People being over fussy about cat welfare

Our much loved 19-year-old cat was being well looked after by my lovely cat-loving neighbour while we were away for a few days. Yes, he was old and not as shiny and quick as he had been in his prime, but he was perfectly happy with his lot.

A neighbour at the very bottom of our road spotted him near her house and took pity on him, fed and fussed him and decided to claim him to "give him a better life". It thoroughly confused him and just two days after we returned he plodded home and promptly collapsed in the hall and died. The vet was 100% certain that the stress of being fed in a strange house had prompted this.

Cats are pretty resilient. I should know. I would love one, but time for me to travel.

We get this on our local FB page, too.

It's ridiculous, I agree. Who pays when a perfectly fit cat is kidnapped and taken to the vet? I've never had a cat of my own, but I'm sure I wouldn't be best pleased if I had one and a meddlesome neighbour caused me to have pay a vet to identify it when it had been happily prowling round the area.

We do get a lot of posts which are clearly signalling to everyone how caring and kindly the posters are though. One even took a photo of herself giving coffee to a homeless man, who then had to abandon his pitch because he owed someone money and was recognised. Ironically, his pitch was in front of an independent cafe, and the owner gave him free coffee all day away.

Posting about 'stray' cats, and dogs waiting in cars for the time it takes to post a letter seems to me to have similar motives.

A few doors from me there’s a cat which loves to sit on my garden chair. The owner asked me not to feed it, which I don’t anyway. I loved it.
The owner decided to move out of the area, and believe me, the cat used to cross a few busy roads, but it still found its way to my garden chair. Gorgeous little thing. He/she hasn’t come round, for a few weeks. I hope he’s ok.

We have a neighbourhood forum where people often post pics of cats they have seen wondering who the owner is. Why?
The cats look well fed, wearing collars with a bell sometimes. Then someone will pop up and say that is my cat please don’t feed her or similar.
Is very strange.
When I see cats in the garden or in the street it doesn’t give me any concern unless the cat looks mangy, too thin, with obvious wounds or infected eyes.
Signs of neglect.
We had cats for years and they roamed far and wide.

pably15

cats wander..its what they do, If you start feeding a cat, he might not go home.

Which is what I suspect is half the reason for the "missing" cats around my way - it seems too coincidental that we have so many posts by people reporting their missing animal and then so many saying they have cats visiting their house and they are giving them fuss, food, etc.

cats wander..its what they do, If you start feeding a cat, he might not go home.

Oreo

It’s beyond ridiculous isn’t it? Cats enjoy having a wander, always have done.
It’s nosy neighbour syndrome.

I just wish the blessed cats would wander elsewhere and NOT leave stinking little piles of poop in my garden!

It’s beyond ridiculous isn’t it? Cats enjoy having a wander, always have done.
It’s nosy neighbour syndrome.

MartavTaurus

Our DD in London has a skinny rescue cat. He has always been so.
The batty neighbour keeps putting him in a box and taking it to the vet saying he is undernourished!

Leave the cats alone!

Oh that’s so annoying! Almost as annoying as people who insist on feeding other people’s cats!

Cossy

It’s a hard one I guess with so many “house cats”. Our local Next Door Site is full of “missing” cats, 90% of whom stroll back home a few days later none the worse for wear.

Having four dogs, cats rarely wander into our garden and if they do, don’t stick around for long haha

Absolutely Cossy!

Half the time the "missing cats" are probably ones that that some people assume are strays, and feed them etc (or worse, send them to the RSPCA which in the case of an older or unwell cat could result in them being euthanised.)

Our DD in London has a skinny rescue cat. He has always been so.
The batty neighbour keeps putting him in a box and taking it to the vet saying he is undernourished!

Leave the cats alone!

It’s a hard one I guess with so many “house cats”. Our local Next Door Site is full of “missing” cats, 90% of whom stroll back home a few days later none the worse for wear.

Having four dogs, cats rarely wander into our garden and if they do, don’t stick around for long haha