What can I do to deter my neighbor from feeding my sick cat?

Question

My siamese cat throws up all the time because she eats and eats and gorges herself. She has always been that way. The vets say it is due to an enlarged heart, and to give her some meds, but the main thing is several tiny meals throughout the day, nothing more than her little tummy can handle. I feed her in a private quiet place in my laundry rrom. This seems to do the trick, and rarely does she regurgitate if we stick to it. 

She is an outside kitty due to my sons allergies and duplex codes, but she comes in at night and sleeps in my room and always lets us know in the morning when she needs to get out. She has been doing this for 8 years since a kitten.

I moved about a year ago to a duplex. The problem is my neighbor. He is a retired professional and has a cat and small dog. He is a fairly controlling passive aggressive person and even though he pretends to let me pet his animals, I can sense he doesn't want them to be friends with me by what he says and does when I touch them. But my kitty is friendly and he wants to pet her all the time and you can't make an outside kitty stay away from the neighbor around the corners door with commands. I even tried a water pistol.

I have explained to him on several occasions her situation, but I can see he wants to in a sense, control me, by feeding my cat. He says he is putting out food for his animals, and smiles when he says, "Then keep her out of my yard", but his pets stay inside and I know he feeds them there. I have watched him pour the food in front of her nose as he is petting her. He puts it on the sidewalk, or the drive way next to his car and says there is nothing I can do about it, he is feeding his animals when they come outside for their break,  but I know thats not true. 

It's nasty since I can see the place on the sidewalk in front of his door, where he pours it is laden with ants and slug slime for putting the food there. I even put a bowl there so he would at least pour it in the bowl, but he won't.

So, I rarely know when my kitty has eaten over there, before coming in for her small meal, until she throws up her whole outside neighbors consumed meal along with mine. I had been a decent neighbor, and kind yet firm and assertive, but now I give him a cold shoulder. This is harming my cats esophagus and stomach lining! The only thing I can think of is dishing up the puke and setting it on his porch everytime she throws up, or putting a trap in my driveway to catch his pets and give him an ultimatum, but that will create a war, and the puke on the porch seems so juvenille (but my 16 year old would certainly enjoy that). It seems my only option, since there is no law to protect my cat, only his yard and there are no boundaries.

Kristen A · Accepted Answer

Does he live alone?  Maybe you could talk to someone else in the home about his behavior?
This may petty and juvenile but if his actions are making your cat puke you should make him deal with it by moving the vomit to his sidewalk.   Hopefully he'll eventually get tired of cleaning it up or avoiding it and will stop being such an ***.
My other suggestion would be to have your 16 year old talk to him, explain that he/she loves the cat and is worried about the cat's increased vomiting.  
The last thing I would do though would be hold his animals hostage because that will absolutely escalate things beyond reason.  
Good luck!  It sounds like you are dealing with a misogynist jerk.

Cat Lady · Answer

Looks to me that you have only a few options: 

1- Make your cat an indoors only cat.
2- Move
3- Find a suitable home where the cat will be kept indoors only.

Your neighbor may be giving your cat poison or something bad, if it vomits after eating there.

You must make some decisions quickly.  Your poor cat doesn't know any better, who knows what is going on with the neighbor, and the situation is not getting any better.

Do something NOW.

mcb930 · Answer

Tho' I disagree with any animal being an "outside pet", there are ways to limit the roaming of an outdoor pet and keep your neighbor from having such easy access. Unfortunately, all require you control your cat, not your neighbor!

Put a pen in your yard for your kitty or only allow the cat out on a leash.

Anonymous · Answer

It might be time to find your cat a new home. You can't change your neighbor, like you said without causing a war. It's unfortunate. My neighbor has horses that are fenced right up to my backyard. I'd never feed them without permission. Your neighbor is wrong. Wonder if the neighbor would give your kids peanut butter if you told them your kid was allergic to it. 

Make a cat friendly area in your yard so she can't get to your neighbors if she has to go outside. I've seen large plastic mesh like enclosures for cats. Foster n smith might have them.

Are you sure the puking is not hairball problem?

Bekki B · Answer

You've tried talking with your neighbor, which has done no good, so now you really only have two options.  1.  Keep her indoors.  If she can come in at night, and your son is fine, why can't she be in during the day?  Have you talked to your physician about meds for your son?  2.  Give her to a family that CAN keep her indoors and care for her, so that she doesn't die.  Throwing puke on your neighbor's door is NOT the answer.

eyJude · Answer

Ok I have cats with esophagus problems too and I give my cats acidophilus.. it is the good bacteria that is in the intestines... it really helps 

I would watch and when he pours the food out... I would walk over and catch him. ...ask him what he is doing.  when he says he is feeding his cats... ask why doesn't he feed them inside?  (in other words back him into a corner) THEN IS WHEN I would say "DO NOT ALLOW MY CAT TO EAT THIS FOOD" ... DIDN'T i ASK YOU NOT TO FEED MY CAT?  

the only other thing you can do is not allow your cat out (which is what a lot of people will say on this site)

The only other thing is if you have a male friend (who is a Big guy) have HIM go over and talk to him... (nice)   
Some men will NEVER pay attention to a woman telling not to do somthing...

TENI · Answer

I am a volunteer cat behavior.  Simple and to answer your question, talk to the neighbor, and post a note where all neighbor can see the note.  Their is also product you can purchase that confine you pet close by....  

Do you know you can get allergy shots?  I have 2 cats, and in later years found I am highly allergic to them. So I went unto treatment, and wash my cat often!  Hope this help!

leopardshaz · Answer

Sadly then with an awkward neighbour the only thing you can do for a little while maybe a couple of months till your pets ehalth imprives is to make the cat a house cat,put litter tray indoors and prevent her from going out,after a while he will see that you ahve indeed regained control of YOUR cat.

operakatz · Answer

You cannot control this man's behavior. Period. If you cannot properly keep your cat indoors due to your son's allergies, it really would be best for the cat to rehome her somewhere where she can be safely kept indoors, which is especially important with a cat with health issues. Is there a reason the cat can't live in your bedroom?

Anonymous · Answer

you could keep fresh water outside for your pets. It is expensive to put up fences so I would try differnt ideas first. I don't know if you still have a pool, if you do you need to train the next pet. sorry about the lose of your pet, I know it is hard. Good luck with your cat.

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What can I do to deter my neighbor from feeding my sick cat?

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