A curious cat created quite a conundrum for its owner when the feline decided to “break into” a neighbor’s new home. Furious, the homeowners asked the pet owner to pay up, to the tune of $2,000. Could the cat really cause that much damage? You decide.
When an unnamed cat owner faced a troubling ordeal with their friendly feline, they turned to the London-based internet forum Mumsnet to ask for advice. Going by the username “Catsos,” they explained their outdoor cat has “a bit of a reputation” for forcing his way into neighbors’ homes through open pet doors to steal pet food. So, when they realized that they hadn’t seen their beloved feline for 24 hours, which was “very unusual for him,” they headed down their street in hopes of finding him.
Much to their dismay, Catsos spotted their pet in the window of a house two doors down. The house had just recently been bought by a couple, who were living elsewhere while they were renovating the home. This explained why no one had kicked the cat out, but Catsos was confused as to why their cat hadn’t come back out the same way he got in. That’s when Catsos peered through the window of the couple’s new home and spotted the problem.
According to Catsos, the home was equipped with a “smart” pet door that only opens if the animal has the appropriate microchip. “So he’s managed to get in, but now he can’t get out as his microchip isn’t unlocking it,” Catsos explained, adding that they could see the cat’s “muddy scratch marks” beside the catflap on the newly painted walls of the home, indicating that the cat had been trying to get out.
With no one there to let the cat out and not knowing when someone might return, Catsos asked the internet what they should do, fearing their cat could dehydrate or starve. Making matters worse, it was a holiday weekend, meaning the cat would be “trapped for 72 hours inside their house” without food or water unless Catsos figured out another way to get him out.
Unable to reach the owners, the real estate agent who sold the house, or the builder, Catsos asked the internet whether they should “break in” to get their cat, who was “trapped inside, presumably without water.” Netizens quickly offered advice but to no avail. Instead, Catsos seemed to face one problem after another, explaining that the cat door had “no flap on the outside.” Instead, “It is an open tunnel into the brick wall which seems to go round a slight bend, and then the flap is on the inside,” Catsos said, sharing a photo of the unusual pet door.
When no one seemed to provide any viable options, Catsos admitted that they “panicked a bit” and did “something probably a bit silly.” After finding “a small top window open a bit” — but not enough for the cat to escape — Catsos put “some crabsticks and a couple of ice cubes through the gap” before tapping on the window “like mad,” trying to get the cat to find the refreshments before the ice melted.
Finally, Catsos decided to call the police, hoping they might help. However, “They said they do not have the authority to break into a house to rescue a cat,” Catsos explained. Making matters worse, the cat hadn’t touched the crabsticks, causing Catsos to wonder if the feline could even access that room. Sadly, the day was turning to night and the cat was still stuck inside, where Catsos had to leave him until they could try again the following day.
Out of utter desperation and fear that their cat could die without water as the feline meowed at them through the window, Catsos began to consider breaking a window. Thankfully, however, they were finally able to reach the builder, who agreed to come liberate the cat. However, Catsos would soon discover that the kitty chaos was far from over.
Unsurprisingly, the cat had caused some damage. In addition to the muddy scratch marks on the wall, Catsos said the feline had urinated on the floor and a rug. The catflap had also been broken — none of which the new owners were happy about. While Catsos expected to clean up after their cat, what they weren’t expecting was the bill the neighbors provided after they returned to their new home to assess the damage.
Saying that the neighbors were “absolutely seething,” Catsos asked for the internet’s advice yet again as they explained that the new homeowners had proposed that they pay nearly $2,000. They provided the pet owner with an itemized bill that included replacing the rug the cat peed on for approximately $1,000, as well as another $500 to replace an area of laminate flooring, also damaged by the cat’s urine. In addition, roughly $190 was requested for repainting the areas the cat scratched in his attempts to get out.
Another $60 was requested to paint the windowsill, where the crabsticks and ice cubes had damaged the paint. And, lastly, the homeowners requested another $250 for a new bathroom window vent, through which Catsos had also attempted to feed their cat by pushing a thinly sliced piece of honey-roasted ham through it. However, the cat owner had a different idea. Instead of $2,000 in repairs, they felt that approximately $125 for professional rug cleaning and offering to clean and do any repainting themselves should suffice.
Of course, this sparked yet another debate about who is responsible when cats — which often seem to be a fearless force of nature — cause problems. The general consensus seems to be that pets should be regarded the same as young children, with pet owners being viewed as the “parents.” This means it’s the pet owner’s responsibility when their “baby” wreaks havoc on the neighborhood. As for the sum of the bill, it’s hard to say whether it’s ridiculously high without hearing the other side of the story and seeing the damage done.
