CAT owners-need your help/insight! please

serenacat

A uncollared cat has been coming into our garden regularly for 3 weeks now about, but before this we never saw her/him before.
The cat has been meowing really loudly at our kitty and the two of them have mostly been hissing and staring at each other, during the night if our kit goes outside their loud meowing wakes me up and i go out and get my cat back inside.
I'm sure what to do about it as the cat has no collar one would assume it is a stray but she/he looks too well kept and rubs against your legs etc. It's becomming increasingly annoying having to superivise them and make sure my cat is in during the night. I'm new to having a cat, as I kept the one I found in Jan when no-one claimed him so would appreciate advice.

thanks :-)

DAWNRISER

Is your cat neutered? can you get close enough to see if the other guy is?

Malari

I'm actually a bit worried about this thing too. We have a local fella who is clearly NOT neutered and for the most part he gets on great with our neutered pet, but I don't know if he actually belongs to anyone. And I'm pretty sure he's getting more involved in scraps and I know he's marking the territory around the house too.

We always keep our guy in at night because I don't want any play fighting to turn nasty. I'd love to either do a good deed and neuter this fella, or try to find a home for him, cause he is a lovely cat, if a little shy.

I thinking keeping your cat in and making loud discouraging noises when yer man starts the miaowing is the best you can do. Cats will be cats.

audreyp

My cat does not wear a collar and he is very well taken care off. I wouldn't assume he is a stray because he doesn't have a colour. Most cats are able to remove collars with a bit of persistance. My cat even managed to get out of the code on her head once after neutering.

We have a similar problem. We have a neighbourhood bully, we can't do the usual cat deterrents because I have a cat myself. And even worse we have a cat flap so the bully sometimes comes in. I really need to get a microchipped cat flap. If anyone has any solutions I would be grateful too!

serenacat

DAWNRISER wrote: »

Is your cat neutered? can you get close enough to see if the other guy is?

mine is, and from the looks of the other cat it is either female or neutered. Though its size it about the same is my male.

Malari wrote: »

I'm actually a bit worried about this thing too. We have a local fella who is clearly NOT neutered and for the most part he gets on great with our neutered pet, but I don't know if he actually belongs to anyone. And I'm pretty sure he's getting more involved in scraps and I know he's marking the territory around the house too.

We always keep our guy in at night because I don't want any play fighting to turn nasty. I'd love to either do a good deed and neuter this fella, or try to find a home for him, cause he is a lovely cat, if a little shy.

I thinking keeping your cat in and making loud discouraging noises when yer man starts the miaowing is the best you can do. Cats will be cats.

Yes, I'm thinking of taking it to the vet to see what the story is, the two are really getting on mostly making noises and looking scared of eachother

audreyp wrote: »

My cat does not wear a collar and he is very well taken care off. I wouldn't assume he is a stray because he doesn't have a colour. Most cats are able to remove collars with a bit of persistance. My cat even managed to get out of the code on her head once after neutering.

We have a similar problem. We have a neighbourhood bully, we can't do the usual cat deterrents because I have a cat myself. And even worse we have a cat flap so the bully sometimes comes in. I really need to get a microchipped cat flap. If anyone has any solutions I would be grateful too!

Yes, I'm thinking its probably a neighbourhood cat, is it not strange to have him/her with no collar consistently for 3 weeks? or is that what you do?

audreyp

Unfortunately ours won't wear a collar at all. It's our fault we didn't put one on as a kitten as they couldn't get out of the garden and then they were too old to adjust. We are getting kittens this summer so will definitely put one on as a kitten so they as just used to it!

Even if cats are neutered I find males still can be very threatened by each other! It's probably a fight for territory. I don't think there is anything you can do, except keep your cat inside or cat proof the garden.

Malari

serenacat wrote: »

Yes, I'm thinking its probably a neighbourhood cat, is it not strange to have him/her with no collar consistently for 3 weeks? or is that what you do?

