An Eltham resident has pleaded for people to stop feeding other people's cats after she said her young child was left wondering why the family pet hadn't come home.

In an Eltham Facebook group the woman issued the plea for people to stop feeding and re-housing other people's cats.

In a public Facebook post Dominique Nicole said: “We put a collar on him that can only be removed by people (due to the nature of the clasp) that had a massive tag on it with his name, my phone number and a note saying 'please do not feed me'; this has been removed and someone is continuing to feed him.”

“If you are genuinely concerned that a cat is a stray, take them to a vets to check the chip to find out for definite.

“But feeding a very healthy looking cat and keeping them in your house, especially one that has a collar and tag on that begs you not to feed him, is not OK.”

There isn’t a clear line on what to do if you think your cat is being fed and rehomed by someone else but here are a few ideas:

Make sure they are microchipped.

Don’t leave your cat's home alone when you go on holiday. Use pet sitters or catteries to ensure your cat is monitored.

Consider investing in a cat balcony, cat patio or cat fencing for your garden.

If they are on a strict diet, put a message on their collar saying “do not feed”.

Talk to your neighbours to make them aware of the diet.

Talk to your neighbour also to make it clear you won’t put up with them feeding your cat.

Keep the cat indoors - but make sure there is a lot to keep them occupied.

Sharon Coates Davies responded to the facebook post with: “I wish people would stop feeding other people’s cats! Mine comes home smelling of smoked salmon and perfume.”

If you are the ones feeding other people’s cats:

Get your own cat