General Chat

my neighbours cat took to my house when i first moved in, altho i told them it came in n if it was ever missing and lilman was playing out so the door was open chances are it would be on my bed, and it usually was, altho i dnt encourage him as stray doesnt like him, but wen the door is open in summer i dnt notice him sneaking in, till i go upstairs n spot him,

as for the lil dog, as long as he has food, water, shelter and access to the outdoors, and company, then i wouldnt ring the authoritys, unless the dog looks neglected ie, hes thin loosing hair tht sort of thing,

if its just a case of for the past 4 weeks somthing has changed and the owner had to be away but is making adiquete arrangments fort he dog, then id maybe have a word n offer to help if you could, or just keep an eye out to make sure the animal doesnt get to distressed, or to thin etc.

I do know the circumstances. They do not excuse the owner leaving their animals alone for this amount of time.

I have been feeding the animals for the owner at times over the last 18months, bringing the dog round to my house if she keeps barking, thinking that the cause could be loneliness. I do not have a cat flap for her to go out of at night & have an old dog of my own (who objects to sharing), so I cannot have her round here over night.

I do feel that this Jack Russell should have company, the cats have each other.


The now fully grown cats were kittens when I first fed them & their mother. They very quickly realized that if they came round to my house I would go round & feed them. I have never fed them in my house or garden, but lean over & put food in a dish in their own garden. When I said they had moved in I meant that if I leave window or door open they come in & curl up in my warm sitting room, making themselves quite at home.

why dont you offer to look after the dog in
your own home Carol

be neighborly
that's what i would do if i was really concerned
though i know my neighbors so well
i am sure they would of asked me to do that anyway

you never know
you and the neighbor could become real good friends

I would imagine, If RSPCA get involved through an anonymous caller or otherwise, suspicion will likely fall on the nearest neighbours, those who can see into the back garden & to the front of the house to be able to report this man & his dogs every move.

I really hope Carol thinks hard if that dog is truly suffering or not.

I would hate this man to be going through a challenging time to then be copped with accusations of mistreatment. :o((

I think it's important to find out (and perhaps offer help if needed) to the owner of the animals.
So speaks someone who, for the past 4 years has waited with baited breath for the RSPCA to knock on her door!
Why? One of my cats is a midget, another looks like his tail is broken and the 3rd, in the summer looks like he's starved!!!!
The 'midget' Betty has never been without food, isn't particularly bullied (any more than she bullies) by her 2 brothers.

Mr Miu - we first noticed hs tail was 'cock-eyed' when he was about 4 weeks old - when kittens first put their tails up. He was taken straight to the vet, who said it wasn't broken - it was a congenital defect - as are the other 'problems' he has, along with being overweight ,that make him look bog ugly - but he's very affectionate - which, with his unretractable claws can be quite painful!. However it has never held him back - he's the best mouser around.

George looks okay in his winter coat, but in the summer, looks (compared to other cats around) like a Belsen case!
All 3 cats are fed the same, from different bowls. However, if any one leaves anything George finishes it up! (and no, he hasn't got worms).
George is, in fact, the perfect weight, but is about 2 inches longer than the averge cat - hence the ribs (though not the backbone) showing - and he fidgets all the time!

All 3 are open to someone thinking they may have been neglected. Instead, the once or twice I have been asked by 'concerned' people, and have explained about their 'problems' - these 'concerned' people have suddenly noticed their shiny coats and eyes - the first sigh of a healthy animal!!.

It would depend on how well I knew my neighbours and what sort of people they were as to whether or not I'd knock and try to sort things out. first.....

My next door neighbours jack russell drove me batty ...they had laminate flooring fitted in their hall and his barking echoed loudly into my living room and the babys bedroom whilst they were out at work all day...disturbed the baby as she was a really light sleeper.

I was very lucky...my neighbours were lovely...so I knocked at the door explained the situation and offered to *dog sit* the dog at my house while they were at work...my dogs played happily with him and the baby got to sleep..dog got socialised...everyone's a winner Rodney..lol. the ones I reported were ...*coughs delicately* as rough as wotsits...and I wouldn't have put myself in the firing line as I probably would've ended up with a brick through my window !!!! Their dog WAS clearly distressed as I could hear it howling so I did want to get the situation checked out of genuine concern for it's welfare.

