Apartment nieghbor''s outdoor cat

[meresal]

Here''s the deal, and I don''t know what to do... You ladies seem to be very knowledgable about cats, so I figured I would post the question to some experts.

An older single man, apprx 50, moved in across the breezeway from us, at our apartment building. There are only two units on the first floor, one on each side and both of our patios face the back. He moved in about 4 months ago, and apprx 2 months ago I heard a cat purring really loudly in our breezeway.

I opened our door to peer out, and our neighbor was doing the same. I asked him if it was his, and he replied, "Well, it looks like my cat that ran off when I moved in, but he''s lost about 4 lbs." I assumed he would put the cat in his unit since the cat came back.

Almost everyday that I come home from work the cat is meow-ing in the breezeway, and will run back around to the neighbors patio when I walk to my door.

Last night was over and beyond anything I had heard of this cat before. I actually thought that it was the kid that lives above us yelling, "Mom!", over and over again, at the bottom of the staircase. When I opened the door to look out, the cat was closer to my door than it has ever been before, and this was almost 6 pm at night.
(Usually stays about 30-40 feet away, and last night the cat was about 5 paces from our place.)

I don''t know what to do. I have never seen a tenant at an apartment complex with an outdoor cat. I feel bad for it, but we live next to a nature preserve and have lots of raccoons at night, and I think that the owner is leaving it outside all the time. I''m not sure if he is worried that it might have been bit by something when it ran away, or what.

I have never had a cat and don''t know a single thing about them. Is there something that I should do? Is this normal?

 

[charbie]

did he acknowledge that the cat is his? it kind of sounds like he was passing the possibility of ownership on to someone else.

i''d ask him directly if its his cat, and if it is, if he plans on keeping it outdoors full-time. if it is his cat, explain that the cat''s meowing at night is very bothersome. see if there are any "rules" against this in your complex as well.

usually cats that have been indoor cats cry like that when they want to come inside. we had a cat growing up who got out a few times on accident, and when she came home, she would have that screaming which let us know she was back- its annoying!

most "outdoor" cats that i know of are used to being outside and don''t make that awful cry.

 

[meresal]

Thanks for the advice charbie. I hardly ever see my neighbor, so the next time I do, I will be sure to clear up any confusion. This cat has a VERY distinctive marking on his nose forhead, so if this had been his cat, there would be no question, even if the cat lost weight.

I have never heard a cat yell so loudly, I felt horrible for the little guy. The neighbor was obviously no where to be found or else he would have heard it as well. It went on for over 15-20 minutes.

If it happens again tonight, I will leave a note on the neighbors door. If the cat is not his, I don''t want the poor thing wandering around, when it could be hurt or eaten at night near the reserve.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Are you sure he's a he? If the cat is a she, she could be in heat: http://cats.suite101.com/article.cfm/is_my_cat_in_heat Female cats will produce a distinctive yowling sound, while in heat.

If he's a he, then it's really difficult to say. My male cat used to get blockages in his urinary tract, and he would scream while trying to urinate.

Was the cat near your door when he/she was crying? ETA: Oh, just re-read and saw that he was. In that case, doesn't sound like a medical condition/blockage because he would likely only be screaming if he was straining to urinate.

So, if the cat is just sitting there, crying at your door, then he may just be a loud little guy, and a talking to your neighbor is in order.

Good Luck!

ETAA: If you google cat in heat, you will find videos that people have posted of cats in heat. If you listen to one of those, you might be able to determine if it's the same type of yowling . . . .

 

[meresal]

LV, I''m pretty sure it''s a male, and after watching some of those videos, I noticed those cats in heat have more of a deep purrrr than a yell.

A quick update, the cat wasn''t there when I got home last night, so I''m thinking that maybe the neighbor lets it out during the day, and the cat was just upset that the owner was not home yet to let it in.

Who knows. I still plan on talking with the neighbor whenever I see him again. I just want to be assured that the cat isn''t a stray. Even if he does put the cat out during the day, it is still not safe being so close to the wildlife reserve, but that isn''t my place.