Bad kitty - please help!

[felinefriendly]

Hi, new girl here. I've been trying to find out how to deal with a problem cat in the neighbourhood so thought I would ask you guys.

There is an 'entire' tom roaming around our neighbourhood terrorising all of the other cats in the area.

There seems to be a daily battle going on, not just between certain cats but him and any others that cross his path.

My usually placid puss has come a cropper today and I'm none too pleased. She usually stays out of the way of trouble and doesn't even go out very much but he seems very much to pick a fight wherever he goes. He hasn't wounded her but I think that's mainly because I heard the screeching and rushed out to break it up. She's just a bit ruffled and very timid and jumpy now.

I don't know who he belongs to and don't know how to find out.

Does anyone have any suggestions please as to a) how I can keep him out of my garden or b) how I can find out who he belongs to.

Can you make someone get their cat neutered if it is causing a nuisance?

Thanks for reading.

[Lilith]

Hi there - I have two of these as my garden is L shaped

http://www.amazon.co.uk/STV-STV610-Mega ... +deterrent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They need 2 x 9v alkaline batteries (not supplied) but you could always order these via amazon and get your free delivery.

And they work very well - my problem was two households with cats acquired as novelties but then kicked out every morning (as what came out of the rear end of the cat didn't fit in with the image of cuddly 'family' pet; the cat **** fairy could deal with that.) One family has moved on; the other remains, with mother and son un-neutered; recipe for nightmare. I keep the gismos turned on except when my cats are using the garden, which is secured so my cats can't roam; I provide means for any intruders to escape unless my cats are out, which is under supervision.

This of course isn't feasible for everybody, but if possible, it does warn a troublesome cat off and prevents it from owning a garden as its territory, which is what this boy's behaviour is all about. Cats are creatures of habit; if you could possibly deter the lad from the garden, he would get into the way of simply not coming in, and leaving your cat in peace. Well, this is what works for me (paws crossed!)

Sadly, no, you can't make the owner of an un-neutered and aggressive tom get him neutered. The family who (thankfully) departed were (I'm sorry to say it) thick - but it was amazing how clued-up they were about the law regarding cats...they'd sussed all that out as soon as the first kitten arrived! The law regards a cat as a 'roaming animal' and the 'owner' isn't liable for anything, from fouling to veterinary bills. Imo this law needs changing and also better protection for cats being put into place.

Having said all that though - do you get a chance to observe this new lad's condition? Is he thin and unkempt, hungry looking? Because if so, he may well be a stray and in need of help. Well, even if he looks reasonably prosperous atm, he may not be by next winter if he is a stray, and it could be a good idea to contact your local cat charities/shelters (there is a list featured on the main menu of this forum) and although it's true that they may be snowed under especially at this time of year, it's worth trying, especially as he seems to have turned up out of the blue and could well be pushing his luck in order to get food.

Do hope you manage to find a solution - it's downright infuriating to have to deal with an irresponsible owner's problems!

[Mrs Kane]

We used to hose our local tom when he attacked my uncles cat, but he had a large garden and a 10 foot garden hose so I'm guessing that's not an option for you. (And he only let her out when he was home, reading books on the patio, she was a very timid cat and would not let my uncle out of her sight)

Cat electronic scarers are good, cat netting is better to stop him from entering all together. My only other option for you is to (As Lilith said) assess the cat and determine if he's feral. If he has an owner then try your best to work out where he's coming from to alert the owners to the problems he's creating. They may listen, they may not, but either way you tried. If they don't listen then you can go really hard-core to stop him coming to you.

You can't make someone get their cat neutered (sadly) but there's no law against catching the cat, taking him to the vet and getting him neutered yourself if you believe he's feral. Then it's a public service, especially if he doesn't have any identification.

There's no law against catching him, driving him to the next county and dropping him at a shelter there either, just saying (half joking)

I hesitate to say that keeping your cat in might be good for her for a while until the problem is dealt with.

[Crewella]

We used to have a local bully cat in the house I used to live in, I used to lie in wait for him with a water spray and hiss at him.

I feel for you, but having adopted a couple of ex-stray tom cats I also feel a bit sorry for the cat himself - he can't help the fact that his hormones drive him to fight. If you can get near him it might be worth putting a paper collar on him with your 'phone number to see if that gets a response from an owner - if it just disappears you might need to try a couple just in case he's ripping it off himself. If he's not neutered, he's not likely to be microchipped either, otherwise I'd suggest whisking him down the the vets to get him scanned. It might be worth asking around the area, I imagine other cat owners will also be concerned, and somebody might know where he comes from.

If he does turn out to be a stray, you'll be doing him a favour as well as yourself if you contact a local rescue and get them involved, just please make sure they have a no-kill policy.

[felinefriendly]

Thanks so much for all of your replies.

My girl has decided for herself to stay close to home for now - she has only popped out briefly this evening having spent the whole day in bed

I will keep a look out for the beast and see if I can get close enough to check him out. I did wonder about trying to catch him but wasn't sure if I should.

I really appreciate all the tips, thanks again x