..having said all that I wouldn't take anyone's cat in without at least dropping a note through the door.......even if it was anonymous...and I would expect the same courtesy back in return x

LOL Amy well I WAS going to say that applied to all threads on the board ;) but I thought 'better' of it and went and had a coffee instead :) I fear I am not in the mood for taking 'middle ground' today , a wee bit 'scratchy' in temper lol.

Ice Ice baby, I can see yours ( and Mildred's ) point in speaking to the owner first, but also see that sometimes that is not an easy thing to do?

Maybe most of us try to keep a low profile when it comes to dealing direct with neighbours on potentially difficult issues...falling out with a neighbour, however well intentioned the approach to them , can make ones life absolute hell.

That is why I would often advise getting a 'neutral' party in to sort things out?

Well yes Rose but then you could say that about any thread on the boards , just guess work , because I doubt that we are ever given the full facts .

well as I said , Mildred, it is a fine dividing line...personally if someone were concerned about the welfare of one of my pets I would rather they asked me directly, or if they felt unable to do so, ask the RSPCA for advice, that is what they are there for.

"What business is it of anybody's...." theoretically none. Theoretically whatever we do , within the law, is no one else's business....

i would 'assume' and it is an assumption, that if the owner has not gone looking for the cats then he is well aware of where they are already. I don't doubt that if that is the case. and he was concerned about it, he would have been round to collect them? I would.

NONE of us know the specifics, not even the breed of dog...or the size of the catflap / garden/ amount of food, time spent incompany, exercise etc so without the opinion of an 'expert in the field' it's all guess work isn't it.

Undercurrent ?

Just giving an opinion which is not unlike some others on this thread but may differ from some other opinions stated.

IMHO Interfering in this case is "adopting" the cats from next door by actively encouraging them into ones own home on a permanent basis & declining to tell their owner where they are.

Carol has already stated the owner comes back for a couple of days, then after that pops in and goes again.
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"The owner comes back for a day or so in the week then just calls in & is gone again."
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What business is it of anybody's that this mans circumstances may have changed enough to take him out of his home at certain times of the week ? The dog is fed & watered, and has access to the garden & back in again & has some time with its owner the few days he's at home..

The dog also had the company of some cats who used to live there, but someone has thoughtlessly encouraged them away from their home, and the dog.

I may be wrong but I detect an undercurrent here. 'Interfering' is one thing, 'being concerned' is another and there is a fine line between the two. depending on whose perspective you are looking from!

As I said before if the RSPCA see everything as ok, there is no harm done is there? Leaving it and then feeling awful if it's established there WAS any degree of neglect is worse than a bit of embarrassment that you might be seen as 'interfering'.

I have called them a couple of times myself, not undertaken lightly, and in the cases it was 'neglect' rather than outright cruelty (cats that had food put out and shelter of sorts though inadequate, but were suffering from a genetic disease caused by uncontrolled inbreeding, and suffering as a result, unable to eat, and in clear distress which the owners either ignored or just did not 'understand')

As for healthy cats, they are a thing apart lol, they are much more independent in nature and habit, even the stay at home ones are happy to pop next door on the chance of a bit of extra food lol. Mine did and they were stuffed to the gills lol.

lets put this in context
we are talking about a dog
who has food water and shelter

not a small child

my dog thinks nothing
of sitting out in the snow or rain (his choice )
he can come in or out from the garden as he pleases

as for the cats its common knowledge
cats sometimes have two homes
strays cat comes and goes here at will
i might feed her and let her sleep sometimes in my bed
but she will never be my cat because she is strays cat

Well I am amazed that you have never bothered to talk to the man , clearly you have seen him ..well you know how often he comes so assume you have been watching ?

I would say that the owner must care if he is taking the trouble to pop back each day to feed the dog etc. The dog is obviously fed & is able to run free in its garden, so cruel isn't a word I'd use. Many people work all day leaving their dogs alone for many hours & the dogs seem happy enough.

Unless you press your nose to the window all day & scrutinise the exact comings & goings of this man, You can't be sure just how long he spends with his dog, if he makes a fuss out it or even gives it a cuddle.

You have already interfered by taking in his cats, who without your interference would no doubt be still using their own cat flap & eating their food supplied by their owner. In his defence, he probably has noticed their absence & come to the conclusion they have made their home elsewhere or at worst been run over & killed..After all you haven't had the decency to tell him where they are.

