My cats are being repeatedly attacked by another cat...what's the kindest thing to do?

[SpawnChorus]

I am SOOOOOO fed up. Our poor cats (10 and 11) have had to endure umpteen house moves, and have been brilliant about settling into each new place, but this time they are just miserable. There's an evil cat that keeps attacking them in the garden. We've tried everything to keep the other cat out (well, mainly shooing it and squirting it with a water pistol) but it's EVIL.

Our cats are on the verge of nervous breakdowns. One of them is so scared to go out that he keeps pooing and weeing inside. He won't use a litter tray. I am sick to death of washing DS's bedding (this is the cat's preferred shitting area ), and more to the point I feel SO sorry for them. They are very much outdoorsy cats and it's just not fair to keep them inside (and besides this wouldn't solve the poo/wee problem).

Soooo, I think I have two options:

1. give them to my aunt who lives about an hour away . She adores animals and is a bit lonely, and the cats will have a fabulously peaceful retirement. However, we will miss them sooo much.

2. we trap the evil cat and take it for a loooooong drive then release it. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 on a par with parking in a parent and toddler space without a child, and 10 being genocide, how morally reprehensible is that?

Are there other options I'm not thinking of?

trap evil cat I say

(I wouldn't take it for a long drive though - just threaten it)

Really? Will I not be damned for eternity?

Oh, we did actually trap it and scare it the other day, but it is WELL HARD.

Why don't you litter train your cats and keep them indoors, or cat proof your garden, so your cats can't get out of it, and other cats can't get in. You can buy special fencing to adapt your current fencing.

not poss to cat proof garden (it's a shared garden), and we have already really tried to litter train them. They are getting on a bit...I think it's hard to teach an old cat new tricks

plus they usually spend hours outside....they are not indoorsy cats. I really think it would be mean to consign them to a life inside.

Whose cat is it?

You could adopt a very large Tom who will scare ScareyCat away and protect his adopted sisters (are they girls?).

I agree with midori- you could litter train them.

Or you could shoot the evil cat (joke).

My cats are huge boys One of them is truly giant! They are lacking cojones though.

How long have you lived there. It can take a long time for them to settle into a new territory. IME After a while the fighting usually stops.

We moved in at the beginning of Nov...so two months?

It has taken mine 6 months at least hope it gets better soon.

Really?

Oh God it's such a dilemma. My Aunty is absolutely thrilled at the prospect of looking after our cats, and I know they would be in seventh heaven there...loads of gentle cuddles, a lovely garden and plenty of peace (which they don't get here due to the DCs).

I feel that handing them over would be the kindest thing to do, but it will be like removing a chunk of our family. We've had them for so long. DD (nearly 5) in particular absolutely adores them