Ex leaves his bengal cat behind after breakup, but his girlfriend has no interest in cats and starts neglecting him, so the cat decides to check out whether neighbor's home is a better one, and the neighbor is happy to help: 'My porch door is open'

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Jul 23, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

We will never understand leaving your cat to your ex after a breakup, especially when that ex has no interest in cats.

Breakups are hard always, but they're even harder when there are cats involved. The cat gets attached to both people, even if it was owned by only one of them before. Both people get attached to the cat too. More often than not, in situations like these, when both partners love the cat, we see custody battles over cats take place, and the partners start fighting about who the cat loves more. Really, it would be a better situation if one of the people in the relationship had no interest in cats, because that way, the choice for where the cat should go after the breakup would be simple, even if it wouldn't be easy for the cat itself. What we have yet to see is a situation like the one we're writing about today - where the boyfriend whose cat it was left the cat to his ex-girlfriend who doesn't care about cats. 

The story was first shared on r/notmycat, and it was framed quite simply. A neighbor's cat coming to visit, and the kind neighbor giving him water and befriending him. But why does the cat need water from a neighbor? That's what the internet asked. And only in an update did we get the full story. The ex-boyfriend abandoning their cat, the ex-girlfriend letting the cat roam freely without water during a heatwave, often not being home to let the cat in when it wanted back inside, leaving him to meow at her door for hours. It doesn't seem like the cat necessarily wanted to change homes. It looks like this is something that is happening because of a lack of options. But the neighbor is a good option, and the cat will be much happier with someone who cares. 

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  • 01

    "Gave him some water and now we're besties"

    ARDIC
    via cwningen95
  • 02
    I've been jokingly calling this handsome man my indoor cat's gentleman caller because he sometimes has window visits with her lol.
    via cwningen95
  • 03
    He belongs to my nextdoor neighbour but likes hanging around my garden and porch to get a bit of shade, and even meowed to get inside my kitchen before when it was raining, but he always runs away when I open the door.
    via cwningen95
  • 04
    Lately he's been kind of stopping at the end of the garden and watching me, offering some slow blinks, but he's still quite wary.
    via cwningen95
  • 05
    We're having a heatwave in the UK so I was surprised to see him still lurking around. I left some water out for him earlier and went out again this evening to see him chilling on my recycling bags ― and, for the first time, he accepted some scritches
    via cwningen95

  • It sounds like he's wary but like he understands his situation. His human left him, and his new human doesn't seem to care much, and despite not wanting to leave his home, he is clearly looking for better options. 

  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10649286912
    via cwningen95
  • 07
    EDIT: To respond to some of the comments - yes, he is indeed very handsome. But also, I didn't mean to give a bad impression of my neighbour.
    via cwningen95
  • 08
    I know this cat belonged to her ex who moved out a while back (he told me the cat's name but I forgot it unfortunately), but I don't really know her, so I don't want to say whether or not she's purposefully or recklessly neglecting him.
    via cwningen95
  • 09
    I do believe he's a Bengal cat, which are known to be high-energy and adventurous, so while I have a lot of feelings about cats free-roaming (especially in this kind of weather).
    via cwningen95
  • 10
    She might not be able to give him the stimulation he requires without letting him out― | *can* tell you this little man has a ridiculously loud meow which I can imagine would drive her crazy lol.
    via cwningen95
  • 11
    What worries me is that she doesn't have a cat door (most people around here rent) and she doesn't always seem to be around when he wants back inside,
    via cwningen95
  • 12
    I've heard him meowing at her door for quite a while before. I also definitely think she should at least leave water out for him.
    via cwningen95
  • 13
    I'll try and catch her for a chat to let her know he'd probably appreciate some water and a shady spot in his own garden, and might try and subtly gauge whether she's considered rehoming him,
    via cwningen95
  • 14
    but I'm not going to steal him or try and encourage him to move in, pet abduction can get you five years in prison here in the UK
    via cwningen95
  • 15
    The fact he hasn't actually tried to get into my house (other than that one time) also tells me he's probably happy with his own home for now.
    via cwningen95
  • 16
    For now, my porch door is open so he can come lay on the tile if he needs to cool down, and I'll carry on leaving him water. I've put an old blanket in there too but he understandably hasn't shown interest in that yet lol
    via cwningen95

  • Don't steal him. We don't think that there will be a need, honestly. We think that it'll be enough to talk with this person for them to give this cat up like they clearly want to. 

  • 17
    ARD
    via cwningen95
  • 18
    sweetheartmuffino Cats always seem to remember the people who make them feel safe.
    via sweetheartmuffin0
  • 19
    Dazzling Diva01 Thank you for caring for him. I'm sure he appreciated it more than he could say.
    via DazzlingDiva01
  • 20
    Lastburn Thats how I got my first cat, the backyard of my childhood home extends into the woods and I was doing laundry and saw a cat, I left him some mashed yams and water that I was saving for a snack, later that day he was meowing at my backdoor for more
    via Lastburn

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