Bully neighbour cat problem

[RogueFemale]

I have an adorable but anxious ginger tom rescue, he hates other cats, is gentle and not fighty. So much so, that he doesn't leave the boundary of my garden any more, after meeting other cats.

He's 7, and historically there have been incidents, such as an attack by a neighbour's cat last year at night in the garden. He was so traumatised that he hid upstairs for two days and also peed on my bed (never happened before).

I provided a litter tray after that, but he wouldn't use it.

Anyway, last night he was attacked again by the neighbour's cat. Not as bad as last time, but it triggered him.

Aside from fleeing inside and hiding for a bit, he seemed okay, but tonight I noticed he was behaving oddly in the laundry room, and digging around in piles of laundry on the floor. Like he needed to pee/poop.

So I opened the sliding door to the garden, to encourage him to go out. And he did go out and I stood there while he peed, and then ten mins later again to poop. Now he's disappeared to a safe hidey place somewhere.

My question is, I know this neighbour with the bully cat, - so would it be reasonable to ask her to keep it in after dark? I'm fairly sure she has a litter tray as she has two cats.

You could put anti climb spikes on those roofs (they’re plastic so the cats won’t be hurt) or a catio as a pp suggested.

This would be the ideal solution, an overnight litter tray, but he just won't use it. Never has done after the first month I had him (was a month to settle in as he was so nervous). Litter tray was untouched for five years, so put it away last year. Then got it out again after the serious attack where he peed on my bed - still didn't use it.

Can you get a cattery OP? It will keep that mean cat away from yours. Some cats just don't want to go far and are scared of other cats. I don't think having a word with your neighbour would do anything. They can't exactly ask their cat to be nice. We've got a bully cat down the road to us as well. luckily my cat doesn't like to go far and is quite happy stopping inside.

He's definitely a male! He's ginger for a start, and 90% if ginger cats are male, plus you can see the remains of a scrotum.

I have a very powerful water blaster/pistol, which has been deployed against the bully cat, often. No use at night, though. He comes and lurks outside the cat flap and I can't see him.

@RogueFemale He'll get used to the routine of it.

On the first comment OP calls him a “Tom” = un-neutered. I am not a “bot” but un-neutered cats have fights

The definition of tom cat is a male cat. A tom is male, a queen is female. Regardless of neutering or spaying.

www.<a class="break-all" href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tomcat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dictionary.com/browse/tomcat

@BrightLightTonight Also, cats will fight regardless of their sex or whether they've been neutered or spayed.

Buy whats called a catio. An enclosed run from the cat flap to a larger enclosed space.

Ultimately you have to protect your cat because you aren't going to stop other cats in the area.

Yes, it may ultimately come to that.

Edit: or move house.

Pretty disingenuous - common terms Tom - un- neutered male, Queen = un-neutered female. And you could very easily have responded to my first post to say he is neutered.
In my, extensive (over 40 years) experience, cats do not fight regardless, they want an easy life.

Kerp you cat safe, get a catio, keep him in and get a vet check

It's not disingenuous to describe a male neutered cat as a tom, - a tom cat is, according to the dictionary definition, a male cat - regardless of neutered or not.

In my extensive experience, in a middle class neighbourhood full of responsibly neutered and spayed cats, the fighting continues. You can hear the fights.

And yes, I do take my cat to the vet for regular check ups.

I own our neighbourhood bully. He's neutered but still fights and he never backs down.

You can try asking your neighbour to keep their cat in overnight or between certain times. However they don't have to agree.
I was happy to do this - unfortunately the cat wasn't so even if the neighbour agrees, you really don't have a guarantee that the garden is a thug free zone as thug cat may just have decided to stay out for the night.

You can also try asking them to keep the cat in. Again after enough fights I was happy to do this. But a lot of owners will counter that their cat has a right to go outside, cats will be cats, being shut in then gives their cat health problems...

So you can ask but don't expect to get an answer you like.

I don’t think you can ask your neighbour to keep their cat in, but I do think you should have a litter tray just in case your cat needs to go during the night. Our previous cat toileted outside and loathed the tray with a passion (she would go out in snow up to her armpits rather than use it) but on occasion overnight when she was kept indoors she had no other option. Our boy comes in from outside to use the tray, then goes back out. I’d love him to toilet outside!

Is the cat flap linked only to your cat's chip? And it might not make any difference but it has for our (neutered) boy cat - have you tried different litter? Otherwise a catio might be the safest option.

I love the story of your cat preferring to poop armpit deep in snow rather than use the litter tray. So far, my cat just WILL NOT use the litter tray (aside from his first month).

It sounds as if different litter material might make a difference, so I will try that (without much hope).

I am going to try different litter. Thank you all for suggesting this, had no idea they could be fussy about litter texture.

Edit: P.S. just have a regular cat door no chip entry and no problem on that score - the bully doesn't try to come in the cat door.

Get him a biker hacker so that when he goes out he looks a bit hard -

onespoiledkitty.ca/product/cat-leather-jacket-l-2/

Catio sounds like a plan, even if it just extends to an area he can toilet in. Plus you may be able to take it with you should you go for the moving house option....is that a serious thought or exasperation at the difficulty in finding helpful suggestions for your situation?

Serious thought.

Tried different litter in the tray today, but he ignores the entire litter tray, like it's invisible, so he wouldn't know if the litter was different than before.

Get a catio for the night time so he can go out and pee safely

Try kitten litter the one with the attract stuff in it

Thanks I'll try the magic kitten litter!