Next door's -thug- cat

[Grumpyoldpersonwithcats]

Has started coming in our house and stealing cat food.
Our cats dislike him. (understatement...)
Once he's in it's a problem removing him because he growls, hisses and then attacks us (launches at our legs etc).
He spends an inordinate amount of time in our garden or staring in through the French windows. Any suggestion how to gently discourage him? I have no intention of having outside doors shut for the whole summer.
Enclosed a picture of him sitting on our outside table.

To confirm.
TC is not allowed in our house,
TC does not live with us,
TC is definitely (well) fed next door
We do not feed him
However...
TC seems to spend almost all his waking hours (and quite a few of his sleeping ones) lurking in our garden and generally honing his (frequently blatant) breaking and entering skills.

Those PAWS!!!!

I'm getting a Russell Crowe kind of vibe from TC (Gladiator not A Beautiful Mind) Or Mel Gibson/William Wallace. I sense he'd fight to the death to prove that he does in fact live in your house.

Give it a couple of weeks and you'll go up to bed one night and find TC on your pillow.

Weezol It's bound to happen .

TC is however feeling a bit sorry for himself at the moment because it's raining. 5 minutes after this photo he appeared at the door, pawed it, then buggered off to his house.

TC is starting to change his approach.
He's now on a charm offensive, always present, seeking out our company and allowing himself to be stroked (with only occasional biting).
Got back to the house this morning to find him on the front waiting for us.

He is so handsome.
Gratuitous couple of pics of our old lady Florence. Keep us updated, I love this thread!

He is gorgeous (as is Florence). Please keep us updated on TC’s antics.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats That's an old battlecat tactic; disguise self as draft excluder in the hope that the enemy will pick you up and put you on the inside of the target doorway.

Thanks for the update was wondering how TC was getting on.

BlackForestChateau, excellent perception I perceive you have been subjected to intensive training.

CassandraCross I once infiltrated a litter...

BlackForestChateau you are a veritable 007.....

Best thread ever! Please keep it going! Confession: I've never had a pet but I so desperately want a cat after threading this thread 🙈

Keep up the good work TC!

Coronacat

We had the cat next door when ours was alive try to come in but also would wind mine up and they'd hiss at each other through the gaps in the fence. Didn't help that my cat would sit in their garden on the summer house roof (could get there easily from my fence) and glare at him.

Eventually they became 'frenemies' and teamed up to scare other cats out of the garden but Rex (NDN cat) would come out at night and Felix (my cat) would only be allowed out in the morning and afternoon (up to 6/7pm) - they worked out to avoid each other and stay away but occasionally enjoyed tormenting each other through the fence...

I have today seen a different side of TC and am beginning to think he may be a bit of a wuss.
I was at our neighbours this morning and TC walked in with a dead vole in his mouth. NDN thanked TC, TC then dropped the vole at NDN's feet and wandered off.
In my experience real cats do one of the following,
bring in live prey and let them go in the house,
growl at you if you try and rescue a still living rodent from them,
come in with a dead rodent at three in the morning and wake you up by noisily eating it, or
eat half of a mouse and leave the rest back end in your dressing gown pocket for later.

Oh I reckon TC has messed up big time, he didn't realise you were there! He'll be kicking himself now (with his big sooty paws) and thinking of a new way to intimidate you tomorrow.

Oh deary me Thug Cat, don't loose your street cred!

At least your dcats don't seem to be encouraging TC to move in, unlike our dcat who seems to be encouraging one of NDNs cats to move in! Came down yesterday to find both of them sitting happily in the kitchen, dcat has also been seen giving him creatures that he's caught!

NDNs' cat is a lovely friendly cat though and as his owner admits a complete coward.

We are getting closer to an uneasy detente between my dog and NDN's cat - he is getting better at not yanking my arm out of its socket by vigorously ushering her off the doorstep, and she's getting better at not taunting him from the windowsill while he's in the livingroom.

@ithinkmycatistryingtokillme
Both cats sound lovely wee pals 😻

OP can you make a montage of TC's finest moments with a soundtrack?

What song though?

Eye of the tiger? What's new pussycat?