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Original poster

not sure what to do with cat fighting situation

83 replies

Schooldramabannana · 14/03/2017 20:10

We've lived here 5 years and had an ongoing problem ever since we got our cat 2 years ago
He loves to be outside although does come in every evening to sleep
We have a next door neighbour with 2 cats, one male and one female who generally stay outside even at night unless very cold.
They generally sit on her shed.
Our cat will go into their garden and then a cat fight breaks out.
Neighbour has made it clear she feels we are responsible and as he's aggressive and goes into their garden so her cats territory it is his fault and sent us the bill after the first fight they had.
I knocked and explained I wouldn't be paying a bill for a cat fight, that mine too gets injuries from being outside and I can't expect people to pay for that as they are wild animals really.
She wasn't happy and hasn't spoken to us since but we don't see her much anyway so no massive issue!
I've just heard a cat fight so looked out the window and there he is in their garden fighting with her male cat, she comes out and throws a jug of water over them and gets her cats in calling ours a ginger cunt as she is doing it
What am I meant to do?
I don't get why he still goes into the bloody garden; he

OP posts:
picklemepopcorn · 15/03/2017 07:11

Cat proofing the garden is done by specialist companies putting leaning in fences on top of your fences. Cat can't get out of them then.

Original poster
Schooldramabannana · 15/03/2017 07:17

So like a cage?
That won't help as he dashes out the front door every time we go in or out!

OP posts:
GeekGoddess · 15/03/2017 07:29

What a thug op Wink

We had a cat like this growing up, although he didn't have to put much effort in, trouble seemed to find him as he calmly wandered through all the gardens . It calmed down once he'd beat the crap out of all the cats in the vicinity. He was a proper bruiser with enormous jaw muscles and a complete floozy with people. Just uncontrollable (adopted as an adult stray though so we never had a chance!).

You could try and cat proof your garden op of you are inclined but it doesn't sound like it would solve your problem. It's a shame your neighbour has fallen out with you about it, a joint effort would be fractionally more effective.

PeaFaceMcgee · 15/03/2017 07:41

Be a responsible owner and look into cat-proof fencing. Keeping your cat from wandering and fighting will prolong his life. Having a smaller territory will be relaxing for him too.

Garnethair · 15/03/2017 08:07

I have a cat who acts just like yours. He has started to spend a lot more time at home since I changed his food from dry complete stuff to a sachet of food morning and afternoon. It's meant he is far less interested in fighting and hangs around the kitchen begging instead.

Original poster
Schooldramabannana · 15/03/2017 12:59

Cat proofing doesn't stop him doing it as he will go out the front of the house and round!

OP posts:
ElegantDream · 15/03/2017 13:33

Don't let him out the front of the house! You keep him contained in the cat proofed area. You can do it DIY for a fraction of the cost.

lalalalyra · 15/03/2017 13:45

Cats will fight until they establish who is top cat. One of mine has always been the top cat in the street and there is always a scuffle when a new cat comes along. He will later be seen curling up in the sun with them, but the initial scrap always happens

madcapcat · 15/03/2017 13:59

Have a look here op. Https:icatcare.org/advice/fencing-your-garden

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 15/03/2017 19:55

Some people seem quite proud of their cat beating up other cats. Can't be much fun for the ones that lose, or their owners...

ElegantDream · 15/03/2017 20:08

That struck me as well...

I was converted by cat fencing after my cat was bullied by other cats. That and the two that were run over and I knew I needed to find a solution.

LadyOfTheCanyon · 15/03/2017 20:31

There's an absolute shitbag of a cat who terrorises our one. They fight constantly - I think ours just won't back down over territory and often I come down to find them in a staring and yowling match through the catflap.
Shitbag cat used to come in and eat out cats food and then spray everywhere. Microchip activated catflap put a stop to that.
They have fought so badly I've spent £1K at the vets on operations and meds after ours ended up with an abscess on his leg from a bite.
We've tried keeping ours in but he hates it - cries constantly and as a PP said, got really aggressive with us and started pissing everywhere. Feliway did nothing apart from cost a bomb.
We've just given up really - our cat is confident, nosy and really big and he definitely does what he wants. He's always going in neighbours houses and I've given them carte blanche to soak him/ boot him out if he's annoying.
All we can do with the shitbag cat ( whose bollocks are so huge they practically drag along the ground) is spray him with water and chase him away whenever we see him, but it's a futile battle really. Smile

picklemepopcorn · 16/03/2017 05:56

Can you arrange for shitbag cat to be neutered? I've heard there is a way...

