I live next door to a useless self-centred family who own two cats. The cats have been there about two years but the family are useless with them and they come to my house to be fed and sleep on a daily basis.

This family have gone away for a few days and I was worried when I hadn't seen one of the cats today. I poked my head through the letterbox and I can hear the poor thing crying upstairs. The part of the house she is in is not accessible from their cat flap which opens onto the utility room which is locked to the rest of the house.

I have no way of getting in, this poor cat is in their without food or water, and I have no idea when they will be back.

To be honest I love these cats like they are my own and I am very worried.

I would call the police and/or the RSPCA. Are you sure that they haven't arranged for someone to come into their house to feed the cats while they are away?

Please phone the RSPCA asap. They have a 24 hour advice line where you can report incidents like this.
Just Googled and got this: 24-hour Cruelty and Advice line 0300 1234 999.
Thank you for caring about the poor little kitties and I hope they get rescued asap.

What you should have done a long time ago had a word about taking the cats of them seeing as you love them so much or calling the Rspca.

Try and contact the owners or contact someone you know they may know who in turn can put you in touch with them or just give the Rspca a call if that fails.

Btw the fact you have fed them and given them a place to sleep for so long the Rspca may look upon it as you practically own them.

The once I had to call them out about a dog that had been abandoned (rotty) and had wondered into my front garden, they told me not to feed it or take it inside but leave it outside until they came by.

Thanks for all your advice guys, having rang about a number of people in my village I eventually found a woman who had a spare key for the house. The poor cat had gotten trapped in a wardrobe and had been without food or water for two days. I've got her now and plan to speak to the owners to come to some resolution with them about the issue, because as has been said here they should give these cats up. If that doesn't work I will go to the RSPCA.

We've had words about this before but they don't seem to think they are doing anything wrong. They say they care about them but thy are just utterly laid back about their welfare.

Thanks again.

I hate to put the dampers on things but isn't going into your neighbors home without permission illegal? Isn't unlawful entry?
Personally I'd return the cat, phone the RSPCA/police and report it officially but don't mention about letting yourself into the house. I'd let the authorities deal with it.

If the owners have let someone have a key, which I think was the case, then they presumably have permission to enter the house.

No its ok, the woman with the key has permisson to enter. She went inside, not me, and brought the cat out after she found it. The cat was trapped upstairs with no way out (as I said the cat flap is in the utility room which was locked off to the remainder of the house, this is also where the food and water, what little of it there was, is located) so I am certain I did the right thing as I wasn't going to let the cat die without any water over Bank Holiday.

If my neighbours want to have a row about it then they can. I cannot stand people who get pets on a whim and cannot be bothered to care for them.

I was just being over cautious.

No you are right and if I had gone in then doubtless they would have made an issue of it.

I am pleased that the poor pussy was rescued. You would have thought that they would have checked before they went out to see if all the cats had access to the outside and to food and a little drink. It is cruel to have kept one shut up upstairs.

When I go away I worry about my cat a lot and she goes to the kennels with the most expert cat owner there is. It is like a posh pussy hotel with a feline beauty spa and recreational facilities and Classic FM!

LOL, that sounds well OTT for a cattery. Clean pen, warm bed, food, water and litter would generally be adequate, but if it makes Puss happy and you feel better, why not I guess. Ours hate catteries, and when we go away, the chap from the cattery comes down to feed them and spend a little time cuddling them at home. Works for ours. Back OT, I think the RSPCA should be spoken to anyway, even if informally/anonymously. Whilst an 'accident' like that can happen to anyone, it does, in their case, sound more like persistent neglect.

Glad the cat is ok now. I would have a word with the owners and/or RSPCA.

Sorry if this is a bit OT, but I heard somewhere that cats prefer classical music, do you think that's right. It's just that my sister and brother in law run a cattery and although it's rather luxurious, he will insist on playing the poor little mites country and western music all day long !!!!

OP, I'm glad you managed to rescue the poor little thing.