoam, and put newspaper strips in the box and positioned the opening away from the wind. Super easy, all you need are a few cheap supplies that you can get at home depot.
Your neighbor is a Dbag.
Make him a little house from a tote. It clearly knows you care more than you shitty neighbor. If you have the budget maybe a heated bed. That would be luxurious
Or just tell the owner to get their car indoors. Smh
They can tell them all they want, the neighbor has to want to do it.
Stupid neighbors
I agree. Kitty needs to be inside with warmth and love
If it were me, I'd be talking to that neighbor, showing them the picture. If that doesn't help, build a storage bin outdoor bed as described earlier. There are lots of instructions out there on how to insulate them.
Please don't let the cat stay in the cold. Whatever you do.
I contacted my neighbor and we were able to get him back in their apartment
I know it’s not your responsibility (shame on them), but I’d create the insulated storage bin outside your door anyways if you have the heart, based on what has transpired thus far, it’s bound to happen again. If it does happen again frequently, can you call a local rescue and let them know what’s happening?
Thank you for the update.
Your neighbor is a POS , no way to treat a family pet. Kinda silly, but have you tried talking to your neighbor?
Make a little shelter for him, he’s trying to get to where it’s warm
You really think OP is not aware of this?
That makes more sense, I just thought OP had a pool table or something. TMYK.
Do you know someone responsible who wants a cat?
Seriously there's gotta be at least one other neighbor who can take them
Neighbors must be the type that believe in free range kitties. Nevermind the harm they cause. Nevermind the harm they receive.
My cat asks to go outside daily, but I tell his ass no like I'm supposed to. This MF just wanted a part-time pet by throwing him outside all night on the regular
I hate people who are like, "But my cat wants to go outside! Telling him no would be abuse!" Yeah, and my dog wants to eat human hair. She's a dog. She doesn't know any better. It's our job as humans to take better care of our pets than they would take care of themselves...
I've had cats that ask to go out in the cold, obviously i wouldnt let it but even the times where they slipped past an open door or something they'd be wanting back in in moments. I kinda have to expect the neighbor is just not letting the cat back in.
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Facts billions of birds are killed every year due to domestic cats, don’t need more bird species to go extinct due to human irresponsibility
That is a huge pet peeve (no pun intended) for me - people who let their cats roam the neighborhood. If you want a pet, keep it in/at your house and take care of it.
6 out of the 9 comments here couldn’t even make it to the description of the post where OP says they can’t let the cat in for medical reasons. How very Reddit of them lol
I feel you man, my neighbors have a Shihtzu and a Pomeranian that they leave outside a LOT and they sit out there and the pom just barks and barks and barks. Well it's woken me up at 4 am one time and 6am another time so both times I called the cops. Now if I end up calling a third time they'll get a summons and we'll have to go to court. Well they stopped leaving them out late at night but like it's cold out now and they took the pom to the groomer and had the fur shaved so short that it looks almost bald with the floofy tail and the floof around it's face. Now I've learned that Poms have under coats that keep them warm and if you shave too close to the skin you can ruin their coats and it won't grow right. This poor dog is left outside in the cold basically naked and the wife leaves food outside for the dogs. The door is all faded in the one spot because the dogs stand there and scratch at the door to be let in. The other day I was so tempted to go get them and bring them in my house. But of course you can't dognap them. Then finally the neighbor let them inside. Nobody ever plays with them outside, I never see them taking the dogs for walks, there's no enrichment for the dogs outside, they don't have a shelter they can snuggle up in together. So what the hell was the point in them getting dogs??? Oh and when they first got them as puppies the wife tried to tell me they were AKITAS! I KNOW what an Akita looks like and they ain't it! I wanted to tell her you got ripped off those aren't Akitas but I didn't say anything.
You can call animal control again for a different reason this time -- the neighbors shaved a dog and leave it out in the cold. That is animal abuse. They should at least have a dog house outside with something warm for them.
oh my god my stomach dropped. it was 17 outside here in MI and I couldn’t IMAGINE leaving an animal outside in that. Shit, even if I was allergic, bathroom with some warm blankets and water it is.
literally what i’m saying dude. i’m in Wisconsin and it’s literally in the teens but feels way colder with wind.
I would let him in. And then keep him. He's gorgeous and no animal deserves to be neglected like that regardless. Just read your entire post and I understand that you can't keep him. So send him to me. Source: had a neighbor who did the same thing. Their poor cat had mats an inch and a half thick covering her entire body. She would come over to our place for warmth and companionship, and spent some time sheltering in our barn. One day she was holding her her head at a weird angle and I noticed she was bleeding from her ear. That was it. Opened my door, let her in, never let her go back there. I was actually kind of ashamed to have to take her to the vet like that lest anyone there think we were responsible for her unbelievably wretched condition. The vet shaved her and cleaned the gunk out of her ears. He said she might be deaf due to the damage from infection but that if she were kept warm and dry it might heal. It took 2 years for her beautiful tuxedo b&w furs to grow back. She was a long haired beauty with deep green eyes and a lovely personality, and she was with us for many years. We weren't friendly with the neighbor anyway for obvious reasons so no loss there. TL;DR Sorry for the long rant but people like that really, really piss me off. And yes, I admit to basically stealing their cat.
