How to deter a BIG BULLY CAT from my garden

[ShirleyKnot]

OK, so I have a lovely old tom cat, who is now 16 (where did the time go?)

There are a couple of male cats swaggering around the block, but there is one cat who is simply HUGE and an absolute bugger. He comes into the garden YOWLING for a fight. Po (my cat, ignore the name, he was a rescue ) used to be able to see him off quite successfully, and for a long while Big Bully Cat (hereafter known as BBC) didn't come around anymore.

The night before last, I could hear BBC in the garden screeching for a rumble, and Po was itching to get out there and see the bugger off. I didn't let him!

I let Po out this morning at 4.00am (curse him!) and went back to bed. Opened the back door at 8.00 to feed him, and noticed masses of fur all over the lawn. Po didn't come when called, and so I went out to look for him. Found him in the flower bed and he was just lying there, and he couldn't get up.

Anyway, he's been to the vets, and he's had antibiotics and pain killers and x-rays and blah blah blah; upshot is that he's going to be FINE (although my purse is struggling a bit!) even though he is getting to be quite arthritic.

Long story...hope someone is still with me...

I am at a loss as to how to stop BBC coming into our garden and beating my poor old 80 year old cat up. I don't want Po to becme an indoor cat - I think he would hate it, but I really have no good ideas how to deal with this situation. Does anyone have any good ideas?

The only thing that comes to my mind seeing what BBC has done to your cat, is to shoot him. But obviously that's not the correct answer.... so marking my place here to see what can be done in such cases...

I thought he was going to die this morning TBH, so am overwhelmed with relief that he's generally in good health.

I did speak to the CPL about BBC a few years ago, as he was terrorising Dillon (Po's brother who has gone to the scratching post in the sky) and they advised me that if I could trap him, then they would come and take him away and neuter him, because it is usually only unneutered males who are this aggressive.

But, but, but! I can't do that can I? That seems a bit...MAD to me; I can't get near the blasted thing to look at it's collar - or even determine if it has a collar

Stupid to hate that cat, he's only doing the natural thing; but I do, I HATE HIS GUTS.

Yes you can, get a cat trap. I don't know where from but I'm sure they do exist.

I think I would fashion one like Wily Coyote. All lifts and pulleys and a big anvil that dropped from a tree onto the top of a box which held within it a fishbone.

Hmmmm. How would his owners feel though? Because he would just disappear wouldn't he? And how would we get him back to them?

I'm thinking that maybe I could do a boundary line of lion manure. Thus keeping him out. Po's "spraying territory" has massively reduced in the last few years anyway, and so I could try the poo thing. Can you buy online?

Oh poor Po! We have exactly the same problem, our 'old boy', Tom just likes to potter around the place, but horrible bully cats always come and terrorise him, then run in the house and smash our crockery and piss in DP's shoes. As ridiculous as it sounds, I always try to stand at the back door when I let him out because I know he'll try and fight back. I have been known to run down the garden at 4 o'clock in the morning in my pjs, waving the sweeping brush! Good job I bloody love that cat . Will be interested to hear any ideas.

Am amazed that the CPL will take a cat who may belong to someone and neuter him. Not saying you're lying, just shocked!

Then what? Release him back into the neighbourhood? Possibly all the while some owner is going frantic because their cat is missing? Crikey! I can see WHY they'd wish to do it, but, hmmm...

The only thing I can suggest, given that Po is getting older and is arthritic, and being terrorised, is turn him into a house cat. Invest in a covered litter tray, scratching post and lots of toys and at least that way you'll know he is safe.

Sorry I've no other ideas.

Daisy - I'm sorry but I actually laughed when you said that the cats piss in your DP's shoes. We need some kind of Cat ASBO!

Val - I know! When I was speaking to the woman I was just and I kept saying "but..but..but.." and she was telling me that it is irresponsible to not neuter your toms I wonder if I got through to some strange fundamentalist splitter faction of the CPL or whether this is common practice.

Thanks for the advice, but I want Po to be able to sit in the sun in the garden as he does now without the BBC coming in and being all teenage up in his face!

Lion poo I think.

Don't blame you for wanting Po to enjoy his garden unmolested, poor little chap. I would too. Mine was just a thought as I can't think of an alternative.

I MUST ask around of my cat welfare/rescue people and ask if this is common CPL practice, just out of sheer curiosity. I consider myself to be very pro animal rights, some might say I'm an extremist, but although I'd have no qualms about removing an abused cat from a dangerous situation I'd be loathe to do as your CPL lady suggested.

I DO see her point, don't get me wrong, but as you say, but... but... but... !

I'm glad that Po will be okay (hope your bank balance recovers too!), and send him gentle hugs from me and my 3 dopey cats.

Another thing, which smart-ass 15 yo DD1 has mentioned - although unlikely on a ratio, the bully cat COULD have a medical condition which would make neutering dangerous. One of my dogs is unneutered for this reason - he has epilepsy and the risks in his case outweigh the benefits.

Again... crikey!

Do animals in their own territory deserve some protection? It is not that we are in the middle of wilderness where we should allow nature to take care of itself...

Yes it may be a tom cat that may have not been neutured, that may be very unlikely epileptic, but one that may come and kill your old cat in your own courtyard...

I would be thinking of the security of your own cat. The other cat have owners to worry about its own needs, if it can't be neuteured as it can have an epileptic fit.... I guess you wouldn't let him roam around the neighbourhood attacking other cats.

I can't see why the needs of the other cat get precedence over your own cat's needs. In any case, it is irresponsible not to neuter a cat, so it may even be better for the cat, owner, and other cats.