Your family will be traveling during a long holiday weekend.
Instead of boarding your cats, you ask a neighbor to check in on them every other day. You feel good in knowing that you have someone that you can trust so close by.
Before you leave for the trip, you stock your fridge and pantry because you do not want to return from a relaxing vacation and think about grocery shopping.
When you return on Monday night and get settled in, you head to the kitchen for a snack. You open the door to the fridge and are startled. It's nearly bare.
Rotisserie chicken. Gone.
A pound each of strawberries, grapes, cherries. Gone.
Three bottles of your favorite wine. Gone.
Two baguettes. Gone.
Two pounds of salmon. Gone.
Four filet mignon. Gone.
You can't believe what you (don't) see.
Your neighbor/petsitter is the only person who has had access to your home.
You are beyond furious.
What do YOU do next?
Let it go. Have a big laugh about it with my husband. And never ask that neighbor to perform the same job again. (And order takeout!) What I wouldn't do is make too big of a deal about it. If you can afford vacation and you can afford all that fancy food, one fridge full isn't going to break you. In fact, some of those things could have gone bad over the weekend, so I might give the neighbor the benefit of the doubt and assume they thought I meant for them to eat as a thank you for taking care of the cats.
ReplyDeleteKnock on their door and ask them what the...
ReplyDeleteI would be a bit upset. I would talk to her but try to make light of it. I would say to her jokingly, "How was your weekend? Did you eat well?" Hopefully she will catch on and explain why she decided to wine and dine at mi casa. Then I would make another joke about how we are starving and if she is the good neighbor we think her to be, she will offer to get us some takeout or make dinner.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised she didn't eat the cat food as well! HA!!
Boarding the cats would have been cheaper. That was pretty fancy food. I use to go over and cat-sit for my neighbor over the holidays and it never dawned on me to go in her fridge. Some people have different cultural views and for them food is a "thank you". If you ask her to sit again, tell her she's welcome to whatever is in the fridge and save your major "expensive" shopping for your return.
ReplyDeleteThey'll have some explaining to do seriously! And as for the The Shop Tart comment, Umm... I haven't seen anything fancy about that list! And just because you can afford something, does not mean that you want to pay for it twice. Especially if you didn't eat the food!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a funny "MMM"! I'm going to ask my husband what he would do!
I wouldn't say a thing but I would reclaim my key. Next time, don't depend on neighbors to help out. Living next door to someone does not make them your friend or cat sitter or sane.
ReplyDeleteIf you need help, ask a friend you can trust.
Give them a copy of the receipt with all the items missing circled and let them know I would like everything replaced.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that's rude, and the person knew it was, so I would have no problem expecting payment back. They NEVER house sit for me again! The dog/cat/pet would go to a overnight pet hotel or come with me on the next trip.
I am going to ask and let him/her know that was not cool. No need to replace the items, at this point.
ReplyDeleteI typically pay my friends to house sit while we are away... So, I would just say- I hope you enjoyed yourself because I am going to use the money I would have given you to replace all that you ate and not ask her again!
ReplyDeleteOkay, maybe I am being naive, but I would ask her about it. She may opened the fridge to get some water while spending time with the cats and notice how full it was. Like someone said above, she may have eaten the perishables, but whose to say the rest of it is not in her freezer waiting to give back to you. She might have thought she was doing you a favor by helping to keep the food while you were gone. You did say it was a long holiday weekend and most folks stretch it to 4-5 days and you did say everything was in the fridge, not the freezer. I would at least ask.
ReplyDeleteI am not really sure what I would do. I would probably have to ask the Mister to go and retrieve the key because I would have probably caught a case. I like Moni's idea of an itemized receipt and the request for reimbursement but the reality is that you probably won't get your money back.
ReplyDeleteSo in reality, we probably would never speak again. Ever.
I'm always amazed at how "gentle" your readers are. I wouldn't expect them to replace the food, but seriously -- that was rude as all get out! I would give them a few "special" words and retrieve my key. I just don't understand the gall and lack of home-training within some people to think that would be okay. Seriously, filling a bowl with cat food and another with water and scooping a liter box does NOT justify cleaning out my refrigerator. And for the commenter that said it was fancy food and you just vacationed, so you can afford it?! Just wow... This in NOT my blog, so let me just go.
ReplyDeleteThat was rude beyond comprehension. And actually that was stealing! Taking without asking is stealing. And dammit I don't take lightly to folks stealing from me. It would be show-down time at the OK Corral.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say anything, but that was nerve. I have fed my neighbor's cat many times while they were out of town and it never occurred to me to do anything but feed the cat and leave. (And it's not because I hate cats either).
ReplyDeleteSeriously that is just rude. If you hired a Pet Sitter or asked a friend to cat sit there was no reason why they were in the fridge at all. A drink I could understand it is summer and hot out and they might have been running errands before stopping in but your entire fridge?! Things would be a bit different if they were staying at your house to pet sit but still all the food? Maybe a call to your cell asking about the food if they were supposed to be staying over.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE GOT TO KNOW - do these really happen to you - I'm just starting to read your blog or are these your real life scenarios...I'm dying and gotz to know. I'm laughing because this did happen to my friend and I feel like everytime I read your blog this happens. I never leave a stocked fridge when I go on vaca and I understand if someone is housesitting - then in that case I do leave a stocked fridge - but if they are just coming over periodically and eating you out of house and home..I'd say get a job and buy your own food.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the responses from some of the readers! Maybe I grew up differently and my approach to problem solving is different! But, the truth of the matter is this...no one can evade confronting the truth! It will ever be in ones face, presenting itself in different forms until its faced! Therefore, I just don't get why there is an apprehension or fear of asking someone if they ate the food in your refrigerator or not? I say ask the neighbor! If the person says 'yes'...just tell them not to do it again without your permission! If the person says 'no'...then you know either way which type of person you're dealing with and next time either take your cat with you in a traveling cage or board it!
ReplyDeleteBy the way...change the locks on the front door while you're at it! Because you're asking for more trouble! duhhhhh -pearls
Were the cats ok? If they seem cared for...I guess I would suggest you let it go THIS time and make sure it never happens again. I would kennel them next time, it is bound to be cheaper than replacing all the missing items.
ReplyDeleteHa.ha I have to laugh because I am a cat "mommy" and now I call my husband "cat daddy". Our close friend is usually our pet sitter and one time Fiona had a minor mouth surgery that required antibiotic drops. He is so freaked out by cat nails he wrapped her up in a towel flipped her upside down. Needless to say I came home to several bath towels in the dirty clothes hamper,
ReplyDeleteI think I'd 'innocently' mention that I'd left a TON of food and wine in the fridge for us to eat when we returned, so we were really surprised to find that it was gone, 'What happened?'. I think that sends the message that a) it wasn't for the cat-sitter (obv), b) I specifically bought it for us to eat on our return, so now we're inconvenienced and c) you'd BETTER have a damn good explanation for my fridge being empty, eating it all is just not normal.
ReplyDelete