My neighbour is an animal lover.

She is now feeding all the strays and some non strays in the district.

Our close is overrun with cats.

My poor cat is very upset with all these new visitors in her territory.

I saw her son the other day and he said 'we've got a new cat'. They have adopted a cat with a collar. I said that I thought it was a bad idea to take in a cat with a collar in case the owner is looking for it.

Basically I have these objections:
It's upsetting my cat
They are encouraging lots of cats over a busy road
They are trying to tempt a collared cat to stay with them

How do I tackle this without a feud?

I don't think you should tackle it at all, your objections seem a bit weak to be honest. Are you sure there isn't another reason? It's a shame your cat doesn't like it but your cat (and you) don't have any right to dictate what happens in other people's houses and how many pets they have. It's not like they are deliberately harming your cat.

Are you saying the cats wouldn't go near the busy road unless your neighbour was feeding them? That's a bit of a stretch. Cats roam regardless of where their food is.

As for the collared cat, if it's free to come and go and isn't trapped in the house I don't see how they could be accused of stealing it? If it's willing to change houses the original owners (if indeed it isn't a stray that hasn't lost its collar) can't do much unless THEY are willing to trap it in the house. Keep a look out for Missing posters, that's all you can do.

If you're on good terms with them you can always mention your concerns and see if they will change their habits.

My sentiments exactly

I agree a bit. You can't stop anybody feeding stray cats as they have the right too roam. But if one is got a collar on that shouldn't happen. But it still might be a stray or lost. I know of all the cats near me so if a different one comes up It is almost certainly abandond. I used too feed my landlords cat chicken on a Sunday but I asked permission first. I said too the cat come around on Sunday and I will give you some dinner and ever Sunday he always did. I can understand your cat doesn't like other cats some of mine don't but I would never stop anyone feeding other cats

Cat-with-collar may be a lost animal - it would be worthwhile trying to establish if she has tried to find its owner (checked for chip, registered it on lost cat database). If it is local and knows where its 'home' is then theres nothing really to be done if it decides itself it prefers a new home.

As for the stray feeding I don't agree with jumptheshark and visiting. If the strays aren't neutered this will be a situation that will grow and grow over time. Remember a cat can breed from about six months and will have a litter about 3 times a year with each female kitten breeding itself within a year. The area will be overrun very quickly. If she has taken steps with a charity like Cat Protection to have them neutered alls well, but if not eventually the council will have to be involved as it will end up a public health issue.

Cats especially in winter lose weight very quickly because it is too cold for them to wonder around looking for food.If I see a stray animal I will feed it I don't care who likes it or not.The animal needs feeding that is my priority it didn't ask to be stray.

I even make up boxes and put bedding in for them to shelter when it is wet dark and cold especially after a very sad incident where a neighbour discovered a dead cat who had taken shelter from heavy snow under a car and because the snow had fallen fast and so deep had been unable to get out as it built up around him/her.It froze to death.

Have a little bit of compassion as a cat owner I say and imagine that being your cat that had wandered off and all you would be hoping for is that someone took pity on your cat and fed and watered it.It cost nothing to buy a bit of food just to save a life stray or not.

i think your neighbor feeding hungry stray cats in a wonderful and selfless thing to do. cats shouldn't go hungry because of the bad life they've found themselves in through no fault of their own. i don't agree with them taking in a collared cat , my cat is missing and if someone was keeping her for themselves id be angry and upset. the owner could be worried where there cat is , looking after it a few days isn't so bad though.

The fact it's upsetting your cat is neither here nor there imo. I mean, you couldn't exactly stop a neighbour getting several cats which would have the same effect.

I would say however that just feeding strays isn't ideal - neighbour should either properly adopt them or try to get them re-homed. Feeding them might be a temporary measure but shouldn't be how these cats live long term. Certainly not in their best interests to be living on the streets outside of meal times. What happens if they need medical care or haven't been neutered? Is she prepared to pay?

They definitely should not be taking in a cat with a collar without making an effort to find its owners either. That's utterly selfish and unfair. I'd just think of the poor owners who may be desperately searching for their lost cat.

Sometimes what appear to be strays can also be people's pets and sometimes it's better if that cat doesn't live with them tbh - we had one that the Cat's Protection helped us deal with. Long haired white cat that'd been hanging around for a while, very dirty, very scruffy, problem with its lips that seemed to be all swollen and oddly turned out and an inch long cut on its neck that kept reopening. We saw it for a good couple of months with the same wound then the cold weather kicked in and we decided we had to get it caught. Cat's Protection people were great and said it needed clear medical treatment once they got a good look at it. A few days later knock on the door from a few streets over with woman looking for her cat. Told her quite clearly that the CPL had taken it as with the state of it, the problem with its mouth and the unhealed injury they thought it was a stray. Woman claimed to have no idea it was hurt... From what we were told she was encouraged to sign the cat over and he's now been happily rehomed. Much better life for kitty!

Just putting a collar on a cat doesn't help anyone unless it has an address tag or a microchip as well.

In fact, unless it's one of the quick-release types, it's worse than no collar at all.

None of mine have ever worn collars I don't like them

One of my neighbours is the same. She has her own cats, but she also feeds a pack of strays. It started when 2 or 3 strays turned up a couple of years ago, she started to feed them and they started to breed, now our street and surrounding ones are overrun by feral black cats. They fight all night, the spend all day sleeping in the gardens and on the footpaths and alleys. They gang up together and try to chase the owned cats off, but amusingly the owned cats seemed to have formed their own little gang to fight back. They don't come in our garden very often because our cats won't stand for it, and we have two dogs. Now I love cats, we have two at the moment (we had four at one point), but these strays/ferals are a nuisance and who know what illness and fleas they're passing on to the owned cats in the street.


I agree. All our cats have been microchipped, it's help locate two of the them when they've run away. I've never put a collar on any of our cats.

The trouble is you can not by law remove a feral cat and put in another area unless there is someone too feed it. Also some cats protection will ask for blood tests on one of the colony before they neuter Spey. Also unless the cats protection agree too pay for all of it you could have too pay the difference too. And when you remove a feral colony others will move in on it. You must ave someone too feed a feral and released into the same area they was trapped.

Story on BBC News last week showing what the RSPCA in Buckinghamshire is doing about feral cats - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23839311

Hmm, tricky one, I can see it would be difficult living near a person like that.

I suppose you could try the RSPCA and suggest it may be the beginning of a hoarding situation, they may be interested if emphasise the worst scenario (ie. sickly, unneutered cats etc.)

If they are taking in other people's cats, that's difficult too as really cats aren't considered anyone's property, or something like that.
But I suppose you could contact your local PCSO or beat officer suggesting they are stealing cats.

Otherwise Environmental health, suggest all the cat food is attracting rats and they'll probably take notice.

Could you consider making a pen for your own cat, where she can enjoy the outside whilst being safe from other cats, it's a bit of a myth that cats cannot be happy without being allowed to wander, owners just need to make more effort to provide company and enrichment IMHO.

All the best x