Thoughts please.....

[miasmum]

Me and my neighbour share pet duties when we go away.

I have two guinea pigs and a tortoise and she had two cats and four chickens.

My guineas need food chopping up, putting in and out of their run if the sun is shining and hay and pellets at night. The tortoise needs a handful of leaves throwing down.

Her cats need half a sachet of wet food night and morning, dry food topping up, and the cat flap opening and shutting and the litter tray emptying. They chickens need poop scooping, feed topping up, water changing, eggs collecting, and a cabbage hanging up.

But.......several times I have to deal with dead rats the cats bring in. I can cope if like this morning, they are stone dead, but I have had them half dead which I hate. This morning though really upset me. The house was full of feathers, so I knew there must be a bird somewhere. Sure enough in the utility room, was the most horrific sight. It was a bird, still in exactly bird shape, legs, feet, beak, wings, but they had stripped it off feathers and skin. The agony that poor thing must have gone through really upset me. I have put it and the dead rat in the bin double bagged, but despite trying to sweep them up the feathers just float everywhere as they are those really soft ones. I half feel I should find the hoover and hoover but the other half of me thinks, no leave it. I haven't told her as all I get back is " thats your present, they love you". Well I dont love them, I wish she would put them in a cattery when she goes away and I can cope with the smelly chickens. Although they did make me heave in the summer.

She likes me to feed the cats when I get home at about 5pm, then go back about 9 and put the cat flap on in only, so once they come in they stay in and thats the problem, they come in during the night with their prey. I think I will shut the cat flap when they come in at 5pm and they can stay in. I'd rather empty the litter tray than clear up their treasures.

I suppose I am wondering is that ok, to go against her wishes re shutting them in, should I hoover and should I mention that it upsets me?

Thoughts?

[Kaz]

Yes, you should mention it, but no I wouldn't hoover - tell her it's the cat's welcome home present for her You agreed to feed them, nothing more, and that sounds really gruesome To be honest, she does get the easier half of the bargain, IMHO.

[TheOstrich]

That's one of the reasons I've never kept cats .....

Agree with Kaz, the feathers are your neighbour's problem and you shouldn't feel compelled to deal with it. At least you got rid of the carcasses, and TBH that would make me heave as well.
I'd shut the little beggars in overnight - just make sure it's "open" when she's due to returns from holiday. What she doesn't know can't hurt her and you can always blame amnesia!

[cromwell]

Your neighbour has got the best side of this deal hasn't she, mm?
I can only agree with Kaz and Os, lock the cats in on a night. There's no way you should be having to deal with half dead rats and birds.

[cruiser2]

I would suggest to her that it is getting too much to look after her cats and any other animals/pets.
Just look after yours in your own time. You should be enjoying life, not worrying about other peoples pets or family.

[miasmum]

We only look after each others when we are on holiday Cruiser.

I have started going over at 7pm and feeding them and shutting them in at the same time, thats a good compromise. Except tonight I was later and she was in, no sign of him. Hope he doesn't bring his treasures home later. He'll be disappointed anyway as she ate both dishes of food. That'll learn him

Oh and as a compromise for leaving the feathers I wiped round her bathroom, as it was plastered in cat paw prints.