I think somebody is feeding my cat......

[camille79]

I'm starting to suspect that someone is feeding my cat.  I have a catflap and she comes and goes as she pleases but I've noticed that she hasn't been around as much recently and isn't really eating.  Oh yes, and last night I heard someone calling "Toffee!Toffee!" (she is toffee coloured although that is not her name).  Am I just being paranoid or has a neighbour 'adopted' her?  And if someone is feeding her is there anything I can do besides go door to door and ask? (The cat is well-kept and wears a collar so could not be mistaken for a stray).  Cheers!

[Romeo]

Cats will often go to another house to be fed, for whatever reason. It's perhaps not that your neighbour has 'adopted' your cat, but that your cat has adopted your neighbour's house as a second home. Go to your neighbour's house and ask them if the cat has been going there. Be friendly and make it clear that you're not angry. You could even 'apologise' and say you hope the cat isn't being a nuisance. Hope you get it sorted out.

[camille79]

The problem is I don't know who is the potential "feeder"  There are about 3 different streets that converge at the back of mine so it could be anyone in those houses!  I don;t really want to go "house to house" (I'd feel like a bit of a mad-woman!) so am looking for another solution.

[woofgang]

well you could try fastening a note to the cat's collar!!

[metagirl]

yeah, whenever you find the neighbour go easy on 'em.

Our flat has been designated by our neighbours' cats as some weird meeting place. They often race up when we first get home. I've never been a cat owner so found this very strange as besides petting them OUTSIDE, we never led them in. But now, its all friendly I've resigned myself to the odd little intrusion now and again.

Oh yes, and our neighbours know what their cats are up to.

[Robinia]

My son &  his girlfriend had a cat that visited them regularly so he put a message in one of those plastic barrels asking 'What's my name & where do I live?'  Cat came back next day & the message read 'My name is ** and I live **. Where do I go?'  And my son wrote 'Anywhere the wind takes me man'.  These mysterious messages continued for some time until my son's gf let the cat out of the bag when talking to the owners, who actually only lived a few doors away! 

[camille79]

Good plan, I shall seek out a barrell at once!

[estie]

Robinia - that is a GREAT story!!!! I love it.

[Robinia]

Yes estie it was so funny at the time, if you knew my son it would be funnier - he's a wind up merchant.  (Obviously PL doesn't find it so entertaining - nothing more boring than a bored person!) 

[delilahcat]

I once read a letter in a magazine from a woman who said that her cat had been looking a bit fatter than usual so she'd put a note on it's collar that said 'If you are feeding me, please ring this number' (her own phone number). The next day she got 8 phone calls saying, Sorry, I'm the one who's feeding your cat!

[Robinia]

Typical moggy delilahcat, I often catch one tucking into scraps I've put out for the fox.  Brilliant!