Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

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

Original poster

How can I stop this cat coming in?

46 replies

Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 12:02

I have 2 cats and a lovely old visiting cat who comes in to sleep sometimes. (I don't feed him)

My neighbours have 2 un neutered young male cats. One has taken to coming in. This started in the summer when I had the back door open. He eats anything he can get his paws on - butter, stole ham when I was making packed lunches (I went to tge other room for a minute) he's pulled the cling film off a plate of cakes abd eaten them. Knocked a tupperware off and opened it and eaten biscuits, leftover sandwiches, and so on. Sometimes it's only minutes that I leave the kitchen and he's been in. This is annoying, as he also walks all over the surfaces in the kitchen (my cats dont) literally leaving muddy footprints.

But, he's started weeing. On the hall carpet, up the kitchen cupboards, and today, on my DC pe bags.

He is breaking in through the locked cat flap. I locked it a few weeks ago to try and prevent him getting in thinking if he couldn't get in for a few weeks he'd give up.

I am making a point of never leaving any food out but often there will be cat biscuits (feed my cats, they'll eat but leave a few).

What on earth else can I do?? Whenever I see him, I throw water and chase him off.

OP posts:
margotrose · 02/11/2023 15:22

I would block the cat-flap off completely rather than just locking it.

Original poster
Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 15:42

One of my cats won't use the litter tray so needs to be able to get out, ok if I'm at home but if I'm at work I dont want to leave her shut in, or out really! (The boy cats bully her outside)

OP posts:
readingmakesmehappy · 02/11/2023 15:43

Have you spoken to your neighbours? They really ought to neuter him and that might help

Original poster
Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 15:45

I have. I'll have to again I think. The food stealing is annoying but the weeing....

OP posts:
Beamur · 02/11/2023 15:46

Get a microchip cat flap? You can programme it to open for your cats and guests but it won't open for the others.

margotrose · 02/11/2023 15:49

If they're letting him roam un-neutered it's likely they won't care about him making a nuisance of himself.

For your cats' safety you need to block him from accessing your home.

Original poster
Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 16:00

I'm not sure the microchip flap would stop him, given that he opens the locked flap from the outside?

OP posts:
caringcarer · 02/11/2023 16:01

Beamur · 02/11/2023 15:46

Get a microchip cat flap? You can programme it to open for your cats and guests but it won't open for the others.

This is the solution.

caringcarer · 02/11/2023 16:02

You'll need to put a charm on friendly old cats collar too.

Original poster
Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 16:03

@caringcarer I recently replaced my cat flap. The reason I didn't get a mucrochip one then was friendly old cat. He gets left out in all weathers.

OP posts:
Halloumicheeseislife · 02/11/2023 16:06

I am in the same position with my neighbours cats. Both are neutered but break in to steal food, I don't leave food out and they go through the bin instead. One of them has sprayed in the house. They have broken my microchip catflap. They have battered it so much to get in that the door split eventually. I'm following this thread for any extra hints.

caringcarer · 02/11/2023 16:08

Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 16:03

@caringcarer I recently replaced my cat flap. The reason I didn't get a mucrochip one then was friendly old cat. He gets left out in all weathers.

Poor thing. I'd get a microchip cat flap and put a charm on his collar so he could come in too.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 02/11/2023 16:16

He's an un-neutered male cat, he's not going to live long now it's dark earlier.

He'll get run over chasing after female company. My inlaw didnt neuter her male, he did not make 6 months in the end.

VeridicalVagabond · 02/11/2023 16:21

Beamur · 02/11/2023 15:46

Get a microchip cat flap? You can programme it to open for your cats and guests but it won't open for the others.

As we've learned from a previous thread, these won't stop a really determined cat. And then you might end up with some batshit woman posting crab sticks through your windows.

Original poster
Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 16:30

@caringcarer old cat doesn't have a collar.

