What to do about local bully?

[SassenachWitch]

My beautiful cat is nearly 12, doesn’t venture any further than our back garden, she sleeps all day but enjoys an hour at teatime sitting on the garden table.

12 months ago a new family moved in at the back of our house, they have 2 cats who are obsessed with my garden and house. They stalk my rabbit (luckily he’s used to cats and will defend himself but it still pisses me off to see them chasing him) they spray inside his hutches. I can’t have a window or door open, not even ajar because they can pull them open and they’re straight inside, eating my cats food or wandering around the house.

They are outside cats I think, no matter what time of day or night they seem to be in my garden.

The larger one of the two, has taken a huge dislike to my cat, and will appear from nowhere and attack her. My girl can be a feisty little thing at times but I feel so sorry for her, when she’s sleeping peacefully outside and is suddenly attacked.

At least one a week she’ll have a new cut, usually just a scratch on her nose, last week was a 2cm cut on her chin, last night though was awful. I heard the screaming, ran straight out, big thug cat had mine cornered, it scarpered when I opened the door, but my girl came running in leaving a trail of blood, and petrified, jumping at every sound or movement.

I’ve checked her over and so far it seems she’s lost 2 claws, and has a scratched nose.

What can I do? I keep her in as much as possible, but why shouldn’t she be able to have an hour in her garden once a day?

We’ve tried shooing them, and we spray water at them but they’re not phased at all.

Catio or cat proofing the garden is your only solution to all this.

Those other cats don’t sound terribly well looked after either if they are out all the time at this time of year?.

I would look at a catio for your cat so she is safe but can go out

We have a similar issue, our neighbours Bengal harasses and bullies our cat in a similar way and he is outside all day. Unfortunately as PP have said, you need to provide some sort of cat proofing or keep your cat inside. Our boy only goes out at night once we are sure the neighbours are in bed (they take their cat in then 🙄). Awful isn’t it!

Talk to the neighbours and ask permission to empty a bucket of water over them / spray them with water EVERY time they are in your garden.

Having owned both the bully and the bullied over the years
it does work
and so long as the owner knows WHY the miscreant is coming home dripping it should be fine

I can’t help but feel they’re neglected. Like I say, they’re outside all hours and desperate to get into my house for food.

The big bully one though, is huge, so he’s well fed, but the younger one is rather skinny.

I adore cats, so for the first few months I didn’t shoo them, and they’re very friendly with humans so have had cuddles in the past with them, but I’m just sick of my cat getting hurt.

I did think about speaking to the neighbours, but feel a bit silly telling them their cats are naughty.

Sassenach
Just say that you cats are distressed because theirs have taken over your whole garden.
Ask if its OK to move the territory boundary a bit so both are happy.

One of my current cats took to breaking into neighbours houses.
I told them (over the fence) that they were fine to soak her
two days later she came home DRENCHED
and has stayed clear of their house since
everybody is happy