Imagine living in a neighborhood where there are multiple cats that live on their own in the neighborhood. They don’t have an owner or a home. Would you put food out for the cats? If you did, would you consider the cats to be your cats or would they be stray cats that eat food you put out?

In this story, one teen has started leaving food out for the neighborhood cats, but his neighbor seems to think leaving food out is the same as owning the cats. The teen disagrees, and now there’s quite a bit of conflict between him and the neighbor and him and his parents.

Keep reading to see if you think he should stop leaving food out for the cats.

WIBTA if I keep feeding the TNR cats in my neighborhood?

So, I live with my parents in a rural area. Everyone’s got like 1+ acre or so around me.

We have these TNR cats that live outside in the neighborhood. They have the ear clip and all.

I feed these cats once a day, because they need to eat, but I don’t bring them inside or anything. My parents don’t want animals in the house and I respect that.

I don’t think I am the only one to feed them either. They don’t just hang around my house and don’t act like they are starving.

His neighbor threatened to call the police.

Well today, when I got home from work, my neighbor was pitching a fit because “my” cats were out on his car. He said they made dents on his hood and scratched up the paint.

But the paint marks are on the left front side and it honestly looks like he scrubbed something.

Anyway, he threatened to call the cops and tell them “my” cats destroyed his property. He said he would forget about it if I paid for the damages.

I told him to back off and call the cops if he wanted and went back inside.

His parents are worried the cops will show up.

Well my parents heard what was going on and told me I should stop feeding them because they don’t want the neighbors to call the cops.

I said its just like putting a bird feeder out. Sure the birds come to your house, but that doesn’t mean they’re your birds.

The cops never came and from what I researched for my state (FL) TNRs are not considered pets and you don’t own them by just feeding them.

He doesn’t think the cats are to blame.

I think it would be pretty cruel to stop feeding the cats when they have to live outside.

That and I think the neighbor is lying about the damage. The cats sleep on my car too and have never caused any dents or anything.

What’s up Reddit, should I let the cats starve to appease this “Ken” or is he right and I’m an accessory to their crimes?

I’d feel bad about not feeding the cats too. They aren’t his cats just because he leaves food outside. But should he stop? Let’s see what Reddit thinks.

Here’s a vote to keep feeding the cats.

Here’s more praise for feeing the cats.

This person wouldn’t worry about the police.

But one person is worried the neighbor will retaliate.

The neighbor is definitely not a cat person.

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