Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

Someone elses cat terrorising mine - would it be so wrong to........

44 replies

Norah · 03/08/2006 15:28

Have been agonising over this for months !

We have two 9 yr old cats who have become terribly withdrawn in the last 6 months - one of them even had a stress induced illness and had to have a major operation which cost me almost £1K in total.

This is all down to a "visiting cat" that arrives at our house in the early hours (between 12 and 2) every morning. He used to come in our cat flap, pee on our floor, eat our cat's food and wake the entire house up with his noises. We then started locking the flap at night - and now he sits outside banging the flap and making the most horrendous noise !

He also visits my neighbour and physically attacked her old cat who almost dies from a big infection as a result of numerous bites - she only just survived !

We have tried to find out who owns him - but no-one is confessing ! dh wanted to poison him - but I wouldn't let him do that - but now at the end of our tether we have bought a humane trap - and dh plans to trap him and take him somewhere to release him ! I have persuaded dh to release him locally first time - so he has a chance to get home, but will hopefully be too scared to visit us again - but dh is adamant that he gets one chance only and if he comes back he will take him far far away !!

I hate the thought that this brute might be someone's much loved pet - but we are honestly at the end of our tether with him !

What do you reckon ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:29

Forgot to mention that we have spent months squirting it with water pistols - and chasing ot back down the road - but it is a persistent beggar !

OP posts:
Quootiepie · 03/08/2006 15:29

trap him and give to local re-homing place?

Radley · 03/08/2006 15:32

although I am a big fan of cats, i would agree with trapping him humanely and first dropping him locally, the way he is acting makes him sound ferral though. Haved you tried taking pictures and putting them round your area, does he have a collar etc?

lucy5 · 03/08/2006 15:32

Turn the hose on him, I did that after water pistol phase and it did the trick, took a couple of attempts.

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:35

Yep - done the photo poster through everyone's door mullarkey !

Rehoming place is good idea - will investigate that - would they scan him to see if he had a microchip too ? so they could return to owner etc ? Actually - bit worried about that - as presume owners wouldn't be too happy about us trapping him in first place !! Might be tricky ! Could we hand him in anonymously ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:37

LOL Lucy at hose - he is gone so fast I'd have no chance - he moves like the wind !

Anyway - we have hosepipe ban - Ho Ho !

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:38

we had exactly the same problem.

dh's solution was a bb gun. not the most animal friendly way of doing it but effective and probably less cruel than trapping it.

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:38

What's a bb gun ?

OP posts:
yorkshirelass79 · 03/08/2006 15:38

Message withdrawn

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:38

remember cats are good at finding their way home too.

madmarchhare · 03/08/2006 15:39

Noooo, not a bb gun, thats horrid .

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:39

a gun that fires ball bearings. bit like a paintball gun (which would work too)

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:40

He doesn't care if we're in - lights always on and TV noise from lounge - he still sneaks in - eats some food noisily but all we hear is the crash of the flap shutting after he has scarpered when we get up to investigate !

Was assuming he was greedy - but am thinking now maybe he is feral !

OP posts:
yorkshirelass79 · 03/08/2006 15:40

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:41

So does the bb gun kill it ?

Isn't it illegal to murder someones' cat ?

OP posts:
madmarchhare · 03/08/2006 15:43

bbguninfo

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:47

no, the one dh has is very soft. doesn't even bruise it. a potato gun would have been a better analogy. it's not an air gun.

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:48

Oh God - aren't they what horrible teenagers sometimes shoot cats with - and the poor cat dies a terrible slow death ??? Sure I read about that happening in our local paper lately !

I don't want to hurt this cat - I just want it to go away and leave mine alone !

I think rehoming centre anonymously is going to be best bet ! Off to find local one now !

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:48

but yes rehoming centre might be a good idea. I had forgotten they have those in the uk. they don't here, just millions of flippin stray cats.

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 15:48

So SP - was the cat hurt ? But it never came back ?

I think this belligerant moggie would come back !

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:49

no, norah - you're thinking of air guns.

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 15:49

came back 2 or 3 times, then got the message.

Peggotty · 03/08/2006 16:04

Hi, if it is highly aggressive & spraying everywhere, chances are it is an unneutered tom cat. They are highly territorial and will attack other cats even in their own homes if it sees it as part of its territory. If you can catch it and get it checked for a microchip (any vet should do this for nothing) see if they can check if it still has its balls. If it isn't neutered and isn't chipped you can treat it as a stray. Try to rehome it, or even see if any of the animal charities will at least neuter it and you can re-release it. Neutering aggressive toms can make a BIG difference to their behaviour!

Original poster
Norah · 03/08/2006 16:23

Hmmm - have been calling on my local rescue places and no-one answering !

Am very nervous about not doing this anonymously - although I want rid of the cat I don't want big burly neighbour on my doorstep !

OP posts:
bran · 03/08/2006 16:28

Perhaps you could trap it and have it neutered yourself. Then release it near your home, if it does have owners they will just think it went missing for a few days. I doubt they'll check whether it still has all its bits, especially if it's an aggressive cat.

I don't know how much it costs to neuter a cat, but it must be less than you're currently spending on vet's fees for your own cats.