Hi all I am fairly new to the site but I am grateful I found it as I need some advice.
So this is a long story. In June and July, a cat came up and sat with me on the porch. He’s social and loved pets. He kept showing up at the porch and staying there for hours so me and the housemates went to our neighbours two doors down because we’ve seen the cat with them on their porch sometimes. They claimed he was theirs so we left it alone. But then the cat kept coming and he was cute. Pretty soon he got so comfortable that he started coming into the house and laying down on one of the couches. Every day he would come for an hour and then leave. This was in July, many months ago.
He would be at our front door right in the morning and come into the living room. We found out that his owners got a new kitten and now he refuses to go home. It escalated to the point where he was comfortable going into the bedrooms. And then maybe two months ago he started sleeping over. It felt like he was making a new home with us.
The routine was that every night he would sleepover and then in the morning he would be let out outside cause he asked for it by sitting down at the front door. He would be gone for an hour and then we would hear him scratching at the front door and he would be let in and he’d spend the rest of the day and sleptover again. We suspected that maybe he was out hunting and going to the bathroom outside.
There was much lore in the neighbourhood about him. Everyone knows his name is Marco and apparently he used to live in this house I live in but the owners moved away and didn’t want him anymore. The neighbours two doors down took him in apparently (these are his current owners now) but he would still be roaming around.
My problem is no one ever came knocking on our door looking for him, especially on nights when he would sleepover.
Two days ago, we finally got the courage to ask the neighbours for more info. The woman said that Marco was theirs and to please not let him in or let him sleepover anymore. We were all heartbroken. She told us not to pay attention to him. But the problem is, he’s still here. He keeps coming to our front dooor and asking to be let in. When we ignore him, he sleeps on our front porch waiting for someone to let him into the house. No matter how much we lure him to his home he doesn’t want to.
I keep crying about Marco because he’s not mine and I want to take him inside so bad and have him cuddle with me again but I don’t want the owners to get mad. Apparently keeping cats inside that aren’t yours is theft of property. Although I would argue that he’s no one’s property and he’s chosen to want to live in this house. I am heartbroken. I’ve picked up a habit of smoking cigarettes again because it’s the only time I can afford to spend time with Marco because he sits beside me when I do. But when it comes time to go inside he’s begging and crying for me to let him in. But I can’t and now I’m sad. I don’t want to offend our neighbours or get into trouble.
He keeps staying at our front porch, not moving. No one ever comes over to look for him either. I saw him fighting with another stray cat and I know it is dangerous for him to stay outside. It is starting to get cold and it has been raining but he’s still there, right on our porch.
I want to approach the neighbours about maybe adopting him but I don’t know if that is even at all appropriate. They were clear that Marco is theirs but they never come out and look for him. What should I do?
So this is a long story. In June and July, a cat came up and sat with me on the porch. He’s social and loved pets. He kept showing up at the porch and staying there for hours so me and the housemates went to our neighbours two doors down because we’ve seen the cat with them on their porch sometimes. They claimed he was theirs so we left it alone. But then the cat kept coming and he was cute. Pretty soon he got so comfortable that he started coming into the house and laying down on one of the couches. Every day he would come for an hour and then leave. This was in July, many months ago.
He would be at our front door right in the morning and come into the living room. We found out that his owners got a new kitten and now he refuses to go home. It escalated to the point where he was comfortable going into the bedrooms. And then maybe two months ago he started sleeping over. It felt like he was making a new home with us.
The routine was that every night he would sleepover and then in the morning he would be let out outside cause he asked for it by sitting down at the front door. He would be gone for an hour and then we would hear him scratching at the front door and he would be let in and he’d spend the rest of the day and sleptover again. We suspected that maybe he was out hunting and going to the bathroom outside.
There was much lore in the neighbourhood about him. Everyone knows his name is Marco and apparently he used to live in this house I live in but the owners moved away and didn’t want him anymore. The neighbours two doors down took him in apparently (these are his current owners now) but he would still be roaming around.
My problem is no one ever came knocking on our door looking for him, especially on nights when he would sleepover.
Two days ago, we finally got the courage to ask the neighbours for more info. The woman said that Marco was theirs and to please not let him in or let him sleepover anymore. We were all heartbroken. She told us not to pay attention to him. But the problem is, he’s still here. He keeps coming to our front dooor and asking to be let in. When we ignore him, he sleeps on our front porch waiting for someone to let him into the house. No matter how much we lure him to his home he doesn’t want to.
I keep crying about Marco because he’s not mine and I want to take him inside so bad and have him cuddle with me again but I don’t want the owners to get mad. Apparently keeping cats inside that aren’t yours is theft of property. Although I would argue that he’s no one’s property and he’s chosen to want to live in this house. I am heartbroken. I’ve picked up a habit of smoking cigarettes again because it’s the only time I can afford to spend time with Marco because he sits beside me when I do. But when it comes time to go inside he’s begging and crying for me to let him in. But I can’t and now I’m sad. I don’t want to offend our neighbours or get into trouble.
He keeps staying at our front porch, not moving. No one ever comes over to look for him either. I saw him fighting with another stray cat and I know it is dangerous for him to stay outside. It is starting to get cold and it has been raining but he’s still there, right on our porch.
I want to approach the neighbours about maybe adopting him but I don’t know if that is even at all appropriate. They were clear that Marco is theirs but they never come out and look for him. What should I do?
