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The litter tray

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

Original poster

Neighbour's cat headbutting our catflap

29 replies

Polyethyl · 22/04/2020 08:29

Any advice on how to stop this?
I have a 5yo female cat. My lovely neighbour has a 1 year old male cat. We live in London, where many homes have small back yards and there are many cats. Ever since her cat reached adulthood he's been trying to claim our house and backyard as his territory. We have a sureflap microchip cat flap. He stares through the transparent flap at all hours. At night he batters himself against the flap trying to get in. (He has his own cat flap on his own home and he isn't locked out.)
Last night I was awoken by the noise at 4.39am and I listened to the continuous bangs and slaps until he was scared away by a neighbour at 5.56am. He really did headbutt our cat flap for nearly an hour and a half. (I have chased him away on previous nights but he's back within 5 mins.) My poor cat hardly goes out unaccompanied any more and has entirely given up hunting.
I could sleep wearing ear defenders.
Or i could ask the neighbour to lock him in at nights. (But he's such an energetic cat he creates a rumpus in her home and she gets no sleep if she does that.)
I also wonder how robust the cat flap is and how long it will last under such a battering.
Is there anything we can do to get this young hooligan to be peaceable at nightime?

OP posts:
Original poster
Polyethyl · 22/04/2020 08:51

And he is neutered

OP posts:
slipperywhensparticus · 22/04/2020 09:04

Do you work? Could you stay awake and chuck water on him?

Original poster
Polyethyl · 22/04/2020 09:11

I have tried to scare him away. He's been grabbed and shouted. He isn't intimidated.
I could try a bucket of water, but I fear I would just feel a fool and miss him.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 22/04/2020 09:42

Is he a Bengal?.

slipperywhensparticus · 22/04/2020 09:51

Loud splashes even close to him will hopefully scare him away

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 22/04/2020 10:04

Is he a Bengal?.

My thought too Grin.

TwistyHair · 22/04/2020 10:06

Water spray? That is one persistent cat

TwistyHair · 22/04/2020 10:07

Or hopefully he’ll get bored soon

Original poster
Polyethyl · 22/04/2020 10:14

He is an ordinary black and white moggie.
The time I managed to catch him to shout at him was because I opened the kitchen window after burning toast. He was in, like a flash. So I trapped him, caught him and told him what I thought of his behaviour before throwing him out.
Perhaps that's why he's getting his own back.

OP posts:
millymaple · 22/04/2020 10:27

Water. It’s not kind but sometimes you have to.

TroysMammy · 22/04/2020 10:28

Do you have an outside tap? You could buy a cat water scarer which detects motion and lets off a spray of water.

millymaple · 22/04/2020 10:29

Wouldn’t that also get the OP’s cat if the poor thing did venture out?

TroysMammy · 22/04/2020 10:30

Obviously you'd have to keep your cat in at night otherwise it would scare your cat too.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 22/04/2020 11:52

What about dragging something infront of the door/flap each night and then pushing it away in the morning? Or velcroing a piece of polystyrene over it or something at night?

HeyDuggeewhatchadoin · 22/04/2020 12:46

Tape a picture of a bigger cat to your cat flap Grin

millymaple · 22/04/2020 12:51

Or a picture of a tiger? Grin

Toddlerteaplease · 22/04/2020 14:11

Sorry but I almost choked on my crisps at the thought of you telling him what you thought of him!

Madcats · 22/04/2020 20:28

Do you have a bucket or box you can fill with cans/flour/books (something heavy) in front of the cat flapping bit of your cat flap into your house (so it stops it flapping in)? You either serve better food, or there is a complete boy hoping to visit.

DN used to lob buckets of water at old Madcats; they weren't too bothered. NewMadcats quite like the rain/water too, but more respectful of neighbours in this lovely weather.

Good luck OP

Toilenstripes · 22/04/2020 20:34

I would cover the cat flap and keep food away from that area. We had a persistent cat that lived next door and desperately wanted to move in, and tried all sorts. It was extremely stressful.

Original poster
Polyethyl · 28/04/2020 10:20

Night time Drama!
Last night the microchip locking mechanism clearly failed, as enemy cat got in. We were awoken at 2.30am by an almighty cat fight in our bedroom.
I am very impressed that DCat went into full on attack mode. Clearly, she may be a plump middle aged Lady, but no young hooligan is permitted to enter her bedroom!
We cornered enemy cat and grabbed him. My DH now has lacerations up and down both forearms. But we threw him out the front door. It took a long time to get back to sleep!
Sigh.
Are we going to have to lock the cat flap physically each night, and so have to give our DCat a litter tray?

OP posts:
YetAnotherSpartacus · 28/04/2020 10:38

Are we going to have to lock the cat flap physically each night, and so have to give our DCat a litter tray

Personally, that's what I'd do.

He's a cheeky bugger invading your bedroom!

Itwasntme1 · 28/04/2020 12:34

I had a bully cat get in through the sureflap microchip flap. I think he tailgated my little cat.

Hasn’t happened since, but my cat was terrified and clearly doesn’t feel fully safe in the kitchen anymore.

Pipperleen · 28/04/2020 12:37

Can he see any food through the cat flap? We had a similar situation with ours and had a few fights when the stranger got in - it turned out the food was too close to the cat flap and he could smell or see it.
We have since moved food far away from the door and haven’t had a problem since.

Original poster
Polyethyl · 28/04/2020 14:13

The food is nowhere near the flap. It really is a territory dispute. I feel so sorry that my harmless puss is going to be imprisoned at night and they get to roam.

OP posts:
YetAnotherSpartacus · 28/04/2020 14:26

It's safer for her OP. Really, cats, cars, foxes, whatever. She's better off inside.