A cat sit with no cat
Okay, the title is a bit exaggerated but it is close enough to a cat sit with no cat. On the day I arrived, the host told me that the cat spends a lot of time with the neighbours who they suspected were feeding her but when they asked, the neighbours denied that they give her food.
Two days into the sit, I could see that the cat is not eating and when I happened to see the neighbours, I said I am very worried because I am here to look after that cat but she is not eating. They told me that yes, she is eating the food that they give her. When I asked them to show me what they are giving her, they did not produce a tin or sachet, saying there was only a water bowl for the cat in their kitchen at the moment. So I don’t know exactly what type of food they are giving the cat.
I explained that I have been asked to look after the cat and I am responsible for its health and well-being so would they agree to not feed the cat while I am here. Fingers crossed that this this will work.
When I suggested to them that they might like to adopt a rescue cat, they said they already have a cat - ie, this one!
I also suspect that they keep the cat locked inside their house at night but as yet I cannot prove it, but I have a strong suspicion.
The pet parents are sad about this situation, they love their cat and want to continue to care for it themselves (food, grooming, brushing, visits to the vet, etc). This is not an abandoned cat, I think it is almost like a cat that has been kidnapped. The food that the neighbours give it might have a higher sugar content or whatever that makes the cat prefer it. Anyway, the night after I asked the neighbours not to feed the cat, there was a slight improvement in that the cat came to eat some dinner at the house.
All comments welcome!
NB. This is a repeat sit - I was here twice in the past before the cat was “kidnapped” by the neighbours.
This is sad for the HOs, but it is between them and the neighbors to resolve. Hopefully the cat is chipped so HOs can prove ownership.
Can you keep the cat indoors at night, unless that distresses her?
Hopefully they will stop feeding the cat. Just FYI, cats can’t taste “sweet”, like sugar. However, they could be feeding her some junk food that she prefers to anyting else.
Not a problem with indoor cats.
To latefor this one, but for any cat in the future, you should recommend they keep it indoors. Good for the health of the cat and good for all the critters cats prey on.
No, the cat can’t be kept indoors at night - she always was allowed to go in/out through the catflap day or night. But obvs it would be better if they neighbours do not lock her inside their house at night.
Thanks for explaining about the sugar thing - you put it more bluntly than I had dared to do that they might be feeding her some junk food that she prefers to what is offered by the owners.
I was in contact with the owners about this - they appreciate my help in trying to resolve the issue so that is what I am trying to do 
I’m guessing you’re not for the UK as it’s quite common for us to let our cats out, although some people do prefer them to stay in at night. It’s up to the owners to allow their cat out if they wish
I’d be asking for their phone number so that I could annoy oops phone them if the cat wasn’t eating again, in fact I’d be ringing their bell everyday at inconvenient times to check where the cat was. Yes I think I’d be very annoying ‘to help out’.
Calm down everyone- this is WHO I AM 
Ooh i dont like this.
Our beloved cat pumpkin had a second home for a few months- actually as a result of a friend sitting while we were on a different sit- little pumps didnt get enough attention so found our elderly neighbours a frw doors down and somehow made them think he was a stray (this cat is very well loved and at this point was about 4kg!).
He was getting fed freshly cooked chicken Breast and dreamies from them, and they were letting him in the house to sleep by the radiators so we just couldnt compete. The kids were gutted, and we did ask them to stop but they had a shrine to their dead cat in their living room, and absolutely adored our little pumpkin, and kept saying they were too old to get a cst of their own, so the whole thing was just really awkward. Even when he went up to like 6kg and the vet said he needed to be on a diet, they didnt stop.
In the end, their daughter needed to move in with her 3 cats so they completely stopped feeding and letting him in, and poor pumpkin got so stressed we had to put him on anti anxiety medication.
Thankfully,he is alright now. But he is still gone most of the day and we always worry that someone else is feeding him again!
Inspired by BonnyinBrighton I did knock on the neighbours’ front door yesterday to check that they are not feeding the cat anymore, and I requested that they do not keep the cat locked in their house overnight because I need it to be able to access the catflap so that it can come in and eat here (ie at home). Seems to have worked last night as the cat ate most of her wet food and I think she may have slept inside too as I heard the catflap this morning when she went outside.
I am hoping that at the very least the neighbours will accept and realise that there is a way in which we can “share” this cat. She can visit them in the daytime but she eats here and is free to sleep outdoors or here at home, but not inside their house every night.
Fingers crossed
My question is, if this has been an ongoing issue, why are you having to deal with it?
hi Cat-ophile I do not have to deal with it, the hosts did not insist that I try to fix this problem. I am happy to try to solve this issue - if I was not interested in helping, I would do nothing, believe me. I think the game-changer for me is that the neighbours lied to the pet parents by saying they are not feeing the cat, plus they are locking the cat inside their house at night and their house has no catflap = no way for the cat to get out if it wants to. Plus they seem to think that this is their cat now. What?
They have already been asked not to feed the cat but they decided that they want to feed it. I hope they will stop now. In my opinion they should not do that with their neighbours’ human children without permission and they should not do it with the cats either!
