Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: mumtomaz on September 10, 2011, 19:27:42 PM
-
Just got back from our first week away for years and left Maz in the care of our next-door neighbour. He has a dog and has had cats so he should know about pet care. He promised to feed her every day morning and evening, spend a bit of time playing with her, put the lights on, water plants, etc etc. I even called him while we were away and he said everything was fine. So we got back this afternoon and my poor baby was terrified and looking thin, I checked the food left and by my reckoning he's only given her max of 2 days worth of food all week and he's admitted only feeding her once a day. She had no water and what he had given her was only the dry food, she'd been given one pouch all week (I knew how many were there and even checked the bin for empties in case I was wrong). I feel like crying - when I asked him why he'd not fed her twice a day (biscuits in the morning, 2 pouches in the evening) he got really defensive, said she'd snarled and hissed at him - don't believe that for a second - and said I was ungrateful and should be ashamed of myself. What really gets me is that he didn't feed her this morning but he said that he came into the flat to switch the light off - why would you go in to a flat to switch a light off and not feed a live animal that's depending on you???? >:( I feel so stupid for trusting him and so guilty for leaving Maz like that :( :( Never again. Mazzy's getting tuna for tea tonight and lots and lots of cuddles, hopefully she'll forgive me.
Has anything like this happened to anyone else?
-
luckily nothing like that has happened to me, I have fab cat sitter friends.
Huge :hug: :hug: :hug: though for you and for her!
poor Maz, that is atrocious and his attitude sounds atrocious, makes me wonder how well his own animals are cared for?
hope the tuna goes down well!
incidentally, does Maz stand for anything? my mums cat is named Mazza as short for Marilyn Manson...
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: and gentle snoozles and headbutts
-
That's awful, poor Maz :hug: Even if she did snarl or hiss at him all he had to do was put a bowl of food down and leave, can't believe that a supposed animal lover (you said he has dogs) would be so thoughtless >:(
I bet Maz is relieved to have her Mum back :hug:
-
Thank you very much both :) I just can't understand him, he's been lovely up until now. He's devoted to his dog and looks after him well I think, but maybe they need less regular feeding? I don't know. :-: Ah well, what's done is done I suppose. Maz is on my lap as I type and purring like a trooper :)
Reading posts on here has calmed me right down! ;D
JenGeorgieBob - hehe, Maz isn't really short for anything, but I can see why you'd want to shorten Marilyn Manson!! :rofl:
-
Yes it has. Not so much with the cats, but with other animal members of my home.
I was visiting family in SA years ago and on my return I noticed the house smelled more of mice than usual (I had a few) and in general was a bit "pungent."
The mice hadn't been cleaned out properly and their cages were lined with something that was nowhere near absorbent enough. The litter trays were dirty and the reps looked like they'd been totally ignored. I went out to check the ferrets and they were filthy too. I was fuming - the friend I'd asked to care for them has an NVQ in animal care and he'd been left all the supplies necessary not to mention the money for emergencies.
Transpired the reps HAD been ignored - he claimed he "couldn't find the vivarium." :-: Funnily enough though, the emergency money had gone that was put to one side for electric top up and live food. :tired: Needless to say, all animals were ridiculously spoiled and that friend became much less of a friend and was never asked to look after the animals again.
Hope Mazzy has forgiven you.
-
I've only ever and would only ever entrust my parents with the care of my gang and they wouldn't let me or the cats down (they wouldn't dare lol). I just don't trust anyone else to do it properly! Esco (my dog) goes to a wonderful kennels and has a fab time (which obviously am pleased about but would at least expect him to miss me lol)
I was looking after my neighbours cat this week but had the opposite problem, that the person seeing to the dog was also feeding Tabby (they must not have got the memo) so for a few days he was getting extra food!!