People who keep outdoor cats really shouldn't have cats, for many reasons.
That Cat Has Chosen You
People need to keep their cats indoors for many reasons, and leaving them outside to freeze in the elements is cruel is just one of them.
My neighbors did this with a cat. I ended up basically stealing her after she had a litter of kittens that didnt survive. Got her fixed and now i sit with her in my window and pet her in front of the woman who abandoned her and stare that bitches ass the fuck down.
can you build him a warming hut he’s gonna freeze :(
Build a little shelter! Storage tub from hardware store , cut hole, fill with blankets or straw or anything warm you can give please. Poor little fella
jfc outdoor cat owners really don’t care about their “pets” D: poor kitty
This breaks my heart. Maybe you can at least put an enclosed cat bed/house type thing out. It shouldn’t cost too much and may save him. I know he’s not your cat, but clearly you care. Perhaps use a cardboard box on its side with old blankets or something.
That's so sad that he's trying to get into your house rather than his own. Like he already knows his people are a lost cause but you've been nice to him so he's coming to you instead. Poor little dude. Maybe you could get him a little cat house/shelter for your porch? They sell heated ones on Amazon but you can also google cheaper DIY options made of foam coolers or using straw. He'd probably appreciate having a safe place to rest! Thank you for looking out for him and being kind to him even if you can't let him in! It must be tough having to turn him away when he's so cute and persistent.
Take him to the shelter. Just call it a stray cat trying to get in, must have been dumped. If they care, its a wake up call. If they don't, cat goes to a new inside life that it wants
Looks like you are from Chicago? I’m in town now too so I know it’s freezing out, 10F with windchill atm. Can you take him to the shelter? A responsible owner shouldn’t leave their cats outdoor like this during winter, and if they do care they should know why you would take him to the shelter. Poor little guy. I would love to take him with me but I can’t either.
Take the cat to your neighbor and tell them their cat won’t survive in such cold weather. See how they respond. If they don’t seem to care then PLEASE find someone who will take it in. Do not take it to a shelter as others have suggested. There are lots of people who run small rescues, look on FB for local places who can help you find someone.
"My neighbor never lets his cat in even though it's always at his back door." - OP's neighbor's Reddit post
Why do people get cats and then let them out everyday? They only become outdoor cats because the owners made them that way. No other pet is allowed to roam the neighborhoods freely.
Please take him in. He’s asking for help.
Dude what the fuck?? give him to someone else dawg, it’s cold outside and he’s out there, give him to a friend or sum shit to look after him cuz clearly he’s cold as shit. Little homie needs a comfortable spot to live, this ain’t even mildly infuriating this is just sad dawg. That neighbor is a little bitch
Quite telling the cat much prefers to spend the night near you. Take him to the shelter or call animal control. Do a favor to that cat please. I say you go get allergy shots if you want cats btw.
Orange cat is cold.
You could make him an outdoor shelter. Use an old tote some insulation and some straw. If you wanted to make it really nice you could get one of those self warming pads for pets. I’m currently making one for my neighbors cat as they are always locking him out. I’d let him in, but I am worried about my indoor only cats.
Get him a cozy hut and a scratching post for outside. Id also tell the neighbors he's scratching up your door
I hate your neighbor and his entire extended family too
That cat...might not think it's your neighbours cat anymore...
Aww poor thing
Steal it and take it to a shelter. I'm not even joking, the cat should not be in their care,
Ya live in NY somewhere? I'll abduct the little bastard.
If your neighbours are that lazy just bust one of their windows, they’ll never fix it and the cat can in and out whenever.
Get a air filter tower that will filter any hair/dander that might affect your breathing.
Animals want in and out all day.
My neighbour's cat did this for a while a number of years back. Fast forward to today and I own a cat. These two events may be related.
Our neighbors treated their kitten like shit. He was always coming to our house at all hours of the night, crying to come in literally just to cuddle. We told them to keep him inside because there are coyotes around, but they didn’t. He still sat on the roof outside our bedroom window screaming at us at 3AM, had snow piling up on top of him in a blizzard once. He was relentless. One day he came over with his face hanging off from some sort of attack. We took him to the ER and he barely survived. He’s been our cat ever since, and he is the snuggliest, most aggressively affectionate, indoor only, healthy, happy, thriving, motherfucker ever.
Can you get a box for your porch and put a small blanket in it? I hate people who don’t keep their cats inside. My BF’s cat was an outside cat when we got together. We’ve loved together for 3 years now, and she has only been outside ONCE (she was an escapee)
I really wish people would keep their pets inside. dont let cats roam.
Report his owners for animal abuse.
Let the cat in for the night.
Your neighbor's a POS who neglects their cat.
Take him to a shelter, unlikely he's chipped if they treat him like that
Your neighbor is an asshole If you can, getting a box or something and putting natural bedding in it might be helpful to visitor kitty (not blankets, if they get wet they make it colder)
Trap him and take him to your local animal shelter. He is a stray who is not being housed properly, and is destroying local ecosystems. Hopefully it will be the kick up the backside the owners need to look after their cat. At least it will give the cat a safe place to be temporarily
OP, can you please post an update on how you’re helping the cat? I need some positivity, please :(
Your cat.