Angry neighbour went for my cat - what to do?

[HaleyDunphy]

Started letting my 3yo female cat out this week, as we've moved to a lovely area away from main roads with lots of greenery, so feel safe letting her out here.

She's very confident and she's really loving it - not going too far either which is reassuring for me. However I've just been outside watching her and she was perched on my bottom fence, looking into another garden. She climbed into one of the trees of the other garden (probably because there is a lot of bird activity in that garden). The man who lives there came out straight away, really angry and swearing. I went down to the bottom of the garden and saw her just sort of frozen and he went for her. She bolted back into my garden and even then he carried on swearing. I should have said something but I was a little shocked at how angry he sounded and just wanted to get her inside.

I'm guessing from the sounds of it he has bird feeders in his garden and I get why he would be defensive, but she does wear a bell so I'm not sure what else I can do? Any tips on that?

I've kept her in as I hate the thought of someone hurting her, but she really needs to go out as she's having a hard time with my other indoor cat. H says he will go round and just say that he's welcome to shoo her away but that it's not fair to be aggressive. I don't think it's going to make a difference to someone like that tbh. Is this just how it is with some people? I feel really awkward about it.

I run at cats which come in my garden waving my outstretched arms and throwing a glass of water if I have it to hand. But that's how you know I would never harm them, people who are trying to harm cats quietly put out poison, not do exaggerated cat-chasing to shoo them away.

Haley, maybe you need to invite your neighbour in for a cuppa.

You say you've moved to a lovely new, leafy area?
Maybe that's why you're so shocked by an aggressive episode from your neighbours.

I hope your Ok! It can be abit of a shock to see nature red in tooth and claw- and that's only the humans.

I missed all those posts in this thread- I think the deleted posts of the sock puppet look like the remains of a pigeon! All grey and feathery lying around.

Grey and feathery lying around . That's funny Venus

I have had a thought. I have been known to do the 'Raaaahhhh' thing at cats that venture into our garden on behalf of Sparkling Cat. She hates other cats in 'her' garden and we have had a £90 vets bill to prove it.

Perhaps sweary man is protecting his own cat?

Got a telling off from MNHQ for telling Nature/Woodsman to eff off.

Then again they DID delete him .....and me .

I consider my wrists slapped.

Ooh did you. Naughty.

Buy him a super soaker and ask him to use that, the cat won't be harmed and he can keep the cat away from his garden.

I think you might live next door to my dad op. He is very loud and looks very aggressive when chasing off neighbours cats. However he would (and let's be honest, could not) catch one and hurt it, it's just to scare them off.

He also happened to spot one of said cats after it had been ran over, scooped it up (would love to have heard swearing then!) and took it to vets where it made a full recovery. He still hates it and he still shouts aggressively at it!

I think I might keep a look out for when he's in the garden next and just pop out and say sorry if the cat is a pain, we've put three bells on her (!) and do you want me to get a water gun you can use? If he's rude to me he will be feeling the full force of a crazy hormonal pregnant lady! I'm sure it will be fine.