Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

We have several cats we call ours, all doctored (yes, even the boys) but we have a problem with a local stray tom who isn't. He keeps coming round and beating up ours. He sometimes even comes into our home to do it. I'm getting fed up with the vet bills for antibotics etc to heal their wounds. Anyone know of a place in the Granada or Almeria Provinces where we can buy a humane cat trap. Our vet doesn't know of anywhere and we didn't like our neighbours suggestion of loaning us a gun. Thanks for any help.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

No idea, what's the plan after you have caught him though? Pay for him to have the snip? ;-)

Water pistol, every time you see him anywhere near your house, spray him. They HATE it, he will soon get the message and associate that area with getting wet.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

You could try any of your local animal charities - they often have traps which they could lend you.

We had exactly the same problem where we live in the Campo with a really nasty feral tom and the vets bills for our 4 cats were getting silly.

We did catch him and took him to a new location about 50km away.

If it had been a stray then we would have just had him chopped but a feral tomcat is a really nasty creature.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

I wouls also suggest trying local cat charities, there are even some that concentrate on street cats. They will almost certainly have a trap, and they would also almost certainly be happy to let you borrow/hire it. Suggest you catch it, then pay to have it 'snipped'. I even know some people who had a local tom caught, snipped and then released a couple of days later, the owners were a bit annoyed at what had been done to 'their' boy, but the rest of the people around were very much delighted.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

If you find somewhere, let us know, Leighblokes wife wants the details.....

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

Hi there, just floated by and read all of the posts. I have have been rescuing and rehoming stray cats for about 25 years - a very worthwhile hobby:D

A local cat charity is the best idea if you are not experienced. He could be tame, but when a cat is dumped or the owner abandons him they do become a little wild because it's tough out there trying to find food twice a day (and in my experience they often don't and are either starving or very hungry). However with love, care and food I have often seen the most wild cat turn into a lovable pussy cat!!! The cat charities here in the UK will trap the cat for you and take him immediately to a vet for treatment and neutering. They hopefully will keep him to observe him and see what his temperament is like and then rehome him. The cat needs some loving help and had I lived near you I would have come to get him myself ....... poor thing. You need a proper cat trap I would not advise trying to scruff him unless you are experienced at that sort of thing. Another way for you to handle him would be for you to feed him and gain his trust. I have done both of the above and both have worked for me.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

I have 3 cats that live in my back garden which have never lived with anyone . I have tamed them down enough for them to let me stroke them but its a long process.,There are traps that cat protection agencies can lend you and if you put tuna in the back of them the cat will go in every time! this is what we used 2 years ago when they were still quite wild. The vet then transfers them to a crusher cage where they can sedate them without having to handle them. Remember though that castration does not change their personality over night it can take between 3 - 6 months for the testosterone to leave their body.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

:) Hi there JeanC, what a lovely person you are for giving these cats care and food. Yes I quite agree, :thumbup:neutering will also stop them fighting which is a positive but will not change their personality.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

thankyou Artemis for your kind words. Gosh i bet you have rehomed hundreds of cats in the last 25 years haven't you? keep up the good work. :thumbsup:Pity everyone isn't as kind then there would be no more cruelty.:curse:

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

Hi there, yes I have lost count of the cats I have rescued! We have 3 at the moment all rescues. One is a semi-feral whom we have had for over 11 years now. I did what you did and tamed her as much as possible having given her a home when she was 6 months old. I have managed to stroke her just the 3 times in the 11 years! She's quite happy as we have converted a rabbit hutch into a snug outdoors home for her and she comes regularly for food twice a day and I think stays mainly in the garden.

Moving her was a nightmare though, but in retrospect I could see the funny side:D She and another of our cats were only moved about 10 miles, but Pandora howled her head off whch really worried my OH who was transporting them. The other one joined in until there was a huge horrible howling contest. Then suddenly silence and by then he was convinced that she had died of a heard attack and he stopped the car. Luckily she was not dead and must really be quite tough as she is at least 11 years old:)

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

Read all the messages to date and thanks for your help. We are in the same position as Fred James. We live in the campo among the Spanish and the nearest animal sanctuary would be several hours drive away. We have adopted a feral mummy cat and her kittens which is why we have so many but have managed to catch them all for the snip. The feral tom we have coming round now attacks ours for the sake of it and the best bet would be to relocate him as suggested. Unlike the UK, or even on the coast in Spain, there is not much help this far inland. I may just have to hope that he doesn't survive the winter snows.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

Hi cats r us, is the feral tom neutered? May be an idea to feed it and gain its trust .... for a few pence a day you could feed it and then it would not be so much of a problem. Once it had gained your trust you could then get it neutered.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

The Tom is not neutered and definitely not friendly. We have put up with him raiding our cats food for over a year and all the many vets bills when we have to get our cats patched up - the latest is one almost had his tail amputated where it joins the body because of the thing biting it so badly. Being friendly has not worked. My own cats live in terror and I have even had a couple move away because of it. We did have a previous undoctored Tom around who we all got on with OK but unfortunately he died and this one moved in with a vengence.

Re: Undoctored Tom Problem - Help
 

If it was neutered it could hardly be called a feral cat.

People use the wrongly use the word "feral" for any stray or undomesticated cat when a real feral cat is almost reverted to a wild animal and has bred from parents in a similar situation.

Believe me, if you are unfortunate to meet a real feral cat it will come as quite a surprise. They are nasty vicious creatures that will attack and seriously injure another cat - as Cats-R-Us has found and so did we.

The only solution is to trap it and remove it from your area.