Vicious neighbourhood tom cat

[georgedawes]

We have a tom cat which I suspect is semi-feral living here. I've checked with all the neighbours and no-one knows where it lives although they all recognise it (this is a small community where everyone knows everyone so that's unusual). It has lost a lot of weight recently (it was big and stocky) which makes me think it's not being fed.

It is very aggressive and has been in our house pooing and spraying and trying to get food. We have now locked the cat flap so it can't get in. We have one very old cat who only goes out for 5 or 10 mins a day. He was out the other day and this cat attacked him, very badly. My DH had to kick it to get it off as it would not let go even when he was screaming at it and wrestling. Our poor cat was bleeding badly :( Our cat is not a fighter and will run from any confrontation, this tom just seemed to want to hurt him.

Took him to the vets and the vet said it was very unusual for a cat to be so hard to stop fighting. He said it really needs trapping and neutering. Will a cat rescue do this? We're quite rural but I think there is a CPL and RSPC fairly nearby.

CPL would be your best bet here.

I'd keep your old boy in in the interim if you can, as well. (Does he have a tray to use?) A big fight can be one heck of a shock to an old system and the possibility of a nasty fighting wound/infection doesn't bear thinking about. He might be quite happy not to go out now.

Just checked and they're a few miles away but hopefully cover here. Will call them. Does it sound like they'll trap it?

My poor cat has had such a lucky escape, I honestly think he'd have suffered a very serious injury if DH hadn't got out in time.

They might trap it and neuter it - you can only ask, eh?

xpost. Yes we are keeping him in, he isn't that fussed about going out anyway so it's not stressful for him. He normally just goes out for 5 mins or so, more if we're in the garden with him. He has a tray he uses no problem.

He's had painkillers and antibiotics and is like a different cat. Poor thing was obviously in loads of pain, his face looked so different after he'd had the pain relief. He's purring and sleeping fine again now, so just keeping an eye on him.

That's good. Best of luck to him.

thanks cozietoesie :)

He is such a sweet old boy, I had the stove on for him last night and some chicken for when he got home from the vets. He seemed really happy and was purring happily. He is so gentle and runs a mile from confrontation but this cat seems really determined. It can't be happy surely if it is so aggressive? I really hope the CPL can help.

If the RSPCA do it they will put him down unless you specifically say that they are welcome to neuter him, treat him and then release him back in your garden. Otherwise I'm afraid he doesn't stand a chance with them. Even then good luck with getting the RSPCA do actually do anything, they are pretty reluctant to do anything at all in my experience.

CPL will probably only do it on the basis of neuter, treat and re-release also.

Of course if he's lost a lot of weight he might have a serious illness and need to be put down anyway.

Once he is neutered you will find his behaviour changes radically and his aggression should go completely.

Another option would be to borrow a trap yourself from you local vet and ask if they will do it cheaply as he's a stray, or you could see if you can get vouchers for neutering from CPL if you trap him yourself.

If you are anywhere near Liverpool or Sussex/Hastings or Essex I can suggest some other options

Thanks for your post. Yes I'm afraid I have a poor opinion of the RSPCA so wasn't holding much hope with them. We do have a local independent cat rescue that people speak highly of (and I have donated to in the past) but unfortunately they are closed just now.

The vet said yesterday that it really needed neutering but did say it was very unusual to be so aggressive so he thought there was a chance it wouldn't improve after being neutered (but it might). I do wonder if he is ill - I see him walking around the neighbourhood a bit and he looks fine but I appreciate that means very little.

He has come in our house before and pooed upstairs - is this unusual? It seems it to me but I'm no expert.

sorry forgot to say nowhere near those areas unfortunately.

I have taken in some of the most aggressive cats in feline history and they have all lost their aggression following neutering. Sometimes a bit of the female hormone tablet Ovarid in their food once a week for a few weeks makes the process quicker, although vets are reluctant to prescribe it, but even without that it always does the trick eventually.

Good luck anyway and, in the meantime, although you don't want to encourage him I realise, it would really help with trapping if you could get him used to coming for food at a certain time of day. So if you could start feeding him regularly at least once a day it will make the process much quicker and easier.

thanks for your advice, good to know neutering should help with the aggression.

Is the pooing in our house an extension of spraying type behaviour?

I would have said so.