Neighbourhood cat won’t leave us alone!

[atleastmycatlovesme]

A new cat has moved into the neighbourhood and seems to have become obsessed with our house and cat. It sits outside the kitchen door staring in for sometimes hours on end, and if I so much as open the door it tries to get in. My poor little cat, who’s nervous by nature anyway, is becoming traumatised. I’m also worried about the summer when I like to have the back door open. I’ve tried scaring it off, squirting it repeatedly with water, and just ignoring. It runs away, but then comes straight back. Any ideas on anything else I can try?

Isn’t there a waiting list for cats moving to Scotland, @Grumpyoldpersonwithcats?

I make no apology for shouting at or shooing out a cat that I don't want in my garden.

As I said up thread I have spent the weekend nursing my very poorly cat who has had the most horrendous abcess on his head. From a cat bite. From our neighbour's new cat.

I would much rather he had come home wet having been chase out of the neighbour's garden, than come home bitten, and I would rather send my neighbour's cat home wet than bitten too.

Please ignore this poster's comment OP, they are lacking in comprehension skills.

Unfortunately the owner won’t be able to do a lot.

they may be able to keep them in for a few days but cats roam and aren’t really trainable. So while an owner may sympathise short of rehoming their cat they won’t be able to help.

i had an intruder cat- the owner did try but if they locked the cat in it made so much noise it kept them and the neighbours up.

water is the only real option. That or cat proof your garden.

When I see a youtube video of a cat falling into a bath it is funny. Someone pushing a cat into a bath is not. It is abusive and deliberately cruel.

Thanks all, it seems the answer is still water, but probably a hose. Don’t worry, I won’t go dunking it in any buckets! My cat does go outside, and is doing her best to protect her territory, but intruder cat just isn’t getting the message. I will update if I get anywhere with the hose. Thanks for all the advice, it’s much appreciated!

No, no idea unfortunately.

No, although it did manage to sneak in once and got to the cat bowl, but I quickly chased it out again.

@pinneddownbytabbies
No I think you are -

quote ‘I can testify that the Bucket of Water trick works first time. It just so happened one day that I'd filled a bucket full of lovely warm bubbly water to wash my car and was making my way down the back garden when my cat came flying over the fence into our garden with Terrorist Tabby in hot pursuit. Terrorist Tabby stopped dead when he saw me and sat defiantly on the fence. I glared, he glared back. I shooed him and he sat fast. So I flung the entire bucketful of water over him and scored a direct hit. He was absolutely soaked to the skin and sat there for a couple of seconds in total shock, then shot off at high speed. He never came anywhere near our garden again’

unless you get that ‘ lovely warm bubbly water ‘comes out of a tap - safe to assume it was car shampoo - I think you are being disingenuous or backtracking now

I agree with this. I had a timid cat many years ago, and the neighbourhood bully cat used to exhibit similar behaviours to your neighbours cat. It would also find ways to get in the house through any open windows, and would eat my poor cat's food. My cat had started to spray around the house lot, usually coinciding with our cat intruder's visits. One day, I had a bucket of water of warm water in the kitchen ready to do some cleaning, I turned around and CF cat was eating my cat's food. I picked him up and dunked him in the bucket of water. He ran off down the garden and I never saw him on or in our property again.

Anyway I am with @Billionthtimeivenamechanged2025 there is no point communicating with the kind of people that think throwing chemicals / water / dunking a helpless cat is in anyway acceptable

OP has said they sort this out without lowering themselves to such despicable measures

Agree. There are some fucking vile comments on here. I mean you can't let your cats be bullied and intimidated, and a visiting neighbourhood cat can be a nuisance, but squirting water at it/towards it with a water pistol is fine! Throwing a bucket of soapy water over it, or dropping it in a bucket of water is fucking evil. What a nasty thing to do. Yet the people saying this think they're funny or clever. Pathetic.

What the fuck is wrong with some people on here? I despair for humanity that they may have children. If they do I pray they don't grow up to be the same mean spirited, cruel, sour individuals as their parents.

I do agree that no WAY would anyone admit to anyone that they would do this (in real life.)

I know you wouldn't do anything nasty @atleastmycatlovesme and I feel you I really do. My cats have been intimidated by neighbourhood cats in our garden, but the advice you have been given from a few posters is cruel and vile. As a few posters have said, just a bit of water in a water pistol fired 'near' them, or at the tail will suffice!