@Halloumicheeseislife that was my fear to be honest.
@VeridicalVagabond omg. I'd forgotten that thread.

I'm not sure he'll get run over, it's quite rural here.

OP posts:
caringcarer · 02/11/2023 17:21

Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 16:30

@caringcarer old cat doesn't have a collar.

@Halloumicheeseislife that was my fear to be honest.
@VeridicalVagabond omg. I'd forgotten that thread.

I'm not sure he'll get run over, it's quite rural here.

I think I'd pop one on him with a paper collar explaining he likes to sleep over inside in warm with your cats but you don't feed him.

CrappyBarbara · 02/11/2023 17:44

Omg I forgot about that! Off to search for the thread or can someone just tell me what ultimately happened?

SumthingAndNuthing · 02/11/2023 17:54

Is lovely old cat not microchipped?

noooooooo · 02/11/2023 18:02

My cats (both neutered) often slide in next door to see their cats. They all get on well but then one of mine figured out how to knock the Tupperware with the biscuits over (my cats are smart) and NDN came down one night to discover her having a little midnight feast. NDN scared the shit out of our poor little burglar by running at her and shouting. He hasn’t seen her since. You tried scaring the bejeezus out of them? Maybe hissing at them?

LindyLou2020 · 02/11/2023 18:14

caringcarer · 02/11/2023 16:08

Poor thing. I'd get a microchip cat flap and put a charm on his collar so he could come in too.

Show quote history

@Bemyclementine do you know who owns the old cat who visits you? I would endorse what @caringcarer suggests, and get a locking cat flap which can only be accessed, (in and out), by cats who have the corresponding fob. This would mean yours, and your elderly visitor, would all have to have collars with fobs. Of course this wouldn't work if the older cat's owners aren't known, or deny permission.
Ideally your neighbour should have the "criminal" cats neutered, but if they don't want to, there's nothing you can do. They are so selfish.
There seems to be some confusion over the term microchip. It can mean that a pet has a chip inserted under its skin, and the chip can be scanned to reveal its owner's details. But it can also refer to a locking cat flap which is opened by a microchip in the cat's fob. Good luck!

Original poster
Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 18:18

I would be very surprised if lovely old cat is chipped.

Do microchip flaps need a collar then or can they work from the actual under the skin chip? I'm not going to put collars on my cats. The older of the 2 used to have one but was constantly getting caught up/leg through.

Wibu to get old cat chipped so he can get in (of course I know I would)

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 02/11/2023 18:22

Microchip catflaps don't need a collar, they detect the chip implanted in the cat.

Ideally old friendly cat would be chipped and then you can programme the flap to recognise the 3 cats.

However it may be you can only programme it for your two.

LindyLou2020 · 02/11/2023 18:56

AnnaMagnani · 02/11/2023 18:22

Microchip catflaps don't need a collar, they detect the chip implanted in the cat.

Ideally old friendly cat would be chipped and then you can programme the flap to recognise the 3 cats.

However it may be you can only programme it for your two.

@AnnaMagnani
Wow! That's great, I didn't know that!
My cats are microchipped, but I haven't had those chips programmed to open the cat flap, as I didn't know you could! 🤷‍♀️
What I have is a locking/unlocking catflap with a choice of settings. The catflap comes with fobs which attach onto the cats' collars. It can only be opened by the cat putting its head onto the flap, which then opens. Mine is set so that only they can enter/exit. They get the hang of it in no time, and you can buy/replace fobs. Yes, it means all "selected" cats have to have collars, but it doesn't matter if they're not microchipped.

justalittlesnoel · 02/11/2023 19:10

I would say that microchip cat flaps don't stop all visitors! I have a local cat who claws it open from the outside or sneaks it head to butt with one of my cats 😂

AnnaMagnani · 02/11/2023 19:28

@LindyLou2020 I have a microchip feeder which works on the same principle.

The programming is really easy, you just wave the cat in front of it. You don't need the chip number.