Oh what a difficult situation and a horrible one. If it was me so just my opinion I would go ask her for your cat(s) back and make it clear how unhappy you are that she has taken advantage of your kind nature. If she refuses then I would speak with the police as I guess technically it's theft. The only risk would be if she moved your cats elsewhere and pretended not to have. Once back I'd keep all your cats in for some time to stop the first two going back.
I hope you can resolve this soon.

 

I'm in the other camp. You assume they are trying to "LURE" your cats in. Maybe the cats like it there. If they keep going back then obviously they enjoy their time there.

Sorry but... I wouldn't stop putting out milk for the neighborhood cats just because one neighbor said they don't THEIR cat drinking it. If you don't want your cat eating/drinking/visiting the neighbors the answer is simple. Keep them in your house or in your garden so they can't spend time/eat elsewhere.

As for locking them in... again.. if the cat's didn't like it they wouldn't go back once they were released. You say she lets them out for a few hours, we all have cats and we all know that if they didn't want to go back there wouldn't be much that could force them back inside that house. *IF* your neighbors move and suddenly some of your cats are missing then by all means contact the police with the vet bills, microchip information and kitten pictures and demand your animals back.

We have a few other members with indoor outdoor cats with the same frustrations. Their cats eat all over the neighborhood and they can't control the amount/quality of the food. It's part of owning and indoor outdoor cat and there isn't much you can do about it.

 

Pinkrosie,
This is a frustrating situation for sure...
I hope you have your cats micro chipped, since it's about the only way, to fully prove they are yours...

As MowMow said, this is one of the unfortunate outcomes, that can happen, if your cats are indoor/outdoor...

Personally, I would be relieved, that a cat was living indoors, with someone, rather than worrying about, if it got poisoned, shot, ran over, etc...

I hope you can figure something out...
Good Luck!
Sharon

 

Maybe you should contact your local animal control or humane society and see what you should do. What they are doing is illegal and they should be stopped. It's too bad that it's your neighbor doing this, it may cause some tension, but it doesn't seem like they care anyways. I hope it all works out for you, Good Luck!

 

How are they doing something illegal? THey are feeding neighborhood cats and allowing them into their house... what law are they breaking?

The OP says they let them out of the house again... if the cat want's to go back to it's home it has the chance. It's not the neighbors fault the cat doesn't go home....

Yes *IF* they move and take the cats, it's stealing... but that hasn't happened. Right now it's just a fear of the OP.

 

I know a lot of people feel differently about issues like this, and it is often a disparity related to culture, which I can appreciate; however, stories like this are on the (exhaustively long) list of reasons why my boys stay in unless they're with me on a leash and harness. Both being friendly thoroughbreds, I have no doubt in my mind that someone would snap them up if I let them out. I wish I could give you better advice than to just keep the cats in, as I know that doesn't work for everyone's situation, but I can't think of any other advice for you. Like MowMow said, if the cats want to be at the neighbors then at the neighbors they shall be. We all know how cats can be once they've made up their minds

 

I have lost a cat this way, and I have gained two cats this way. The one I lost wanted to be "over there", and be an "only cat". Not much I could do about it - she would go there and not come home.

The cats I gained were not chipped or collared and I didn't know they belonged anywhere else. So they became mine. And then I found out they belonged elsewhere, but it was too late. They would not go home. I figured it must be like children: some stay home forever, others grow up and move away.

 

Tell them you don't want them letting your cat in their house, period. They shouldn't be feeding your cats, you should be the one in control of that. Make sure the microchips have been registered so if these people try and claim that the cat is theirs you have some way to fight them.

Unfortunately I'm not sure if the authorities will care even though they are basically stealing your cats. As long as they don't refuse to give them back I don't think they are breaking any laws. They are simply WAY over stepping their bounds. It's difficult with cats because they are legally allowed to free roam (I believe) and thus be on other people's property and this makes stuff like "what can you do with a cat on your property" kind of iffy. Obviously you wouldn't go into someones yard and feed their dog or take him and bring him into your house, that's illegal, but once an animal is on your property I don't know what the rules are.

 

They shouldn't be feeding your cats, you should be the one in control of that.

The neighbor is feeding the neighborhood cats, not just these, which is totally his right. Once the cat is away from your house, I don't think you can implement "rules" for the neighbors to follow.

 

Sorry, but neighbor cat wanders into my yard and I want to feed it... suck it. I'm going to feed it. If I want to give milk to every cat in the freaking Northern Hemisphere and an owner doesn't like it... tough noogies.

If you don't want your cat eating/hanging out with anyone else then keep it at home.

 

Thank you all for reading my post and taking the time to reply.
I have discussed my tabby cats potential health risks with the vet, she advised not to give her cows milk, if cats are lactose intolerant, then only lactose free milk or water. I informed the neighbour of the vets advise, which she has ignored.
There are a few cats around here, and they all go around each others gardens, I have a stray staying in my shed at times!!
My objection was, when I accepted my first cat was happy there, and was thinking of cats happiness instead of my own, the very next day, my other cat had gone.
on one occasion, they even took my tabby from under a car "because it looked like a storm brewing"
I have no problem with my cats wandering, I have a problem with people locking them in their houses and letting them out at set times, and then (what appears to be) picking them up and taking them in.
Since I had a few words with the neighbour on Tuesday (as I didn't see my tabby for 2 days) my tabby has been home, sunning herself in the front garden and slept with me last night (first time in 2 weeks) she was also hungry today.
So, unless my tabby is fluent English and understood the conversation between my neighbour and myself, I think it seems fishy.
My main concern is if they move, and they take my tabby. But after all the comments, it seems I am doing everything I can legally do.
Yes, the cats are chipped.
He does put treats out on his path for the neighbours cats, but no other cats go in.
Apparently the poor stray tried to go in the other night and the neighbour said "next time he tries it, I'll club him across the head"
So, this makes me uneasy. But this isn't the issue, I am now rambling.
Thank you for all your replies. x

 

To be clear, I'm not saying the neighbor isn't being a jerk, I'm just not sure what can be done about it.

