I am looking for some advice as I really don't know what to do with regards to my neighbour's cat.

For the past 2 weeks my neighbour's cat has been out in all manner of weather, day and night, either sat in a box in my back garden or on the wall where she can be seen by her owners.

The people next door have been there over Christmas but seem to have completely forgotten about her and stopped letting her in, as she is constantly in my garden.

I have been really worried about the cat as the weather has been awful. I have been taking out food to her, keeping the box dry and putting in blankets to keep her warm.

I would love to bring her in permanently but I already have a cat, he seems to like her and both have been spayed/neuteured but the neighbour's cat has pawed out a few times at my boy so I don't know if it would work?

Sorry for the long post but just looking for some advice as I really don't know what to do about this lovely little cat

Thanks everyone x

I'd give it a go... But I'm a sucker for a homeless cat, currently have 3 in my house, 2 of which I've formally adopted . The odd swipe won't hurt and you will know your cat enough to know whether he's unhappy about it or not. If you're unsure though maybe speak to the owners (I use the word loosely) to see if they're aware of how neglectful they're being?

i`d have a word with them first, i fed a cat i thought was homeless as it was sleeping in a bush in my garden and begging food, it turned out to be the senile cat of a neighbour who was just thin in old age and had always preferred to be outside.

edit: i say this having lost a couple of [well loved and looked after] cats to over enthusiastic cat ladies who thought them strays in the past.

edit again: some cats are outsiders, one of my friend`s cats [valium] only really came in in the last few weeks of his [twenty+ year] life, he was just made that way.

edit yet again [rolleyes] but until i moved here i always had a window open for my cats to come and go as they pleased, one used to go and visit other cat friends everyday for some food and a play and they wondered if he were a stray at first, they adored him and i could easily have lost him there, it`s best to ask.

Difficult one. Asking the neighbour will need to be done tactfully.As a last resort you could phone a cattery for advice. If the cat has been abandoned then someone needs to step in. As for taking it in ? I wouldn't if it has shown tendencies you don't like. We did that last year for a stray cat we found cowering under a bench in the snow. The little shit took one look at our little dog(through a glass door) and went mental trying to get at the dog, claws, hissing screeching, totally insane ! I just opened the back door and the cat glared at me and then stormed out, ungrateful feral little git.Never saw it again,thank god.

Have posted here this summer about our cat hoarding neighbour moving out suddenly, leaving a couple of housecats behind and maybe 10 or more ferals/semi ferals she was feeding.

My other neighbour now feeds two of them and although she doesn't let them in her house, has made them a bed in her outhouse, and gives them lots of attention and affection outside. We were adopted by my ex neighbour's old house cat (she had maybe 6-8 living in the house, but only this one never went outdoors - til she abandoned it).

We found the no-kill charities all have no spaces, and a charity specialising in feral cats put us on the waiting list but we heard no more.

Now, my cat is 18 and has always LOATHED other cats - she is very territorial and despite her age, goes for other cats all the time and this new cat is soft and sweet natured but other cats seem to hate her.

But the weird thing is - my elderly, grumpy cat accepted her. She won't look at her and for a couple of months would hiss/growl if the new cat got close. Now she doesn't bother any more. They eat out of the same bowl and often when we open the door, are both stood together waiting to come in...

Not that they are friends, but our old cat tolerates the new cat. So you never know.

As others say, have a subtle word with the owner, and hopefully if you acquire this other cat your own might surprise you.

Yes, I suppose if the neighbours did not know that the OP knows its their cat they could always say " sorry I don't want to bother you but I wanted to check if this is your cat, it's just that she keeps coming to visit me and I don't mind as she is lovely, but you knowwhat cats are like they are always wanting titbits but being a cat owner myself I wanted to check as I wouldn't want to give her any food etc that she shouldn't have "

Thanks orangebird, annette kurten, babybutch, Hogzilla and skp20040 for all your great advice, I loved reading all your ideas/stories.

I let her in the kitchen tonight to get a warm and something to eat for an hour, when of her own accord she got up and headed to back door to be let out. It was pouring with rain outside but off she trotted into the makeshift shelter I have made for her out in the garden.

I'm going to monitor the situation and if I happen to see my neighbour I will definitely try skp's idea about the cat coming to visit and see what happens.

Thanks everyone x

Aw. Maybe it's just on the take and knows a soft touch when it sees one

I think your kindness is just brilliant. I get angry with people who neglect their pets. Sounds like you have the situation under control. You might find you have 2 cats soon though. Same happened to a friend of mine and her existing cat befriended the newcomer. It didn't go down well with the neighbours though, who then bought another 'cute kitten'. Guess who visits her now as well....

You don't live near me do you? I have had the exact same problem over Christmas with my neighbours cat. It was howling outside in all weather most days for near on 2 weeks!

The neighbours were away a lot & seem to have just left their cat outside. It was pitiful seeing this cat scratching at my door to be let in my house.

One day their cat was there at my door from before 7 am right through to the evening when the weather was awful. I fed it a few times (as I have done several times in the past when they've seemingly gone away with the baby & left the poor thing outside) but I can't let it into my house as I already have 3 cats, one that is fairly elderly at 14 years old & very grouchy & another who is so jumpy he scares himself sometimes.

I spent a good majority of my Christmas wondering if I should call the Blue Cross or someone, but my worry was that they may have gone away & asked another neighbour to feed the cat etc & it was actually ok.