So f***ing angry. WWYD

[Supermanspants]

Please be gentle..... am distraught.
My two cats have been under sustained attack from a huge brute of a cat which is fairly new to my neighbourhood. Over the last year or so this cat has been coming into my garden and savaging my two cats on a fairly regular basis. It is nasty and vicious. So many times I have gone out after hearing screams to see this thing going to town on one of the other of my cats. They are constantly coming in with various scratches, ear wounds and bites on their bodies. I have tried everything..... throwing water at it, using spray to put it off coming in, shouted at it, borrowed my mums dog for a few days to let put and scare it off but it keeps coming bak. Three days ago it attacked my older cat again. My little cat has been really under the weather the last few days. His breathing then started to deteriorate so took him to vets today. The vet found a wound on his thorax (he is longhaired and very nervy so he wouldn't let me look properly at his under chest and belly so I didn't find it) Having investigated further and taken x rays she has found a mass on his lungs near the wound site which she thinks could be a significant infection resulting from this wound. She thinks this wound has been the result of this latest attack. She also thinks this infection has spread inside and she is very concerned. She has also looked at wound inside his ear which has led to a secondary ear infection. She has kept him in to start treatment. He is in a really bad way. Vets bill likely to exceed 500 quid

I know cats cannot be controlled when they go out and about but I just feel I have reached the end of my rope with this and this is the last straw. I want to go round and speak to the owners to tell them I am sick of this happening over and over again but realistically what can she do. She probably wont care. I am so fucking angry that my little cats who have lived here peacefully for years are being systemically and savagely attacked on a regular basis.

Just don't know what to do. Just wondered what others thought. Feel so upset.

Gosh that is a tricky one. Hope your cat feels better soon.
Could you look at putting high fences around your back garden so the other cat can't get in/ yours can't leave it. It would still give them outside space but would keep them safe.
If I were you I would go and talk to the other owner just so she's aware but I don't know what she could do. Check the other has been neutered maybe?

Is the other cat owned, or is he a feral who has recently moved into the neighbourhood?

I use lemon rimless toilet gel things, would putting them on the fence deter the cat. I know cats hate citrus smells.

I would imagine due to the smell the cat will not lick or eat it.

I don't know why you say the owner probably won't care , she may well care but what do you expect her to do ? I hope your cat recovers soon but this is the risk with animals that are allowed to roam and your neighbour is as entitled to let her cat out as you are ,if you are the one with the problem either cat proof your garden or keep your cats in the house .

No it's not feral.... has a collar. You are right Flora but my cats go out and have been for years. My two tend to stay in the garden. If they were being attacked elsewhere then I guess it would be a bit easier to tolerate but they are mainly being attacked right outside the back door. So many times there have been claw marks covering the patio it has been that bad at times.

Thanks for the responses...... just feel so upset. There is a chance my cat might not pull through as the infection is so bad and he is an older boy. The vet thinks he may have pneumonia due to the infection but will know more tomorrow.

I know I am being unreasonable but feel so sad constantly seeing them both covered in wounds and terrified.

My cat also went out for years, then we moved house and she started off okay but then starting coming home with awful wounds, so I kept her in a crate for a few days and she's been a house cat ever since, she has no interest in going out at all now.

Hope your cat is better soon, it's a hard one with cats as there is very little the owner can do.

I really don't know the answer. I own one of the local alpha cats and it costs me a lot in vet bills for infections from wounds as well.

Most cats fight him but the local timid cat runs as soon as she sees him

I cant keep him in and keep him happy. I do keep him in overnight so the other cats can have some peace.

I dont think it is fair to assume that the owner wouldn't care.
I would be horrified if my cat had hurt another cat. If I was told about it then I would offer to help with the vet fees.

I'd also try to come to some arrangement to prevent it happening again - for example discussing whether our cats could be let out at set times so that mine was never/rarely out when theirs was.

It is upsetting about your cat, but you can't really be annoyed at the owner if you've never spoken to them

It's worth speaking to the owner at least. If my cats were behaving like that I'd like to know, I'd be mortified. Is it neutered?

Your poor cat!

You have a number of options:
You can create an enclosed area in your own garden for your own cats to play in safely. You can install a cat fence in your garden like this one
catfencein.com/how-cat-fence-works/
Or you can speak with the neighbours and see if they are willing to keep their cat in, have a cat enclosure or cat fencing.

Thanks for you input. Sorry for this thread but when I left my cat he was lying on his side struggling to breath and then hearing that he was in a bad way.
I understand there is not much I can do but was keen to hear if anyone had any suggestions.

Waited until I had calmed down and had a cup of tea then went and spoke to the owner and got to see this cat close up. I swear to god I have never seen a cat this big. She was very nice and suggested it MAY have been another black cat which lives nearby but accepted it could be hers when I said attack cat also had a blue collar and bell as does her cat!
We had a chat about her cat and she said she is surprised as he is usually quite nervy and tends to leg it away from her other cat all the time. I asked if he was neutered and she said he was. She said she only tends to let him out at certain times of the day so am going to try and keep mine in and only let them out when I believe hers is inside. We had a nice chat and she apologised again but I said that obviously she can't control what her cat does when he was out and that I of course understood that.

That's sounds like a good compromise op, a time share should work well. You can cat proof your garden as another option, although it's quite expensive there is a DIY option. Have a look at protect a puss (they do the whole thing or you can buy the stuff and DIY). Or there is Katzecure which looks more subtle but is £££.