 

I completely understand everyones opinions.
It's difficult with cats, mine are rescues/unwanted/orphaned
I want them to enjoy life and I am lucky enough to have lovely fields around me, so the cats can be safe.
I just wanted to know if there was anymore I could do.
All the cats around here are well cared for and loved by all the neighbours. I think that's why the stray hangs around.
I have had lots of communication with the aforementioned neighbours, talked and PMing over facebook.
My tabby was 1 of 3 kittens I was given, they were 3 weeks old and the mother had been killed on a road. The mother was a stray but was looked after on a building site, until she died.
The weakest of the kittens died just a day later, the strongest of the 3 died 2 weeks ago (aged 3 years), the vet suspects kidney failure or feline leukemia. My tabby is the last surviving and I suppose I am slightly over protective.

 

I have no experience with indoor/outdoor cat situations, nor am I well versed in the legal system! What I do know is, if your gut is telling you something isn't adding up, then it makes sense to investigate further!

What stood out to me about your story, is that you are the one initiating the much needed conversation about the cat's care-arrangement. And your neighbor showed no interest in meeting Tabby's healthcare needs. I treat my cat like a child, if the childcare blatantly ignored the child's medical needs, I would not let my child return to that daycare place again.

I hope your Tabby will continue receive quality care

P.S. It might worth documenting all your conversations with your neighbor (date, time, copies of the dialogues, topics exchanged). You may never need it, but if you feel something fishy is going on, it's worth keeping notes on it.

 

I'm not sure you have anything legal to stand on with the cat going out, but I would investigate to see what the laws are in your area. Go to your local police station and ask. You might or might not have any rights, but you can find out easily enough.

 

You can do a search on your state's cat laws. Some states consider cats to be personal property. However, with the lack of actual theft I don't expect there to be any real recourse you can take. I understand your alarm though because it does seem like they feel the cat is theirs and if things progress you could lose your cat.

I feed neighborhood cats. Some are definitely feral but others might be owned. If someone approached me and said their cat couldn't eat something personally I'd stop putting out that kind of food completely. I have no control over who eats here but I do have control over what I feed. The lack of your neighbor's interest in respecting your cat's medical needs is alarming.

Thier threatening to move and keeping the cat inside while knowing the cat is yours is also alarming. The comment he made about clubbing the stray is mind-boggling- that leaves me speechless.

I hate to say it but the most responsible thing you can do is to keep your cat inside or harness train her. That is the only way you can ensure that your cat will not get dairy and will not be taken by the neighbor. It might be rough-going at first but in a few months she is likely to lose all interest in going out if kept indoors.

 

FYI everyone OP lives in Wales, UK, not the US; laws there may be very different than what we (Americans) are used to.

Pinkrosie, I found this simply by googling. Perhaps it applies to your area?
http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/cat-care-leaflets-2013/EG13_Cats_and_the_law.pdf

http://www.thecatgroup.org.uk/pdfs/Cats-law-web.pdf

I'm sure you can find more info if you have access to a computer or even a smartphone. Legally speaking, I don't know how most of our members can help you since most of us live in various areas of the world, laws even in the US can differ from city to city, different counties and regions, etc. Hope you find a good resolution though.

 

from the second article TC posted:​

A cat, may, for example, seek food from several homes or simply find comfort in another home without the new ‘owner’ having done anything that would make their adoption of the cat theft...​

 

Thanks to everyone for your helpful replies.
Thankfully, my tabby is home, she goes out when she needs the toilet and to sun herself and is in the rest of the time, which was her normal habits before the neighbour issue.
Although the neighbour put on his facebook, just last night, how they have 2 cats and 2 cars, I commented "Have you got another cat?" he then PMed me to say it was a figure of speech. lol.
So, I shall hold a firm stance on this, hopefully they will realise that it's more trouble than it's worth.

 

I am glad it is working out --- for now. I have indoor/outdoor cats and had a neighbor feeding them. They became overweight. Finally the neighbor stopped and they lost weight and it was better. Now my male is gaining weight again so he found another foster family. I can't do anything about it because once he is outside wandering out of my yard, I fully understand I can't control his environment. If he actually found a home he was happier in, I might not mind. I am not sure he has loved my home for some reason or he just is an outdoor cat that wants to eat and so he comes home at meal times. Otherwise, he doesn't seem to want much from me.

 

In the townhouse-condo complex I live in, there's a lovely cat that lives in the next row of townhouses. Daily he makes the rounds of all the townhouses and is very friendly and will flop down to have his belly rubbed. He's also very fat! One day he came around with a note attached to his caller that said, Please don't feed me, I'm on a diet. I admit I was one who was guilty of giving him a treat now and then, but I don't anymore, just scritches and belly rubs. You might try that with your cat and see if it makes a difference.

 

You can't stop them putting food out for a cat on their own property. If it was some kind of deliberate poison then it would be a different matter but it sounds a long way from that.

It's almost the same as the fact you can't stop an indoor / outdoor cat from catching a mouse - or an indoor cat from eating a bug.

I've even known cats eat fat mixed with seeds that I've put out for birds!