Aggressive neighbourhood cat

[Shotofvodka]

A neighbours cat has visited my garden for the last 12 months or so without issue but recently it has been attacking my cats. I’ve tried frightening it off but I’m either not that frightening or it just doesn’t give a shit. Anyway, over the last week it has really attacked my cats to the point they seem scared to go outside and my youngest one has just come belting into the house limping and seemingly terrified (I ran out because I could hear them fighting). Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to? This cat is absolutely huge compared to mine so seems to get the better of them.

Can you cat proof the garden so he can’t get in.

Water pistol? I mean a powerful super soaker one, you wouldn’t even have to actually hit it more than once or twice.
Whenever you see it give it a squirt (I am a cat owner btw) it’s a cruelty free way to deter it. A quick google suggests it could take a couple of weeks for it to get the message.

I would have no problem, with someone squirting my cat with water a few times. I’d prefer that to people setting their dog on a cat or throwing stones at a cat because they don’t want it in their garden.

No chance of cat proofing unfortunately as the garden is very big and surrounded with hedges not fences. I might have to connect the hosepipe and see if that’ll work. It’s just odd that this other cat has suddenly started being so aggressive to mine