-
Sorry to hear about what happend :hug: I can't understand that he has a dog yet he is scared of a cat because she "hissed and snarled"n at him tbh I have never heard a cat snarl before :-: if he wasn't up to looking after her he should have said that he couldn't do it so you could have got someone to give her the care she needed poor girl :( as for him saying your ungreatful damn right I'd be ungreatful too it's not like he did anything for you to be greatful for, if it was him and you was looking after his dog and did the same thing I'm sure he would be feeling the same way
Just happy your home now so she can get some well deserved loving and treats ;D
sending :hug: :hug: to you and Maz Xxx
Denise
Xxx
-
I think he just neglected his duties...
Devoted to his own pets, maybe, but not to pets in general....
Nasty business. I can imagine you are furious. If he is not prepared to take good care of your cat, don't promise to look after it.
Don't you have a volunteer society where you can get someone to look after the pets?
I am a vounteer for pur local Cat Care Society, and when I have a holiday cat, I go and visit every day, feedm clean out litter trays and hug and cuddle if the cat will allow it.
My cleaning lady is a loving furry godmother, and even if someone else is looking after my bunch, she will come around for extra hugs and treats because her children (and she, herself) will not be denied the joy of warm welcomes and even warmer cuddles. She spoils my cats rotten, so my main worry is that there will be no food left when I get home, even though I bought enough for an orphanage or a rescue....
-
At least Maz is getting all the love she needs now, she will have forgiven you so try to forget it or you will be beating yourself up for ages.
At least she did get some food and she was in the comfort of her own house.
As for your neighbour he is a :censored:.
Mary
-
Poor Maz and so pleased you are home and can spoil her rotten :hug: :hug:
I have nobody to look after cats in event of need and neighbours are horrible.
-
That's just appalling, why would anyone behave like this? It's not like he was gaining anything from it. Don't blame yourself - sadly, the older I get, the less I trust people!
At least you were only gone for a week, Maz will be fine soon.
-
Have you pulled him about this ?
I would so have to say something :censored:
-
Thanks, everyone. I was absolutely livid, especially after what he said, but thankfully Maz seems herself again today. :Luv: She spent all of last night sleeping on the bed which she doesn't usually do, she normally gets bored and wanders off. And I don't think she's ever had so many treats in one evening in her life! She's such a cutie :Luv2: :Luv2:
Really can't understand the mentality of anyone who'd do this especially if they have pets themselves. Either say yes and do it properly or say no, it's not that difficult!!
I'm going to do some research into cat sitters and/or mutual cat-sitting groups locally for next time, hadn't thought of contacting cat societies about that, thank you :) And Gill, I'd look after yours if I were local!!
I did try to speak to him yesterday again and I think he'd been working himself up with indignation, I kept asking him to calm down but it ended with him telling me I was ungrateful (again) and to :censored: off. I didn't fancy a slanging match with a middle aged man to be honest. He's been a fabulous neighbour up until now (which is why I trusted him!) but... :Crazy:
-
unbelievable, id have gone totally mad, i think youve been very restrained given the circumstances. I did once have a colleague that catsat for me just over night usually, pop in to feed, never long enough to do owt with the litter trays and she did manage to feed them and play with them but ... she did let a load of people i barely knew sleep in my house......i was livid about that but i did think at least the cats were fine and not neglected, that would have been much much worse.
i have a cat sitter now, 9 pound for a 45 min visit and shell do whatever i ask her to in that time. fabulous and even managed to give Neko a really good groom (which must have taken much longer than 45min lol)
i dont understand what he thinks you should be grateful about? Do you think hes maybe afraid of cats? and just hoped hed be able to avoid crossing paths with her? Its probably not worth driving yourself mad trying to get him to understand what hes done- never argue with idiots, theyll just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. :evillaugh:
Poor Maz, at least she seems to be recovering and thankfully it was a week not a fortnight or more, and no regular medication involved.
-
Thank you mumtomaz, I would look after Maz if I was close, used to look after one of my neighbours cats for a short while in London but she moved.