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Original poster

Any ideas what I can do about neighbour's horrible cat?

41 replies

Desperatecatowner · 19/08/2025 18:46

Name changed in case my neighbour figures out that this is me.
I have two older female cats that stay mostly in our house and go occasionally into our garden, which is quite shrubby and woody. They do not hunt. They also stay in our garden and don't wander.

New neighbours moved in a couple of years ago and brought their cat. It's an African Savannah Cat, a category 5 wild animal, anything from category 4 and up should be caged (as far as I understand).
This cat has decimated the bird life in the area, which our neighbours are proud of. Their cat has also attacked other cats in our close, even leaving one so badly injured it needed surgery.

The neighbours' cat has been attacking our cats too, leading to vet visits etc with bites that need antibiotics. When we have spoken to the neighbours about it, they are dismissive. The law says you can't pursue cat owners for damages. They literally don't care.

My cat was attacked this afternoon by the neighbours cat and seriously injured. My husband witnessed the neighbour's cat attack mine. We have now run out of pet insurance owing to the previous attacks and are going to struggle with paying for more care.

Does anyone know what we can do to prevent the cats being hurt? It seems unfair to keep them inside when they don't hunt or hurt other creatures, but I will if I must. I'm just hoping others might have an idea of what we can do, please? Can I make the neighbour pay the vet fees? Help!

OP posts:
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Frumpitydoo · 17/07/2026 16:36

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Nettie1964 · 17/07/2026 16:04

Catio is are you or your husband good at DIY. Or move some people are so selfish. My neighbour has a ferel unneatered cat who attacks my kittens in front of me. No shame at all. I put the hose on him but its exhausting.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 20/08/2025 20:46

Try anti-vandal paint on your fence tops - they hate it. You will need to put a notice up at the front to say your property is protected with anti vandal paint.

Some Savannah's need a licence, others don't.

I'd use a hosepipe to put it off coming too.

My husband would have further strategies.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 20/08/2025 20:46

Try anti-vandal paint on your fence tops - they hate it. You will need to put a notice up at the front to say your property is protected with anti vandal paint.

Some Savannah's need a licence, others don't.

I'd use a hosepipe to put it off coming too.

My husband would have further strategies.

Eskarina1 · 20/08/2025 19:58

We're in the same position as you, though I don't know the cat. Currently nursing my little boy cat as he recovers from a near-fatal mauling by a "very large" cat. We're letting one cat out in daytime hours only because she's miserable as an indoor cat but the other two are inside till we cat proof.

Laura95167 · 20/08/2025 19:57

Its not a cat. Its a serval hybrid and if its more than a certain % serval its a wild animal. If its an F1 you need a DWA license. Size is a good rough guide,cats are about 10 inches tall, Savannah cats at F1 will be nearer 15/16 inches.

So you may be able to report it

Loubylie · 20/08/2025 19:51

Feed it half a grape. Or a bee.

EveryKneeShallBow · 20/08/2025 19:47

Do you have a nearby zoo? I’m certain I’ve read that people have bought big cat urine-soaked straw and spread it around to put off neighbourhood cats.

BlackberryMuffinTop · 20/08/2025 19:35

I'd keep your cats indoors most of the time and just let them out into the garden with you so that you can supervise them outside. Like when you gradually let a kitten start going outdoors.

(Edited as I asked about breed of cat and just seen.)

Catwalking · 20/08/2025 19:15

I might try & catch it the terror & take to rspca as a found animal? But as it has the collar it’d have to be done when owners are def. away from home I guess?
I’ve built a gigantic cat pen on side of our summerhouse…( we get foxhounds in our garden sometimes!), could build 1 & pop savannah a in it whenever it’s about, then yours could have some safe garden?

