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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Any tips please for an invading tom, cat wee and a nervous cat?

32 replies

foxache · 26/03/2013 13:19

Our cat is neutered, our lodger from next door is not, both are male and get on well. Recently, a large tom has been getting in through the flap or hanging around and our own cat is really stressed. He spends all day asleep when it's safe, but all night on jittery alert, watching the door.

Our cat lodger is spraying liberally all over the place in defence - I've just been cheerfully informed that the place stinks Sad - I can't smell it anymore. The other thread has great tips with the bio washing powder and lemon thanks and I will now try. I couldn't understand why bleach wasn't working, but now know.

It's everywhere, piles of clothes, sofa etc. Will I just have to keep on scrubbing daily? Is there a non cruel way of deterring the invader, or is spraying with water cruel?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 13:25

A microchip controlled cat flap ? (Then you code it to your own cat's chip and only they can get in the house. Won't take long to realize.)

Smile
cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 13:27

Sorry - you can add the lodger's chip as well so that they can both get in.

Smile
stinkyfluffycat · 26/03/2013 13:28

I would get a cat flap with a lock, one of those ones that is opened by a magnetic thing on the cat's collar. If your cat won't wear a collar you can get cat flaps that are opened by the cat's microchip, but then your lodger next door couldn't come in...

For the pee, stick anything you can in the washing machine with bio detergent.
For carpets, blot as much wee as you can up with kitchen towel, then rub copious amounts of bicarbonate of soda into the puddle, until it has absorbed as much of the wee as possible.
Then soak the area with white vinegar, blot dry, then scrub with bio washing detergent.
You should then be cat - piss free, although you may be left with a lingering smell of vinegar and a sense of resentment towards the pissing feline.

The sofa is probably doomed to smell of pee forever though...

HazeltheMcWitch · 26/03/2013 13:29

Spraying with water isn't cruel, IMHO - and I LOVE cats. I'd be happy if a neighbour water-sprayed my cat if it was invading her house! Other than the suggested cat-door things, can you just 'boo-hiss' away the tom, and spray him, whenever you see him in your garden?

CointreauVersial · 26/03/2013 13:29

Sadly, a neutered cat is lower on the social pecking order than a non-neutered, so the invader is just taking your house as his territory.

You need to exclude him with a microchipped catflap asap, or the problem will continue, and your cat will continue to be stressed.

stinkyfluffycat · 26/03/2013 13:29

Oh, cross - post. Didn't know you could add other peoples' cats' chips to your cat flap!

HazeltheMcWitch · 26/03/2013 13:30

Re the sofa - if you've not done so already, scatter dry bio washing powder over it - as you would a shake and vac type things. Leave for a bit, then hoover.

cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 13:39

Well you can add up to 32 (!) numbers in the Sureflap memory, stinky so I'm assuming that they can be any numbers you have and presumably the Op could get the number from the neighbour. Of course, that rather assumes that the lodger cat is chipped and if he's not been neutered there's a big question mark there.

bubbles1231 · 26/03/2013 13:44

Contact the RSPCA (SSPCA if in Scotland) or the CPL. They may be able to put a trap in place and take him away for neutering.
We had this problem last year. Keep the kitchen door shut at night so the other cat can't acces the rest of the house- your own cat's bed may have to go in the kitchen for a while. You could set the catflap to "out only" until the intruder gets fed up trying to get in.

stinkyfluffycat · 26/03/2013 13:50

32! You'd have to be a proper mad cat lady to want 32 of the things coming in and out!

Samvet · 26/03/2013 13:52

With the microchip flaps you don't need to know the cats microchip number you just push them through and it detects chip and logs as 'permitted' cats. Problem solved!

cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 13:55

Ah, thanks Samvet. Problem solved indeed - as long as the lodger has a chip. (If they haven't neutered him, I have my doubts, chipping being so inexpensive.)

Original poster
foxache · 26/03/2013 14:03

Thank you for all your replies, they're great Thanks I'm just back from scrubbing all hard surfaces and the sofa with lemontea/ bio wash solution, am going to sprinkle the sofa with the powder now, thanks Hazel - luckily ds is away.

I really doubt the lodger is microchipped (I even do his flea drops) but will look into the cost of that flap, this isn't our first invader. Sadly collars don't work for them. I don't think the tom is a stray, he looks in good condition and well fed, he'd look for extra food anyway wouldn't he? I have a mist spray and will see about being brave enough to try Confused, but am glad it's seen to be ok!