Claiming those cats as your own, knowing where they have a home so close by is nothing short of stealing IMHO. & it makes me wonder if this man is as bad as you suggest that you want to poke your nose in without knowing all the facts by getting all of his animals taken away from him.

Playing devil's advocate here.
Would it be possible to talk to the person who feeds the dog to find out what the situation is before jumping in feet first?

As Rose has said, perhaps someone is in hospital - not the owner, but perhaps the owner has to look after an elderly/ill/dying relation.
Say an elderly relation had a fall and broke their hip just before Christmas.
They'd have the op, then come out - and need to be looked after for a couple of months.
You could argue - why not take the dog? Perhaps the other person is allergic. Perhaps the relative is in a hospice miles away, and the owner is staying in B&B.
The owner has made arrangements for the animals to be fed, they come back a couple of times a week to check on them - the animals aren't abandoned. As for being fed once a day - that could be because of the situation or maybe the animals have always been fed once a day - they could (like my cats) have dried food permanently down.
Does the dog howl? Does it look distressed?
I presume it's a small dog to get in and out through the cat flap. It can exercise itself by running around the garden - and gets company - albeit for a short time - from whoever feeds it.
As for the cats moving out - they're chancers. I've had much loved cats from the neighbourhood trying to move in - despite the sharp objections from my own cats - so much so, in fact ,that I now have to lock my cats in at night so I don't come across various cats 'making themselves at home' on my furniture in the morning!!

Doubt you'll get any joy from the RSPCA about it tbh.

Few years back I phoned the RSPCA as there was a dog being left in a hot conservatory in the middle of a boiling hot summer for up to 8 hrs a day.

They went round and checked and because there was adequate water provided they took no further action.

I wouldn't necessarily say it was cruelty...that's probably a bit too strong a word...but it's certainly not being fair on the dog x

Poor dog, it's not being treated properly.
The chap next door has two springer spaniels, he is out a lot but his elderly dad comes round to walk them and spend a little time with them and the chap is home later in the day and walks them again. However they are left shut in a small conservatory most of the time when alone and have a flap to get out. They bark at anything and everything and of course no one around to see to them when they do that.

When the second dog was just a pup, the neighbour picked it up from the breeder, brought it home and an hour later went out for the night to his girlfriend's who had bought the pup for his 40th birthday. ( He spends every Tuesday night with her and sometimes another night as well. He didn't mention to us about the puppy so in the early hours when we heard a dog crying we went out and looked over the fence, in case some thing was wrong with the dog we knew. We were amazed to see a tiny puppy in the conservatory and the other dog was just standing looking bewildered.
How ignorant to leave a new pup on it's own. It's the kind of person he is, really stupid.

Hope the RSPCA come out and give the owner of the dog a stiff talking to and warning him to look after his animal better.

Lizx

Yes Carol, I think that is cruelty !!
I would report them to the RSPA.

As a child we always had dogs, there was always someone at home.I'm a dog lover ,full stop.

When I married I wanted a dog ,but as hubby and both worked 9 to 5 didn't give a second thought...to have one..being left one it's own..No way.

When my mam died, I took my dad ,who'd always had dogs, to a dog rescue centre,where he picked our beloved Sandy.He was marvelous company for him, and dad walked him 3 times a day.

Unfortunately for dad at 86 he was no longer able to do so ,so wo we had him.The children adored him cos they always wanted a dog.

He was used to being on his own... other than his daily walks, he used to spend most of his days on the landing in dads house where the central heating pipes ran..lol..Dad was downstairs..

My children were home from school at 3.30 and he had his usual 3 day walks,me at 7.30am,hubby at 5.30 and me again at late evening.

Rescue Centre think he was about 18mths when we had him and if thats right, he lived to the ripe old age of 18. He's buried at the bottom of my garden,where I can see out of my kitchen window.:)

lol Bob collies like schmackos...my former neighbour's collie is a big fan too.

RR.......
our border collie has ONE main meal a day...dry food and gravy bones....plus a little veg from OUR main meal....and all the water she needs.....and she is now six years old and is of a weight that the vet considers adequate.......but I guess that different breeds might need different arrangements,,,,,,
(but dont tell "Er indoors" there is the occasional treat!!)

schmackos.....
Bob