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Going on a trip, next door neighbor talk with

Posted: Apr 20, 2015

leave my house key with her just in case. I have animals here at home and my husband is home like every other day as far as the watering and feeding things. She and I basically share "her" cat. She lets him be an inside/outside wanderer and he comes to my house and gets treats. I have talked with her occasionally over the years, never visited in her home, she has been in mine once. She is a part-time RN in NICU here at one of our close by hospitals so pretty responsible. I would love to be able to travel and not worry so much about the what ifs. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks. ;

Keys to House - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
The only people who have a key to my house are people I trust immensely--that, is, good friends only. Do you have any friends within a 10-minute drive you could give the key to?

OP- Nope - NM

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keys - me

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It's a hard decision whether to leave keys with someone or not, but it can be a lifesaver or convenience. I have keys to the houses of 4 friends. Mostly for pet-sitting when the owners are out of town or simply gone a long time during the day. One is to the house of a neighbor I was caregiver for until he died. I still have the keys because his son wants someone local who can check on the house til it's sold. One of the places I go to for pet-sitting was also where I went to clean house when the person was in the hospital & had a long recovery. I have spare car keys just in case somebody locks keys in car or house & needs somebody to bring the spare. I would say it's a good idea to have keys with somebody, but only if you trust that they won't do anything to hurt that trust. I would never go into somebody's house "just because" I have keys. Only if they request or if there is a suspected problem (such as not seeing the person for awhile & nobody else knows what's going on). In my neighborhood, people keep an eye on each other. Perhaps, ask around to see who has keys out to others & how well it works for them. I don't tell anyone locally who I have keys for, so you might be surprised to find out any of your friends are "key-holders".

OP- sounds like you are the responsible one - if you only lived closer

[ In Reply To ..]
I told about this person working in the NICU and her husband actually works for the pentagon. Right after they moved here I had this official person with badge showing up at my door asking about her husband. At that time I did not know them, in fact still do not know him but she told me who he worked for and even got a tax statement delivered to me instead of it going next door before so legit. My daughter just said today she thought it would probably be alright, the woman probably if nothing more would not want to do anything to put hubby's position at any risk. Our neighborhood is also the keep any eye out. I do know the neighbor on the other side from this lady looks out after her property sometimes, me on 1 side and her on the other. More concern about the pets than anything else in case of emergency.

:) pets - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Just about everybody here has pets (me too, 2 dogs, 1 cat), so we all try to make sure the critters are ok. There's not much they can do if owner goes to work one day & never makes it back home for whatever reason. Good to have somebody who can check on them. There's a dog foster care house not far from here & they're my backup if I have to go someplace where the dogs can't go. Cat so far has been fine, but she absolutely hates other cats, so I can't have a cat person babysit. She'll come unhinged. I can usually take her with me.

Never worry about the cats not getting enough - in fact they all seem height challenged

[ In Reply To ..]
Husband is home every other day, then on the weekend. He loads up on the wet, several bowls of water and also dry. I have posting at front door about how many animals in my home but with her being right next door she is home usually 24/7 except the weekends and that is when she works double shift. I have a vet place close by on backup in case of medical emergency because husband does not crate, pick up cats, etc.

pet sign - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I saw a sign like that just yesterday! At first, I was confused, but then it dawned on me how much sense it made. We live in hurricane alley, so if a storm comes through, a note on the door can tell searchers how many (and type) pets could be in the home or nearby & to continue the search. We have lots of animal rescues & searches are made for pets as much as humans.

Your neighbor will be fine. - Fed

[ In Reply To ..]
Your neighbor who works in an NICU and husband at the Pentagon is fine, not because they don't want to jeopardize the husband's job, but because they are responsible people who have highly responsible jobs.

That is why they HAVE those jobs. Those federal agents who came to your door were doing a background investigation. Clearly, husband has nothing in his background that is the least bit compromising since he got the job. That includes his wife.

Same for her. She would not be an NICU RN if she did not have good judgement.

You don't need to worry about leaving your keys with them. Just ask her. If she declines, ask the person who looks after HER house.

Do not suddenly put a sign out saying you are gone, saying to deliver to the neighbor, or how many pets are inside. It can tip criminals off that you are not home. (You can put the pet sign out after you return.)

sign - me

[ In Reply To ..]
A pet sign on the door saying how many or what kind of pets live there doesn't tell anybody that no one is home. It's a sign that can be there all the time saying what critters to search for related to the house if something happens in the neighborhood. (It could also be helpful if something happened to the neighbor & folks needed to check on pets & know just how many need to be located inside or outside in the yard.)

Consider the situation, please - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I did not say not to put up a sign ever. I said not abruptly just as you are leaving. Do it well before or after, but not as you leave.

That, in conjunction with other indications that you might be gone, may be enough to assure criminals that you are gone. You know, like the lights being off or staying on, or a flyer being stuck in the door for two days, either of which alone would raise suspicion, but with the new pets-inside sign would be just enough to make them risk a burglary.

OP- Have had sign in my front window for - some time, not new

[ In Reply To ..]
Lights not left on, flyers not stuck in the door as hardly ever have solicitation here, not allowed so door-to-door mostly never, no newspapers ever and like I said husband home every other day. There are never signs of either someone here or not even when I am at home, car in garage.

Why bother asking if you find fault with every - suggestion?????

[ In Reply To ..]
Why would you even ask about leaving your keys with someone if you already know what to do? You find something wrong with every suggestion.

Sounds like "Two girls for the summer" all over again, only this time with cats.

And your point is.... - NM

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No neighbors for me. I'd hire a pet sitter/walker to come by sm - acuteMLS

[ In Reply To ..]
3 times a day to check on the animals. I'd rather have a person who does this for a living have a key to my home than a neighbor, because if something does happen, you will have to live near the neighbor for how many years....???

OP- Have had cat sitter in the past, came - by twice a day for 3 days

[ In Reply To ..]
My main concern, my biggest concern, is their safety more than anything. The sitter is not here in the evening, night and the next door person is. This sitter was years ago and what I remember is how she told me I probably need 4 litter boxes because I have 4 cats. Well, never did get around to getting those other 2 boxes.

pet sitter - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I know someone who is a pet sitter by career & would have no problem giving her a key, but there's no way on earth I'd leave a key with a total stranger to go in my house to care for my pets. She's not local, so I can't use her service, but I know she cares a lot for the animals she's hired to check on. I won't give keys to somebody I don't know.

OP- I am not leaving the keys for her to go in and - check on, feed, etc.

[ In Reply To ..]
She is not a total stranger. I speak with her occasionally though like I stated above, never visited in her house, she has been in mine once. We sometimes meet and talk outside when going to the mailbox, being in the yard, occasionally. My husband on his job does not have a 9-5 job. He travels, can come home during the night, might be in the morning, no set hours so you never know when he will get home. This person has lived next to me for the past 10 years. I am not into chatting over morning coffee but her outside cat has become my outside cat as well. We laugh talking about our love for the cat, told her I loved her cat also. I have never talked with her husband. To me our relationship has been a live and let live one. She just out of the blue brought me a small plate of dump cake on Easter about a month ago. I was working that day but spent a few minutes chatting outside my door so you see not a total stranger here. My home key if I leave with her would be in an emergency case only, not for watering, feeding, caring for type situation.

reply - me

[ In Reply To ..]
My reply about not leaving keys with a stranger was to the person who said they'd hire somebody who does this for a job & not with a neighbor. I think your neighbor would probably be fine since she's not the type to "get in your business". She would probably have no desire to go in your house for anything other than what you want done. Always good to have a backup plan when you're going to be away.

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