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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

cat in the neighbourhood is terrorising my 2 cats.

15 replies

Twonewcats · 16/07/2014 21:37

It's awful. Every now and again this horrible (unattractive and massive) cat comes into the garden and chases and growls and screeches at my two. A few weeks ago it came into the house when the back door was open, and it was near carnage. I'm just grateful neither of my sons were in the room.
It isn't wearing a collar so I don't know if it belongs to anyone or if it's a stray. Any suggestions, or is it just something we have to put up with?
We've only had the cats a couple of months (they're both adults) and this has happened four or five times. And it's not just cats doing what cats do, it really is horrible to see and hear :-(

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 16/07/2014 22:29

Have you got a controlled (ie microchip) cat flap that your cats can use? That might be your saviour because then the cats could dash for safety if the mean tom came calling and they didn't fancy hanging around. (And the mean cat couldn't follow them into the house.)

I'd buy a water pistol as well. Water doesn't harm them and they hate being wet. (Just best not to do it when the DCs are around because they can sometimes follow an example rather.......literally.)

Original poster
Twonewcats · 16/07/2014 22:34

No they don't have a cat flap at all. However tonight's episode happened at the back door which was open, yet they ran past it. One of them still hadn't come home yet. He's a softy and it makes me sad that he's hiding somewhere frightened.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 16/07/2014 22:44

I'd at least consider a microchip flap. (Sureflap is the one most posters use - they're not cheap (about £60-70 online) but well worth the investment.) By using one of them, all cats concerned will learn which territory is safe and which is not. (And the weather will soon turn so that back doors will be closed again.)

Hope your boy comes back soon.

MsBug · 16/07/2014 22:50

We have the same problem and got a microchip catflap after the other cat came into our house and pissed everywhere.

That has only partly solved the problem as our cat gets bullied by him in the garden; if I see it happening then I squirt him with a water pistol.

Original poster
Twonewcats · 16/07/2014 23:09

Thank you. Sad
He's not back yet. My other one seems worried too, bless her, cos she keeps coming to the door with us when we're shouting for him, and she's being clingy (she isn't usually).

A cat flap itself is just so expensive for us but even so, we don't really have anywhere we could put one and wouldn't know how to start fitting it even if there was somewhere. Sigh.

OP posts:
MsBug · 16/07/2014 23:28

We had to get ours put in a glass door, it was pricy but had to be done

Original poster
Twonewcats · 17/07/2014 07:18

He's still not home. Some of the food I left outside has been eaten but obviously we don't know if it was him who ate it Sad

OP posts:
MsBug · 17/07/2014 07:59

Oh no.. Can you go out andhave have a look for him?

Original poster
Twonewcats · 17/07/2014 08:12

I'm about to have a quick shower then go out but I wouldn't know where to start tbh. I've stood shouting for him at the back door but no sign of him. And I need to start work soon so don't have much time to look. Hopefully he's just hiding (he's a softy) and will come back when he knows it's safe. I'll leave the door open and hope he returns.

OP posts:
Original poster
Twonewcats · 17/07/2014 09:06

HE'S BACK!!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 17/07/2014 09:15

Yay! Smile

msrisotto · 17/07/2014 09:18

Can you keep them in for a couple of days and put up a motion activated repellent? You can get motion activated repellents that emit a high pitched noise that animals don't like.

Original poster
Twonewcats · 17/07/2014 09:20

Oh thats a good idea. I'm also going out today to buy a high-powered water gun.

I was so relieved he came home - I burst out crying when I saw him. How do they manage to become so loved in such a short space of time?!

OP posts:
taxi4ballet · 17/07/2014 17:08

Keep a bucket of water handy outside the back door.

We once had the exact problem with a large aggressive cat thinking it could bully ours. One day, I had just filled up a bucket of water ready to wash the car and went out of the front door with it only to see this cat chasing mine round the corner. I hared back through the house and into the back garden and there was this cat sitting on the fence, poised and ready for action.

Perfect target. Whoosh, he got the lot! Exit one cat absolutely soaked to the skin. Never saw it again.

Lovethesea · 18/07/2014 17:42

I concur.

Water pistol loaded on standby for the intruder, and a sure flap for your two so 99% of the time they cannot be followed in.

Mind you the wee Tortie girl I have sees off most cats that dare breach the garden borders, it's rare to find her out manoeuvred but since I threw water at the one cat that did corner her in our garden it's not been back.

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