The Feline Invasion

She had obviously gone through my bin with a mission - its contents were strewn on the kitchen floor, the bin lining torn to shreds. This was the umteenth time that I had been greeted with such a mess upon entering the kitchen. In a flash I knew which 'neighbour' had been the culprit. I would often find her reclining seductively on my window sill as if in reconnaissance, and taking in the sights with an eye on my bin, but would not venture further afield in my presence. I would shoo her away each time - vigorously - thus making clear my disapproval of her implied intentions. She would walk away, but not without purring in protest with eyes that told me I was unkind. But patience and tolerance has its limits - even with cats.

Can you imagine what I had to go through every time she's had her 'fun'? After picking up the bits and pieces on the floor, I would have to mop the floor (never mind that I had done it just yesterday, or the day before) to remove all stains and traces of her visit. Her point of entry is the window which I leave open from dawn to dusk for ventilation purposes. Certainly not to usher her in. It isn't the bin alone that gets her attention. If I leave meat or fish to defrost on the kitchen counter, you can be assured that she would have a go at it soon enough. The feline sense of smell never fails her.

Why do the neighbour's cat ransack my kitchen bin? Aren't they fed enough at home?

Instead of having one more thing to worry about, I have decided to keep the windows of the kitchen closed whenever I'm not in it. Which of course keeps the heat in, and makes it a hot spot! Whether anything's cooking or not.