Older cat being bullied. Help !

[Paranoidandroidmarvin]

We moved house about four months ago.

My cat had lived on the same street his whole life ( not always with me ). He had his fights with other cats but he was fine.
He will be 13 this year.

We had to move. At first another cat started coming in the house when we put a cat flap in. But I managed to chase him away.

Forward to now. Mine is very jumpy and has been for a while. Goes in and out only really now to go to the loo. I put this down to old age and a new place.

But he came in yesterday with a scratch down his nose. And my husband saw another cat last night in the house.

I think he is being bullied. He is an outdoors cat and not a chance of us keeping him inside.

Apart from putting a litter tray out for him to use if he doesn’t want to risk going out. Is there anything else I can do? So sad thinking of him being like this. He is so lovely. And has aged a lot in the last year ( even before we moved ) I wonder if he is now too old to stand up for himself to a younger cat. Must be hard being the new kid on the block.

I am going to bump this. Just incase any has any ideas. As my cat now has a huge lump of fur missing from his tail from his altercation last night. I’m thinking of keeping him in at night.

This will not go over well as he has always been outside over night. Come and go as he pleases.

Not sure if I can offer much sage advice but my cat sometimes has periods where another is hanging around and frightening him as he’s a bit soft. I have seen the other cat lurking and chased it a few times just to scare it a bit.
If you can catch it in the act you can make some loud noises and scare it off? We had one coming in as well to munch the cat food! Again just managed to make an awful noise and frighten it out once or twice and it didn’t return.
Really it just tailed off on its own after a while.
Not much you can do except perhaps bring your cat in at night with a tray and block the flap but he will probably hate that come the lighter nights.

Get one of those cat flaps with a chip in the collar that only opens for your cat maybe?

We are going to get one of the cat flaps. But the other cat just goes for him outside. During the day. I feel so awful for him. Where we used to live he had been there all his life. And now he is just so jumpy and hurt and he has stopped eating as much as well.

I have moved his food. So the other cat can’t find it until we get the new cat flap. He is just such a mess

You can diy catproof a garden. He’d be safe then.

I believe cats should always be kept in at night. It's safer for them. I've had many cats over the last 40 years, they've all stayed in all night. I've never had a cat flap. I've always had litter trays out, day and night, just in case. My old boy has been bullied for the past few months by 2 bigger, younger (brothers) cats. He had to have an eye removed last year, due to it being damaged by one cat scratching him.

I can't offer any help but I kkow your pain.

My male cat keeps getting stressed and bladder problems. We haven't moved but a new neighbour moved in next door with 6 cats and now bully my two in the garden.

You must stop letting him have free access until you have a chip-operated cat flap.

Your poor boy must be so stressed if an enemy cat can just waltz into the house whenever it fancies. I would keep him in at night and give him the choice each morning before work.

Always have at least two trays inside and food and water for him too.

Cat flap with chip definitely.

My 2 boys used to be chased into the house all the time by a huge moggy who simply pushed his way through the cat flap that was operated by the magnetic mouse on the collar.

Came home to a bald patch on his tail. And a pop Abcess on it. Poor thing