Original poster
Schooldramabannana · 16/03/2017 06:43

He's already neutered
That seems really unfair to restrain him just to the garden ( which isn't very big ) as he likes wandering about

OP posts:
picklemepopcorn · 16/03/2017 07:11

Sorry bannana, I was talking about the pps aggressive visitor, not yours!

You are in a tricky situation, it's not fair on neighbour cats, either.

Have you tried changing food as a pp suggested? If you are committed, raw feeding is good for cats. It's a bit involved though, so get good advice. Many pets calm down on raw because it is a healthier balance of protein and has no additives/carbs. It's also more interesting and challenging to eat so they are less bored.

ghostyslovesheets · 16/03/2017 07:16

I'm in the cats will be cats camp - not a lot u can do and she sounds a bit daft

NotYoda · 16/03/2017 07:20

So people are making suggestions and you reject them. Your choice.

Oliversmumsarmy · 16/03/2017 07:22

Cat proofing doesn't stop him doing it as he will go out the front of the house and round

Shut him in one part of the house before opening the front door.

I turned my remaining 7 cats into indoor cats after my 8th got run over on the road outside. They mewed and pawed at the door for a couple of weeks but now they don't bother. We throw regular catnip parties and have ping pong balls and cat toys aplenty.
We made being indoors more fun than being outside

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 16/03/2017 07:39

I have a cat that keeps being beaten up and has had three visits to the vets in the last two years becuase of bites/scratches turning into an abscess

He is a very big powerful looking cat but just not a fighter. He will go into the cat across the roads territory and spray (has been neutered but they still do this) and the tiny little cat will jump out of a bush and usually a stand off will take place with my cat backing off. A new cat turned up about six month ago still not fully grown and decided my cats territory is now his and will also sit on the excatc places my cat has always sat

But my dopey cat still wants to go out will still act territorial it's what they do thankfully all seems calmer recently and no I do not blame the other cat owners it's how cats behave and I think the more you try and keep a cat contained the more agitated it will become and will find a way to escape they are very clever animals

I did read somewhere that cats will instinctively time themselves around each other to avoid territory scraps sounds something like a cat timeshare Grin

WateryTart · 16/03/2017 07:39

Build an outside pen and keep him in there. You are being a neighbour from hell, can't you see that?

And you should have paid that vet's bill. Your cat in her garden, your responsibility.

If you can't contain it get it put to sleep for the sake of the neighbours and their cats who have done nothing wrong.

DumbledoresApprentice · 16/03/2017 07:50

Whilst I do think OP should try to contain her cat in her own garden I am Shock at the suggestion the cat be euthanised. I wouldn't let my cat free roam but seeing as both OP and the neighbour have free roaming cats this sort of problem is hardly so rare as to be completely unexpected. Cats fight. Either the OP or the neighbour could stop it by cat-proofing one of the gardens and containing their cats.

Original poster
Schooldramabannana · 16/03/2017 08:09

Ok we aren't allowed to cat proof I checked yesterday, it's not an owned property so not allowed
The garden is tiny, this isn't enough room for him to still roam and be an outdoor cat like he wants so even if we was allowed, it would still seem pretty unfair
I'm not paying her bills! That's crazy, when my cat came home with a bite that needed attention I didn't go around trying to find the cats owner to bill them!
You don't have responsibility like you would if it were a dog
I'm not putting a healthy cat to sleep because of this, if she was overly concerned she could have kept her cats in but she's made it clear she " doesn't do " litter trays so that's not in the question
He has a mixture of wet and dry food but I'm opening to trying different things to see if that helps!

OP posts:
ElegantDream · 16/03/2017 08:22

Could you come up with a time share with the owner? Yours will go out at x time and hers y? (Don't know how you get them back in, though..)

Original poster
Schooldramabannana · 16/03/2017 08:33

I tried that but she works 7-7 so leaves at 6am and isn't home until 8pm but even then she feeds them and they go back out for the night sleeping on her shed

OP posts:
Original poster
Schooldramabannana · 16/03/2017 08:34

I do make sure mine is back by the time she's in from work as we don't want him out at night anyway but thought it might give her piece of mind that there won't be any cat fighting in the night as he's in

OP posts: