This isn't good...........

...........I don't know why, but for the past week or so, Jimmy from next door has been spending more time here than at his real home. Not only thro' the day either, he's stayed overnight on the junkroom windowsill for three nights running now, at least he's been there when I've got up.

My neighbours are used to not seeing him for 24/36 hours as he's a confirmed wanderer and they know and accept this, but he hasn't gone far this time, only as far as my house. I don't mind tbh, well, excepting the hostility between him and Fudge, and lately with Ginger Tom as well, but he's got too used to using the flap now so comes and goes as he wants. He even eats the same food here that he refuses to touch at home, and it looks like he's getting a bit too comfortable for my liking. He used to run when he saw me, but not now, as often as not he rolls over for a belly rub (and gets one)

I don't want to lock the flap at night as my lot are used to having 24/7 access, and locking it wouldn't be fair on them, particularly if they were out when I locked it. I might have to resort to scaring him off, tho' I won't like doing it.

Ian

Oh Ian... it's a bit of a pickle Jimmy has landed you in... but then again Jimmy is the one making the choice. Do you know if Jimmy goes home at all anymore? Or has he decided that your house is home now?

Even if you locked the cat flap I don't think it would help now... only thing that would happen is probably that Jimmy will sit outside and wait for you when you get up... lol!

Too late. I think you have been adopted again! LOL

pokbg wrote:Oh Ian... it's a bit of a pickle Jimmy has landed you in... but then again Jimmy is the one making the choice. Do you know if Jimmy goes home at all anymore? Or has he decided that your house is home now?

Hi pokbg,

He definitely goes home, I often see him sat on a windowsill next door. I think part of the *problem* may be that my neighbours have just got a labrador pup and this could have put Jimmy's nose out of joint a bit. Even Dexter came in and woke me up at 4am today (he was wet thro' as well) but it's Bolas company he's looking for not mine.

Even if you locked the cat flap I don't think it would help now... only thing that would happen is probably that Jimmy will sit outside and wait for you when you get up... lol!

I doubt it, even before he made a habit of coming here he'd stay out all night if he could, he must know plenty of places he can shelter, but my open 24/7 cat flap and a warm windowsill are just too tempting. For a change, he wasn't there today, I'm hoping he went home when they called him late last night.

maddymoo wrote:Too late. I think you have been adopted again! LOL

Hi Helen,

Not if I can help it, I couldn't cope with the trouble that would invariably follow between him and Fudge if he did adopt me. I'm surprised he's spending as much time here as he is atm, the kids next door are on holiday, so even tho' there's no cat flap, there's always someone about to let him in.

Ian

Really Ian I feel it's your neighbours that should be doing something to try and stop this. They could try keeping him in at night for a few nigts, break the habit. there isn't much youcan do, locking your cat flap is only going to cause you problems, can you imagine all your lot constantly banging at the cat flap, either to get in or out, it would drive you mental. Your neighbours have to be the ones that solve this, or yes you will have an other uninvited adoptee. LOL

Hi Kath,

I think they would keep him in at night, but as often as not, he's not there to be kept in. Jimmy is a real free spirit, he wanders far and wide, even following total strangers just to see where they are going

It's not like my neighbours aren't concerned about him, they are, but they've just come to accept they won't see him every day. When they haven't seen him for a while, it's me they ask first as they know he regularly calls here.

With Fudge being here, I doubt he'd try to adopt me, unless he's particularly dense.

Ian

maybe he is. With him being a free spirit I wonder if he also has other *homes* he visits now and again. Sounds like he is never going to be a slippers and pipe cat.

Teddy wrote: maybe he is. With him being a free spirit I wonder if he also has other *homes* he visits now and again. Sounds like he is never going to be a slippers and pipe cat.

Just to prove my point............

I passed both my neighbours, along with their youngest son and new dog as I was coming back from shopping, and who was tagging along but Jimmy. This was about a 1/4 mile away from home and he'll follow them no matter how far/where they go.

He once followed the husband, Dave, roughly 2 miles to where Daves father keeps his chickens, had a good play in the mud, then followed Dave home again. One thing's for certain, Jimmy has a good sense of direction, I've seen him roughly a mile away from home and wondered how he'd got there/get back, but a few hours later he was sat in their back garden.

Ian

Aaaww he sounds a right character. Moto would follow us when we go a walk, but we bribe him with treats then run out the door. LOL

He's a character all right Kath.

The best story about him my neighbours have told is that he once followed them to the local pub, it isn't far, just up the road, but they got in before he could follow them. He just sat there looking thro' the glass panels on the door, of course the pub has a dog who soon spotted Jimmy and was going balistic trying to get at him. My neighbours were asked to take their cat home as it was upsetting the dog

Ian

oh classic, ** excuse me sir, please remove your cat, he's upsetting the dog**,
Sam followed us to the pub once and it was further than he would usually go, so we were in there for a couple and then went home, Sam wasn't outside the pub but we thought he would have just gone home. Well, he wasn't at home and a couple of hours passed, still no sign of him, so we went back to the pub and there he was sitting patiently outside the door. Poor soul, what a patience he had.

lol! Jimmy sounds a realy sweetie! lol! I can picture him follow in peoples footsteps... both to the pub and to the chickens... lol!

pokbg wrote:lol! Jimmy sounds a realy sweetie! lol! I can picture him follow in peoples footsteps... both to the pub and to the chickens... lol!

It's not just his owners he follows, it could be anyone he thinks might be going somewhere interesting.

My neighbours+son and dog returned about an hour after I saw them, but no sign of Jimmy. He came strolling into my garden about two hours later, so he must have found something to distract him on the way back

Ian