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Original poster

Neighbour's aggressive cat

210 replies

mimblewimble · 06/11/2023 23:29

Our neighbours a few doors down have a very territorial and aggressive tom cat.

He was fighting with and injuring our cat so much that we had to speak to his owners. The owners are lovely so it's really awkward to bring up with them. The cats now don't go out at the same time any more - we have to coordinate with the owners on WhatsApp every day.

We also can't leave any doors or lower windows open if their is out, as he will enter our house, or fight our cat through the windows. Now this isn't ideal, but it's been workable.

However we now have the problem that he is attacking us. If he is in our back garden and we go out there he stalks and tries to attack us. DH, the kids and I are all scared to go out there on our own is we know he's out.

We have tried to shoo him from the garden, but he will either just stay put and stare, or if you get too close he turns on you. We have tried water pistols but he just moves slightly away and then returns.

It now seems to be getting even worse, as a couple of times recently he has actually chased me down the street. I have been scratched by him a couple of times, and he can't be scared off.

I'm worried he will cause one of us a serious injury, especially one of the kids.

How on earth do I go about raising this with the neighbours, and what can I reasonably expect them to do?

The cat is already neutered, and he's just a normal tabby as far as we know.

OP posts:
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7
romdowa · 07/11/2023 07:25

Every time it attacks you I'd be getting on to the neighbours. They need to keep their demented cat in .

Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 07:26

Winterscoming1 · 07/11/2023 01:06

I've a neutered male house cat who behaves like this but it's only our family who are subjected to him. Have you tried making friends with him in an attempt to make him see you as a friend?

We did initially. We love cats! One of my first encounters with him he was sat on our wheelie bin and I was going to out some rubbish in. I went over calmly and talked nicely of him and he made himself huge, hissed and bared his teeth.

I am the kind of person who stops to stroke random cats. I have never seen anything like this one. I believe he was a rescue and was neutered late.

OP posts:
TheNoodlesIncident · 07/11/2023 07:27

You need to start videoing the behaviour to show to your neighbour. They shouldn't allow their cat out if it's vicious. I'd be horrified if I discovered my cat was terrorising my actual neighbours and not just their cats (which is more normal behaviour). It might be a pain for them but they need to keep it in until the issue is resolved, you can't have cats going around attacking people!

Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 07:31

DiscoBeat · 07/11/2023 01:29

What do the owners say? They need to be stopping it coming into your garden.

They were ok with the WhatsApp group to coordinate which cat is out when. I told them a while back that he had attacked us in the garden and they apologised and suggested we could use a water pistol to scare him off. (Which we already were!)

Haven't spoken to them since the incidents out the front, that's been a recent development. I just wasn't sure what we can expect them to do, reasonably.

OP posts:
TrashedSofa · 07/11/2023 07:31

mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 07:21

We literally bought the biggest water pistol, he doesn't give a shit. He moves away and then immediately comes back to attack.

I have tried the hose and it's the same. I've shooed him over the fence before to have him turn around and jump back up it at me.

I did try shooing him with a broom, he attacks the broom.

I can't carry a hose, a broom, or a super soaker whenever I go out the front door, so in the front I am undefended!

Show quote history

Presumably you take your feet and shoes out with you though? Unfortunately I think they might be where the solution lies.

LostAtTheCrossRoad · 07/11/2023 07:31

Don't be silly, you are not undefended. Use your feet and make it more scared of you than you are of it.

Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 07:32

bluewanda · 07/11/2023 02:59

Hmm. Is it April 1st?

I really, really wish it was.

OP posts:
RomeoMcFlourish · 07/11/2023 07:34

We had a similar problem and also found water pistols/shooing it away didn’t work. One day my husband cornered it and tipped a big barrel of water on it. Never came back in our garden after that. We would never normally do something like that but this cat was stalking us in the garden and had bitten my husband and tried to bite one of our children. Not sure what you’d do about it following you in the street though, that’s a whole different level of aggression.

Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 07:38

The times he has managed to attack me, once was in the summer and I didn't have shoes on. He went for my foot, from behind with no warning. Got his claws in, I screamed and whipped round and he ran off.

The other time he came at me quick as lightning and got his teeth and claws in my leg. He drew blood through my jeans. I sort of half kicked/shook him off but the damage was done.

I don't want to have him close enough to kick tbh, and I don't want holes in my clothes or actual injuries.

OP posts:
Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 07:41

JazzHandsYeah · 07/11/2023 06:34

My Lionel, good bless his soul, was like this as a kitten and it drove us bonkers. His favourite place was on top of the wardrobe from where he would lurch claws poised for our shoulders.

We got a plug in from the vets, called Feliway, or something like that. It calms Lionel down and he was the most loving gentle boy after that.

