Daydreamer123

Our neighbors cat has started coming into our garden and house. He has also started fighting with our two cats. The first few months this didnt seem to happen, but now he is starting to do it daily.

It's become serious today because he has sprayed inside the house, near their litter tray and also on their carry box.

He is a big bully of a cat and ours are dear little things, they used to be indoor cats but now I work from home they are out all day. They dont know how to cope with him coming in and attacking while they are sleeping in the garden. Luckily they are both sleeping indoors today, so dont yet know about the spraying. I assume that this a territorial thing and because they are not tough cats, he believes he is dominant.

So two questions, the first is the most pressing, todays spraying, luckily it was on a concrete floor, so I have sprayed with disinfectant. Should I do anything else to make sure the smell is removed, so it doesnt upset my cats? Will it upset them?
Secondly, what can I do to stop him coming in? I know the garden is probably difficult to stop because we have only a low fence between us, and I think he is used to having the run of the street, but is there anything I can do to stop him coming indoors? I cant use those cat sprays because of my cats, but is there anything else. Do I just need to toughen them up?

I think that the people who lived here before us used to let him in the house, so that probably makes him think he belongs.

Sorry for the long post, any suggestions welcome!
x

Mipik

Get a dog.

manc1

I think a Doberman will do the trick.

Daydreamer123

Good idea, but in the short term I suspect I would spend even more time cleaning up wee - and this time it would be a much larger puddle.

Moonwalker

Hi Daydreamer,

I had the same problem in the UK put some moth balls in the garden and he wont come back again.

Kooky.

It sounds like your cats becoming outdoor cats have upset him by threatening his territory and he's regaining control of it.

We've had problems with ours - one of them ended up so badly beaten he needed an operation. He's a very gentle boy and he hasn't been the same since.

You should be able to get some pet odour neutraliser to help take away his smell but it sounds like you need a longer term solution. Is the bully not neutered? If that's the case, can you suggest to your neighbour that he is aggressive and that should sort him out?

Otherwise, might be no option but to make your garden look like Colditz, I'm afraid, and get some netting up. Our neighbour has done our fences to stop our cats sunbathing in his garden, and it looks great.

MarkMC

Get 2 dogs, I'd much rather pick my dogs waste up from the my lawn than next doors cats waste, like I used to do in the UK. Why cant people train them to use a litter tray?

Kooky.

Ours are litter trained and still have a tray even though they now go out. 2/3 prefer the garden, I'm afraid.

Would you like to come and be my neighbour, Mark? Not one of my neighbours seems to pick their dog's crap up off the pavements.

manc1

Daydreamer123

I might try putting some anti cat spray around the perimeter first, perhaps that will work. Netting is probably not going to help, although we could put it around the fence, we live on quite a steep hill, and our neighbours house has been built up and so has their garden, but ours has kind of been built in, if that makes sense, so our roof is easy access for him, even if there was netting up. We thought this would be a problem for our cats going to theirs, but they are so good. We have shown them where they are allowed and where they arent and they dont go out of the garden at all. I think thats one of the reasons they are so bothered by Buddha coming in to theirs.

I will also speak with the neighbour and ask her about neutering, she is a strange one though, one morning early, while I was still in bed, but my OH had just left for work, she came into the garden and starting staking up the rose bush. I heard someone in the garden and snuck to the window to see what was going on, becuase it sounded like her and her kids - it was - I didnt know what to do, so I just pretended I wasnt there, and crawled back into bed. Like I said, a strange one, but I'll see what can be done.

Daydreamer123

There does seem to be lot of dog poo around, I dont know where it comes from because I dont think there are many dogs in our street, and the poo's are huge! Not the little ones you would expect from quiet doggies you could keep a secret.

Kooky.

I wonder if she's related to mine? I've looked up through the bathroom skylight twice now from my seat on the loo, to see him walking across my roof.

Hmm, it sounds like the whole family including cat think your garden is their territory.

Daydreamer123

Oh my, thats much worse than a bit of guerilla gardening! Its the whole street, they are so strange and local. Don't you also live in McMahons Point - I think you told me about a hairdresser (thanks if it was you, they are really good) maybe its a North Sydney thing?

Cheetah7

Kidnap his cat and have it neutered, bring it back and then pretend you know nothing then Mr No Nuts can feel the effects of reduced testosterone and wonder why he isnt a complete man

Kooky.

Yes, that's me. These affluent neighbourhoods are very strange. Bet they all swing, too.

I wonder if it's the same bully - PM me your street if you don't mind divulging. I promise not to stalk you.