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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.

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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:

Cookerhood · 02/11/2023 19:34

We have a microchip cat flap too, it's great as our cat kept losing his collar. As PP said, you just wave the cat in front of it to register the car. If lovely old cat as a chip you can register his too. I don't know if it would stop rogue cat breaking in though.

bellocchild · 02/11/2023 19:40

Quick kidnap and trip to vet for neutering? Say he's a stray...

Portakalkedi · 02/11/2023 19:57

Can't you take the poor old cat to the Cats Protection? They would possibly find him a foster home where he'd be cared for. The owners don't seem bothered.

SkankingWombat · 02/11/2023 20:04

bellocchild · 02/11/2023 19:40

Quick kidnap and trip to vet for neutering? Say he's a stray...

I'd be doing this TBH if you can afford it. You would be doing the 2 male cats a favour as well as the local cat population and your cleaning schedule.

I've had success reducing visits from 2 young unneutered cats in our garden by going full-on crazy person every time I saw them: running full pelt at them hissing and yelling Brave Heart style whilst waving my arms and firing a water pistol. Like a PP, the male was sadly run over before he was 1yo but he rarely visited after a couple of weeks of experiencing my warm welcome. The female gave up coming in even more quickly, and DCat regained her peace and solitude in the garden until we brought DKitten home and she had to learn to share . DCat doesn't mind (tolerates!) the occasional neighbourhood cat sneaking through on their way to somewhere else, but these 2 were hanging out and being a nuisance.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 02/11/2023 22:14

@Portakalkedi I don't really want to rehome old cat. We all love him (the DC favourite cat!) And he's always welcome here. He is fed plenty at his hone, and has a warm place to sleep here.

I may well resort to taking the 2 young boys to be neutered. I could get vouchers I think.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 09:50

It's been in again overnight, through the locked cat flap. Attempted to eat 2 slices of cucumber.

I kniw there is a good supply of food at this cats house, why is it eating such odd things?

OP posts:

margotrose · 04/11/2023 10:02

I may well resort to taking the 2 young boys to be neutered. I could get vouchers I think

You can't just pick up someone's pet and take it off to the vets 😳

AnnaMagnani · 04/11/2023 10:08

My boy has a nice supply of extortionate cat food at my house. Here, he is a giant fusspot and refuses to eat some flavours.

He is also more than capable of catching as many mice as he can eat.

However he is quite happy to barge into others houses where any crap lying around is apparently the best food ever.

Unfortunately it is the way of cats.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 10:21

I don't agree really. I've never known a cat break through a locked cat flap daily, wee up walls, and eat sandwiches , cucumber, butter etc.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 10:22

Or at least, I dobt agree its the way of pet cats. If it was wild and hungry I'd understand it.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 10:29

@margotrose no I know I can't really. I would if I knew they were strays. There's absolutely no excuse for not neutering these cats though.

OP posts:

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 04/11/2023 10:30

Is it hungry though? if the owners dont understand how neutering them is a good idea do they have any other ideas about not feeding them to encourage mousing etc?

margotrose · 04/11/2023 10:31

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 10:29

@margotrose no I know I can't really. I would if I knew they were strays. There's absolutely no excuse for not neutering these cats though.

I agree but unfortunately they're not (legally speaking) doing anything wrong.

I would just nail wood over the cat flap and allow the cats (plus friendly older cat) in through a window when they ask instead.

AnnaMagnani · 04/11/2023 11:03

It's the way of unneutered toms.

Mine is a late neutered tom from a very assertive breed.

While he wouldn't break into your house for cucumber, he will behave like an all round shit given half a chance.

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 04/11/2023 11:13

I can tell you reliably that cats LOATHE having Fanta on their fur. Probably same with all soft drinks. A water pistol with some in there will deter them!

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 11:30

They have plenty of food. Unfortunately I dobt think they like it much. Owner offered to get me sone shopping once when I was housebound, but brought me sone of their cat biscuits instead of the ones I buy . My cats didn't eat them, even when there was no other option. It's not skinny though.

OP posts:

Isheabastard · 04/11/2023 12:52

I was told that a spray of water on the cats sometimes works. But the idea is that the cats don’t know where it comes from, which is going to be difficult for you.

I was going to ask if the invading cat seems skinny, in which case some food left outside in the garden would stop him being a cat burglar.

If you can get vouchers for neutering and offer them to your neighbours, could that work?

When I was a child we had an intact male who took to spraying in our home. It wasn’t our cat, but this cat is marking what it sees as his territory, your home.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 13:04

I'd gladly spray it with water, but it rarely comes in when I'm there now . My kitchen/cat flap is at the back of the house and is small, no table etc. So id have to camp out at one end of the kitchen and wait for it

OP posts:

HumourReplacementTherapy · 04/11/2023 14:32

I don't think microchip cat flaps are great tbh
When we had one cats would follow ours in through it but then they couldn't get out again as they weren't chipped. Carnage ensued if we were t home.

Original poster

Bemyclementine · 04/11/2023 14:47

I just think it will break in anyway @HumourReplacementTherapy

OP posts:

SkankingWombat · 08/11/2023 00:39

HumourReplacementTherapy · 04/11/2023 14:32

I don't think microchip cat flaps are great tbh
When we had one cats would follow ours in through it but then they couldn't get out again as they weren't chipped. Carnage ensued if we were t home.

Ours will let any cat out, but only those with their chip numbers stored can come in.

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