We've had cats in our family forever, but some just don't take to collars. One used to get a rash so she couldn't wear one. The one on our fella now is a quick-release with an "I live here" tag so I can be contacted if he goes missing.

Some people don't bother. I know one of the other neighbourhood cats never wears one.

Graces7

Neither of ours wears a collar. They climb trees etc and worried re them getting hanged; and they would soon lose a quick release collar. the one time we used a belled collar on a cat to stop him catching birds, he got one leg out of it and got stuck. Painful and dangerous. He lost the next one so we gave up then.

audreyp

Graces7 wrote: »

Neither of ours wears a collar. They climb trees etc and worried re them getting hanged; and they would soon lose a quick release collar. the one time we used a belled collar on a cat to stop him catching birds, he got one leg out of it and got stuck. Painful and dangerous. He lost the next one so we gave up then.

I completely agree. Cats are so independent. If they don't want to wear it, they won't! I don't think any person can tell a cat what to do

serenacat

If they don't wear a collar are they microchipped?

Malari

serenacat wrote: »

If they don't wear a collar are they microchipped?

We didn't chip ours because he seemed quite happy to wear a collar and he's not a pedigree and we didn't buy him or anything. He just walked into the house one day and stayed, like yours! Not that I'm saying he's worthless, it's just I don't know if anyone would be as bothered to steal a cat like they would a dog.

planetX

You're thinking of taking him to the vet?
seriously, that could be one of my cats you're describing. He takes off his collars and hides them... and as for meowing and hissing at your cat - that's what they do! I'm up nearly every night chasing away one of the neighbours cats who wants to fight with mine.
If you're really worried he might be a stray, try putting a collar on him and see if he comes back without it.

serenacat

planetX wrote: »

You're thinking of taking him to the vet?
seriously, that could be one of my cats you're describing. He takes off his collars and hides them... and as for meowing and hissing at your cat - that's what they do! I'm up nearly every night chasing away one of the neighbours cats who wants to fight with mine.
If you're really worried he might be a stray, try putting a collar on him and see if he comes back without it.

...maybe its annoying as I don't want my kitty getting hurt!

serenacat

my cats been peeing around the house, pretty sure its related! Any more tips?

mymo

If its tame enough to put a collar on it I would do that, but get a little barrel for putting the name and address in and leave a note in it.
If you get a reply it has an owner!

sweetskye

serenacat wrote: »

my cats been peeing around the house, pretty sure its related! Any more tips?

Hi Serenacat

While back our cat was doing the same the vet told us he was
stressed and gave us some Bach drops and a kind of air freshner but
with a hormone to calm him down. My cats don't have collars are all
microchipped and most of the time they get on well with the various visitors we get daily:)

serenacat

sweetskye wrote: »

Hi Serenacat

While back our cat was doing the same the vet told us he was
stressed and gave us some Bach drops and a kind of air freshner but
with a hormone to calm him down. My cats don't have collars are all
microchipped and most of the time they get on well with the various visitors we get daily:)

Was the peeing related to other cats do you think?

sweetskye

Hi

Yes the vet said is just a territorial behaviour cats have. Peeing they
mark down their territorio so I think is quite normal. A tip clean the area with vinegar. Sorry, vet prescribed drops proper for animal use not the Bach drops I mentioned previously.
Hope your cat is fine.

serenacat

sweetskye wrote: »

Hi

Yes the vet said is just a territorial behaviour cats have. Peeing they
mark down their territorio so I think is quite normal. A tip clean the area with vinegar. Sorry, vet prescribed drops proper for animal use not the Bach drops I mentioned previously.
Hope your cat is fine.