Lucywithout · 20/08/2025 18:13

We had a problem with a bully cat and I installed a cat door which responds only to my cat's chip. Cat could return quickly to home. Bully soon left it alone and found others to torment. Be careful that delivery men dont break by pushing stuff in the cat door. You can also limit the hours door is open which may help too.

lemonraspberry · 20/08/2025 17:38

Is it worth have a chat with the local council to check whether it falls under Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (appreciate it depends whether it is a F1, F2 etc (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/38))

ToKittyornottoKitty · 20/08/2025 17:17

4pink1blue · 20/08/2025 12:56

I own a pair of F3 Savannah cats and only F1 have to be caged (and licensed) so if I wanted mine out they could. However they cost me thousands so they have a catio! The neighbours aren't doing anything wrong but I appreciate how frustrating it is. My two love their catio and it wasn't horrifically expensive either.
Pic for cat tax

Well they are doing something wrong, maybe not legally, but letting your aggressive cat continue to viciously attack your neighbours cats to the point they need vet treatment and even surgery, and then not give a shit or offer to pay - is 100% morally wrong.

XelaM · 20/08/2025 13:02

Omg I just looked African Savannah Cats and these do not look like pets! They look like they should be in a zoo 😮

BMW6 · 20/08/2025 13:01

I'd put out lots of food so it gets so fat it can't get out of its own garden........😉

4pink1blue · 20/08/2025 12:56

I own a pair of F3 Savannah cats and only F1 have to be caged (and licensed) so if I wanted mine out they could. However they cost me thousands so they have a catio! The neighbours aren't doing anything wrong but I appreciate how frustrating it is. My two love their catio and it wasn't horrifically expensive either.
Pic for cat tax

Any ideas what I can do about neighbour's horrible cat?
Didimum · 20/08/2025 12:42

Neutering wouldn't do anything for the behaviour of a cat being 6 months. There behaviour is set.

littlemousebigcheese · 20/08/2025 12:39

Those cats are stunning but wild! We lived near one once and like you said, it decimated the local bird and wildlife. They shouldn’t be pets really. I feel sorry for the cat itself and your poor cats. Catio sounds best, your girls could still go out and bumble about but would be safer. hope your cat is ok x

Original poster
Desperatecatowner · 20/08/2025 09:07

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. It looks like I'll have to keep them in while I save up for the bits to build a catio.
I loved the idea of getting the neighbours' cat neutered, but he is chipped and wears a GPS collar because he is supposedly very valuable.
We have a super soaker expressly to use on the marauding cat, but as one of the other posters said, he seems to attack my cats just for fun and will happily come into our house to do that.
I wish I had the money to move so that my cats can enjoy their senior years in peace.

OP posts:
CatherinetheGreatest · 19/08/2025 20:27

Catio for your cats and also cat proof your garden.
Also ❤️😻❤️ for your cat to get better soon.

OnTheBoardwalk · 19/08/2025 20:26

I was going to suggest as well a super soaker or a bucket of water but this sounds well beyond that

can your vet offer advice? It does sound unfortunately you need to keep them in or a catio

SilenceLover · 19/08/2025 20:22

NaeRolls · 19/08/2025 20:03

How awful for you and your cats, I'm sorry. The neighbours sound like horrible people.

I've had a similar situation. I locked my cats in at night. And if I saw the other cat during the day I sprayed it with the hose.

I wonder if their cat is neutered? I'd be tempted to hire a cat trap from the spca, trap it, and take it to the vet and pay for it to be neutered, then release it. They could never prove it was you!

But I know this is not really a good idea.

One can dream!

I absolutely used to dream of doing this. Or I doubt our problem cat was chipped so I was tempted to trap him and take him to a rescue as a stray.

SilenceLover · 19/08/2025 20:20

We had a similar problem with an entire male, who the neighbours refused to neuter. Our girls are similar to yours, and rarely leave the garden, but he’d come in and attack them (seemingly just for fun). We had £1000s of vets bills and in the end cat proofed an area of our garden so he couldn’t get in and only let our cats into that area. We were lucky in that it was possible to do so, but was another significant expense, and I always felt bad that they ended up being the ones restricted because of someone else’s negligence. It’s probably your only real option if you want to continue to let them outside.

DumbbellIdiot · 19/08/2025 20:09

The internet says “In the UK, Savannah cats are legal to own, but it depends on the generation. F1 Savannah cats, which are first-generation hybrids of a Serval and domestic cat, are illegal to own without a Dangerous Wild Animal (DWA) license, which is difficult to obtain. F2 and later generations (F2, F3, F4, etc.) are generally legal to own without a DWA license.”

I think you’d be in your rights to contact the council to establish which generation of cat it is.