Neighbours bastard cat

[Themuptheroad]

I have a neutered male cat that came to me as a rescue having had a traumatising start in life. We don't know his history but after 11yrs with us, he's still a very jumpy, timid cat. He's done really well though & calmed down a whole lot. He has a cat flap and is accustomed to coming & going as he likes, though he only stays in our garden close to the back door. Neighbour half-a-dozen doors away got themselves an adult tom-cat which they resolutely refuse to have neutered and the bastard is terrorising my lovely old boy. He comes in our garden and will chase our cat right into the house! He's taken our back garden for his own territory. I don't want to have to make my cat indoor only when he might have years of life left in him yet. I don't have funds for building a cat-proof run. Also I don't really want the full-time smell of a cat litter tray in the kitchen. (kitchen is my only downstairs room).

This is a no-win isn't it? I feel like I'm being forced. Neighbour won't shift - 'How would you like your nadgers cut off?'

If they don't believe in neutering 'because sex', try pointing out to them that unneutered toms are at high risk of FIV and FeLV caught through fighting, which will cause many very expensive vet bills. They are far more likely to die young through road accidents, get cat bite abscesses etc. Maybe the idea of being hit in the pocket will work.

I had this happen with a neighbors cat, it was terrorising my lovely cat 🐱
I bought a super soaker, kept it filled up & soaked it whenever I saw it.
It worked ok & he now runs when he sees me.

Super soaker. It wont live long, it'll roam off looking for sex and either get lost or run over.

Personally I'd get it trapped t neutered. I called a TNR team on some similarly feral cats that actually were "owned".

Unneutered toms do upset & can terrorise other cats, especially females.

Your neighbours are being very irresponsible!

And cruel to their cat as it will feel frustrated.

Not sure that you getting it neutered is a good idea as the neighbours may get nasty.

But a quick blast of water will be harmless & should scare it off.

I did actually get him with water. I don't have a super-soaker though. He was sunning himself very happily on my garden bench & I had a chance to fill a bucket of water. He didn't give a toss. I managed to creep right up to him & give him a soaking he wouldn't forget whilst roaring at him. It was a bit cruel but very satisfying. He shot off over the fence but sadly it didn't put him off.

I had an unneutered cat coming into my garden and house every day, eat my cat's food, for a long time. When I saw him I chased him out. He was a young cat, but adult. In quite good nick. He sprayed and the smell was awful. No idea where he came from.

I'd come downstairs in the morning and he would be asleep under the table. One day, instead of having a go at him, I bent down and spoke to him gently. He rolled onto his back with feet in the air and rolled over and over in delight.

I put a flea collar on him with a note sellotaped to it which said, "Please have this cat neutered". The note was taken off the collar but nothing done, eventually the collar went missing.

One day I saw him limping in the garden, his leg was bleeding. I put on another flea collar (which I wouldn't normally use for mine so had to buy one), with a note saying he needed veterinary attention. Same happened.

So husband and I took him to the vet. He had a broken bone and a bit of bone had travelled causing osteomyelitis. He wasn't microchipped. We put notes in newsagents etc asking about owners but no response. He had an op for his leg and was neutered.

Some eleven years later he is my precious gorgeous boy!

Aw Rebecca, sounds like he knew what was good for him ♥️

I'd agree with the supersoaker if you can't get the neighbours to see sense. Or post a bunch of information about the risks of not neutering through their door. Sadly, not much you can do about a twattish neighbour who's living out his own territorialism through his cat. I suspect they'll fix him sharpish if he starts humping their arms, mind.

That's a lovely story Rebecca. Poor cat.

So frustratingly irresponsible.
The Cat Protection website has some really helpful fact sheets, go to Cat Care then Cat Care FAQs, there’s a specific section on bully cats in the neighbourhood. Generally there’s lots of advice about reducing stress, you need to look through the various fact sheets

Trap the bugger and get him neutered .. will be better for him as will keep him out of fights etc .. this happened to my cat .. a bully cat kept eating her food and fighting with her ... I got her a cat flap which read her microchip .. but she wouldn't use it !!! .. sod the neighbours !!!

How about spraying their cat with a hose every time it comes in your garden? I think you don't have any other option if they won't neuter him!

We had similar. It the cat also started coming into our house, atrscking our two cats, spraying everywhere. One particularly bad experience was it spraying my son’s wool school blazer!

As one poster wrote, they got a super soaker. We did too. Took a while but eventually after repeated soaking, the cat stopped coming around.