It's a been a few days now and haven't found any cat pee stains so hopefully it is finished. The mean cat did stop by for a spot of meowing at me, my cat under the car, i scared the cat away and had to convince my cat it was safe to come out from under the car, my cat was only out for 10mins to go to the loo when the neighbourhood cat showed up. I'm going to try put a paper collar on it with my number and hopefully see if it has an owner and get in touch. Hope the owner is nice!

irish_goat

You could scare the other cat into not coming back. Spraying it with a hose a few times would teach it not to come near your house.

serenacat

yes my dad keeps trying to throw water at it, i feel like its cruel but maybe i'm being too pushy? it is only water right?

cltt97

My two cats wear collors with my phone number on it, I put that on in case something happens. I had another cat which was killed by a car and a friendly person rang to let us know, which was so nice, it saved us the anguish not knowing what happend. That's why I think for cats, tags are better than chips (if your cat tolerates a collor that is). Noone would bother bringing a (deat or alive) cat to a vet where I live... (except me!)

cltt97

Oh, and concerning the stray cats - I had a few hanging around, sometimes they're looking for food - NEVER feed them unless you want to keep them, they will come back if you do. I have one that is very scared and doesn't come too close really. Another one I had to throw water on because it aggravated my cats too much. that did the trick. I keep mine in over night in general, as don't have a cat flap.

serenacat

cltt97 wrote: »

Oh, and concerning the stray cats - I had a few hanging around, sometimes they're looking for food - NEVER feed them unless you want to keep them, they will come back if you do. I have one that is very scared and doesn't come too close really. Another one I had to throw water on because it aggravated my cats too much. that did the trick. I keep mine in over night in general, as don't have a cat flap.

Thanks, I don't think this one is stray as it seems to want to be petted

serenacat

Spoke too soon, just found him peeing on the same cushion as before! ew!!!
how do you know if it is medical not territorial?

Green Dog

If you could catch some urine and bring it to your vet they could dipstick it would help determine if anything medically wrong.
If all seems ok Feline pheromone plug in diffuser is expensive but can work great at easing stress.
By the way lost cat before cause of her collar caught her under bonnet of car and it was a safety one. Microchip all the way, although would doubt a lot of people would bother bringing lost cat to the vet for a scan.

serenacat

So tried to put the paper collar on the stray cat or uncollared neighbour cat and he leaped onto my face, bit my head and stratched me! ow! So back to the throwing water to keep the cat away plan, don't feel as bad about scaring the cat away now!

sweetskye

Hi Serenacat,

I use to have a tom cat coming to my garden and scaring my own cats I
could not do much as he only has one eye and I felt sorry for him.
Anyway, I started feed him and after a while my own cats got used
to him, I think there is a bit of mutual respect between them:), he became
friendly to us and still gets fed and goes away. But my cats have a different reaction when they see him each avoid getting inside or hanging out
until he goes. There's no fight and everybody, I suppose, is happy;)
Maybe, neighbour cat only wants to get to know your own
cat better, sure there is no bad intention in this brief encounters:rolleyes:
Hope your cat is ok.

serenacat

sweetskye wrote: »

Hi Serenacat,

I use to have a tom cat coming to my garden and scaring my own cats I
could not do much as he only has one eye and I felt sorry for him.
Anyway, I started feed him and after a while my own cats got used
to him, I think there is a bit of mutual respect between them:), he became
friendly to us and still gets fed and goes away. But my cats have a different reaction when they see him each avoid getting inside or hanging out
until he goes. There's no fight and everybody, I suppose, is happy;)
Maybe, neighbour cat only wants to get to know your own
cat better, sure there is no bad intention in this brief encounters:rolleyes:
Hope your cat is ok.

my cat was safely inside during the other cat biting me so he is grand. Are you recommending I leave the cats be? or feed the stray? I'm confusing by your ans

serenacat

mean cat just bit my cat just over his brows, does it need to be treated at the vets?

Heroditas

cltt97 wrote: »

Oh, and concerning the stray cats - I had a few hanging around, sometimes they're looking for food - NEVER feed them unless you want to keep them, they will come back if you do. I have one that is very scared and doesn't come too close really.

I wish my wife had read this post last September.
We used to have two cats and now we have three.
The stray has completely adapted to the life of an indoor cat and now refuses to even leave the house. FFS! :rolleyes:

However, we wouldn't change the current situation for anything. We love all three of them.