I'd wondered about pecking order too, it's interesting - our cat is massive, but a nervous wreck.

Thank you all for the prompt replies.

OP posts:
Original poster
foxache · 26/03/2013 14:05

That's good to know about the micro chip Samvet, I'd thought it was much more complicated. (now to the politics of asking to chip someone else's cat...)

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 14:08

Microchip flaps are more expensive but well worth it. Several posters here have reported recently on potential invaders being stopped at the drawbridge summarily!

I should imagine that your lodger's owner would have no objection to having him chipped if you wanted to go that route? (It's an 'invasive' procedure but not one that's so discussion provoking as neutering and is very quick. Although you could always mention neutering in passing, I suppose. It wouldn't necessarily stop him spraying but it would likely be better all round.)

cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 14:10

PS - re the politics. Sounds as if he's pretty well your cat anyway - but at any rate has a pretty laissez faire owner to say the least. I'd just mention it and say that this is the best way to keep him happy and using your house. I doubt you'll get objections.

Original poster
foxache · 26/03/2013 14:16

Cozie thanks, I've just looked up the cost of chipping him and it's £100s less than I'd imagined! It took me ages to work up to asking to flea drop him, I wouldn't now worry about asking for this, she can only say no I guess. The lodger isn't my favourite cat at the moment.

The flap itself will have to wait (Sureflap looks great) so I'll try with the lemon and spray before that.

OP posts:
Original poster
foxache · 26/03/2013 14:21

Sorry x-posted cozie. She does love him, but is an 'outdoor animal' kind of person, he gets soft furnishings here Grin We've had a few discussions, all amicable, and he's definitely hers, but yes she is very laid back. Our cat really likes him, i think.

OP posts:
Samvet · 26/03/2013 14:24

Worth asking, he may be chipped as rescue centres often do this prior to re homing. Worth asking as the at flap just totally sorts the issue. Or get the flap and let the lodger in the door? He would be able to get out fine.

cozietoesie · 26/03/2013 14:28

Don't rescues normally neuter as well though Samvet? I'm not sure he sounds like a rescue cat.

steppemum · 26/03/2013 14:39

we have recently installed a microchipped flap. it was the best £100 I have spent in a long time. My mum has just put one in as well - and she has 2 cats.

We had real trouble with neighbours cat. neighbours go out early and come home late and their cat has no cat flap, so he was hungry and cold and lived in our house. Trouble was he was also flea ridden (and my duaghter seems to be a real target for flea bites) anti-social, wee-ed on our carpet and then he started spraying. I just could not work our why our house stank all the time, till one day I saw the spray mark on the wall and the penny dropped.

Our cat is huge, and great big fluffy hunter, he can catch anything on 4 legs, but he would not stand up to this neighbours cat.

Now peace reigns. I reckon in a year we will have repaid ourselves the cost in flea powder, food and cleaning sprays.

£26 for micro chip and £74 for the door. My dh installed it.

steppemum · 26/03/2013 14:43

by the way we tried everything before we micro-chipped. We kept a bucket of water outside the back door and everytime we caught him in the house, we dropped him into the bucket. He hated it.
(not nice, but he wasn't hurt, and I really wanted him to go away)
we have water gunned him, held him under the kitchen tap, my kids have chased him down the garden, banged on windows and scared him off. The long and the short of it, was it was worth the risk for him to keep coming in, especially when we were out, and on holiday

HazeltheMcWitch · 26/03/2013 15:27

Don't do misty-spray, OP, Set it to jet.
It honestly wont hurt him, unless you use a super-soaker at close range. WHich you wont.

MissFoodie · 26/03/2013 17:32

I had same problem, water did not work, only solution was a microchip cat flap, sureflap is great, the petporte did not work, intruder still managed to break in!

Original poster
foxache · 26/03/2013 17:49

Misty spray does sound a bit feeble come to think of it... I'm such a pathetic softie, but have to stand up for my cat. Steppemum, your invader sounds like our lodger, flea-ridden and smelly (but lovely temperament). I can't believe how resilient yours was.

No, he's not a rescue cat and has a relative living (alone) in another house. I've decided to save for a Sureflap and either let next door in, or negotiate chipping him with his owner. From this thread I've gone from dabbing with bleach, to all action Grin Thanks!

If the tom goes away, will the lodger stop spraying do you think, or is it now a habit? I wish I knew he had a good home for sure, so wouldn't feel so bad at putting him into the freezing night.

OP posts: