Neighbour’s vicious cat

[Firsttimetrier]

Our neighbour bought a bengal cat which they started letting out this summer. It’s caused us and our other neighbours nothing but grief by attacking our cats resulting in vet visits due to bite wounds, coming into our houses, spraying urine everywhere in gardens and on back doors etc.

This afternoon, I had our backdoor ajar and our baby in the bouncer in the kitchen. Next thing I know, their cat comes flying into the kitchen trying to attack our cat right by our baby in the bouncer. I manage to break up the fight and their cat then goes towards the baby still in attack mode.

This has completely shaken me up and my husband has messaged the neighbour to discuss as their cat is starting to become nuisance.

We’ve offered them solutions in the past such as alternating days/times when each cat goes out, but they never hold their side.

Are we being unreasonable asking them to stick to a timetable?

Any tips welcome and greatly appreciated.

Don't be scared of being scratched.

You're kidding, aren't you? Our perfectly affectionate cat has lacerated me in the past when I've picked him up to put in the cat carrier - and he knows and (possibly) loves me . (He certainly knows where his dinner comes from.) An aggressive, angry, adrenaline-filled cat could do a lot of damage .

And all of your other solutions involve OP making all the concessions. It isn't her cat that is causing problems.

Don't be stupid.

A gun is an appalling suggestion - and could end OP in court.

The law states as your neighbor is aware their cat is vicious/territorial they are fully responsible for ALL damages and shouldn't let their cat escape from the bounds of their property (they are even responsible if the cat is out accidentally).

Cats have the right to go out alone within 'normal' behavior (wandering, hunting garding birds/mice, normal levels of outdoor toileting etc... all legal) but 'teritorialism' and 'attacking' isn't classed as normal behavior.

Same way dog that bite need a muzzle in public but not all dogs do this cat by law should not be allowed to wander freely.

the sensible thing would have been to remove baby and bouncer to another room before trying to separate two fighting cats

You may be right, but a panicking mother doesn't always think of "the sensible thing". We mums act purely on instinct.

We had a similar issue with a bengal that used to walk at least a mile to our road and then just go in any house he could. He wasn't as aggressive as your neighbours' cat with humans though OP, but I had to rescue quite a few cats from him.

We couldn't have windows or doors open, had to watch like a hawk when my cats went out. Couldn't leave hedgehog food out or he'd be there eating it.

The owners actually blamed my road for him travelling all that way, despite doing nothing to keep him in! They had an airtag and gps on him. They had been sending us leaflets asking us not to encourage him - he was an utter nuisance, he wasn't being encouraged! We were ringing them to get him and all sorts.

He got knocked over crossing the main road that was part of his trip here. I felt terrible because I'd been thinking how much easier it was without him 😬.

I'm guessing the owners blame us for that too tbh.

Quite right, *@Cancelledtwiceover - and an aggressive cat is considerably more dangerous than a dog of similar size - and faster and more agile, too.

Cat could interpret that hiss as from the other cat and become even more determined to assert himself, though.

Dogs are more wary of these Correctors than cats in my experience

That's dreadful! That poor little cat, and your poor colleague.

Di your colleague go to the police? The cat was killed in its own garden so the dogs were dangerously out of control - anyone trying to intervene could have been badly bitten.

And they should not be "trained to hunt small furry things". That's deliberate cruelty.

Someone I meet locally on dog walks has a rescue greyhound that he can't let off leash for exactly that reason. It doesn't bother with squirrels, rabbits etc, but goes into full attack mode re: cats. It's obvious that previous owner has deliberately trained it to do this. Such a horrible thing to do.

A vicarious snarling dog does not randomly walk into peoples houses’s repeatedly, I imagine.

You are aware so the different legalities surrounding dog and cat ownership yes?

A vicious dog will also be removed by the authorities and destroyed if it kept doing this.

LOL.
How many dog-sized cats do you encounter?

A cat is relatively small, it can main you but it can’t kill you. A dog can.

All these utter morons on here coming up with false equivalence’s which have not bearing on the OPs situation at all.

It's not normal for a cat to behave this way, I understand that the breed itself is not the calmest, but what you are describing is way out of line. I think the appropriate authorities should be contacted, perhaps the neighbour's cat needs medical attention.

I love cats but if a strange cat came into my house and tried to attack my baby, I’m afraid that I might have done a lot, lot worse then chasing it away. You’ve been very civilized in your response, I would advice you to rethink that if it happens again.

I'm a parent who has taught their children empathy and that animal cruelty is a bad thing.

No need to bother teaching them empathy at all if they've already been killed as a baby by a vicious, aggressive cat.

I know that a lot of cat owners are very selfish, not caring about where their cats roam and poo; but there really are some people on this thread who think that cats should be allowed to do ANYTHING with no repercussions whatsoever - even at the expense of a human baby in his or her own home. Insanity.

She did go to the police and they’ve been round and given him some kind of warning about it all, but I’m not sure of the details or conditions of it.

It doesn’t bring back her precious cat though - really sad as this cat was originally found as a kitten stuffed in a cardboard box in some supermarket toilets, and found her way to a wonderful little life with my colleague. It has devastated her and I cried when she told me. I love my cats as if they were people and it really upsets me that a lot of the general public view them as totally expendable.

This is truly awful. The cat owners clearly feel no responsibility.

Clutching at straws, Jackson Galaxy is a cat behaviourist (my take on what he does) and fully understands cat psychology and challenging/dangerous behaviour. He might have something on his web page that you could print as evidence to take to your neighbour to show what they are doing wrong. I so hope things get better very soon, this is not a way to live for you and your family.

How many dog-sized cats do you encounter
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Do you not get many terrier dogs round your way.
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We're talking about "cat-sized dogs", not "dog-sized cats". Read and comprehend "More dangerous than a dog of similar size" - not "dog-sized cat"

If you were attacked by an "average-dog-sized cat" - a caracal, say - you probably wouldn't live to tell the tale.

There are many dogs roughly the size of a domestic cat, and frankly I'd rather face one of them than a really angry, aggressive cat. Cats can jump higher and will attack someone's face. A yorkshire terrier/ jack russell/ miniature poodle or similar sized dog is unlikely to do that. You might get a nasty bite - you won't be blinded.

Utter moron, yourself.

You're right - it doesn't bring her much loved cat back to her - and she must torture herself with thinking how the poor little thing suffered. I didn't mean to be thoughtless with my comment - but I'm glad that the owner has at least had some sort of warning about controlling his dogs.

LOL.
How many dog-sized cats do you encounter?
A cat is relatively small, it can main you but it can’t kill you. A dog can.
All these utter morons on here coming up with false equivalence’s which have not bearing on the OPs situation at all.

Likewise these utter morons that are suggesting tackling an adrenal fuelled creature with a broom handle. Way to go if you want to say goodbye to your face.
The problem needs to be dealt with and the cat shouldn't be on the property, but your suggestions are dangerous and likely to cause injury.

Here you go. Here's a nice video showing what happens when you kick a cat.

She didn't even kick it , she kicked snow at it (and that isn't a Bengal)
Kicking a Bengal will have you end up in traction having your skin grafts if that video is anything to go by

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

No need to bother teaching them empathy at all if they've already been killed as a baby by a vicious, aggressive cat.

LOL

How many people have been killed by domestic cats?

This thread is bonkers

Bullshit... a dog smaller than my cat caused me to have 350 stitches and reconstructive surgery.

I have owned many cats including ferals and the worst I have ever go was 2 small 1mm scars where one pierce near my eye.

The biggest two risks from a cat attack is blinding from a pierced eye or infection from a bite however a dog (especially small hunting dogs like jack russels) can kill or leave you maimed for life from 1 single bite.

As a surviver I can tell you a small dog can jump bloody high and DOES go straight for the throat.

LOL!

Karma in action!

Just beautiful!