So you could suggest that to your neighbour maybe. Using that, and having a ton of toys for him to savage instead of us did the trick.
But for you, for in the garden, just get a water gun, he’ll soon learn.

Good suggestion about the plug-in. Speaking to the vets is definitely something we could ask them to do.

I will try and film him too.

OP posts:
GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 07/11/2023 07:44

Would one of those noise gun things for dogs work? Like a torch that makes a high pitched sound, similar to the cat repeller things people put in their gardens?

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 07/11/2023 07:45

They need to keep him inside if he’s attacking people all the time

ImCamembertTheBigCheese · 07/11/2023 07:46

I had one of these, full jugs of water over them. Soak them a few times. After a few times he learned and bolted when I even showed him the jug.

CrebillionFils · 07/11/2023 07:49

For this this that disbelieve OP, my mother had a cat like this, a Burmese that slowly over time change his behaviour and attack people. He was put to sleep as he dropped down from an overhanging tree onto a dear old elderly neighbours head and scratched and bit his head. I wouldn’t have believed it had I not saw the pictures of the aftermath.

The vet at the time said, just like humans cats suffer from brain disorders too.

CosyFanTucci · 07/11/2023 07:50

Don’t kick the cat outside the front of your house, someone will have a doorbell camera and you’ll be in the Daily Mail in no time. I can only suggest buying a cat-hating terrier.

LostAtTheCrossRoad · 07/11/2023 07:54

Okay so one time you didn't have shoes and one time it got you from behind. But the next time you even see it, run at it first with your arms out and shouting. If you have anything non breakable in your hands at the time, or can pick something up instantly, throw something at it. You have to get the first move in - if you allow it to control the encounter it will remain dominant and aggressive.

Pinkandpin · 07/11/2023 08:00

Have you tried noise? A small metal tin with coins in is a great cat scarer you can keep in your pocket. For your garden I would be filling water pistols with diluted lemon juice. Its so aggressive you need to scare it off.

cornflower21 · 07/11/2023 08:01

NotObligedToArgueWithStrangers · 07/11/2023 06:22

Forget the water pistols and get a hose pipe.

Yes this.
Ffs it's a cat not a lion.🙈

CalistoNoSolo · 07/11/2023 08:06

How can you be scared of a cat? Give it a good boot every time you see it. It will soon learn. Hopefully it will get run over then you won't have to deal with it anymore.

I can't imagine the hysteria and cries of 'put it down' if it was a similar sized dog attacking you in your garden and on the street.

Maleficentient · 07/11/2023 08:08

Cats don't bare their teeth so that's an odd description....please don't kick it. You can easily rupture the spleen of a cat and it's a cruel death. Honestly you just need to be a bigger scarier cat and hiss back at it. Get some sort of noise maker to carry in your pocket if this is real....

CalistoNoSolo · 07/11/2023 08:11

Maleficentient · 07/11/2023 08:08

Cats don't bare their teeth so that's an odd description....please don't kick it. You can easily rupture the spleen of a cat and it's a cruel death. Honestly you just need to be a bigger scarier cat and hiss back at it. Get some sort of noise maker to carry in your pocket if this is real....

If any creature, cat, dog or human attacks me I'm going to kick it, a ruptured spleen is not my problem. The cat clearly needs to be kept inside or put down.

Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 08:15

Maleficentient · 07/11/2023 08:08

Cats don't bare their teeth so that's an odd description....please don't kick it. You can easily rupture the spleen of a cat and it's a cruel death. Honestly you just need to be a bigger scarier cat and hiss back at it. Get some sort of noise maker to carry in your pocket if this is real....

He honestly does - he puts his ears back, shows his teeth and hisses - like in this pic - then comes at us.

Neighbour's aggressive cat
OP posts:
Original poster
mimblewimble · 07/11/2023 08:18

I tried shooing him with a broom once.

He turned around and attacked the broom.

We have tried jugs of water, he backs off for a moment then comes back.

Haven't tried the full barrel of water...

Basically so far anything we try is enough to get him to back off briefly so we can get inside, but not enough to get him to stop attacking us.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 07/11/2023 08:19

They need to keep him contained in their own garden. You can get mesh fencing that's angled inwards and goes on top of the existing fence.

I've never known a cat to be as aggressive as that. I had one that took a dislike to some people, but only when they were in our house.

stayathomegardener · 07/11/2023 08:24

Having been there previously with cockerels and cats I recommend wearing wellies outside for a while to give you confidence and then really being aggressive with it. Full on hose combined with the hissing spray in the back garden should be enough of a connection to just use the spray alone outside the front door.
Also video to neighbour's, so dangerous for children with eyes nearer this cats reach.