Neighbours cat

Rips

I'm living in a rented house at the moment where the previous tenant's cat comes to visit. They moved to a house around the corner.

Its an entire male, outdoor only cat (tabby) ... and from the look of it, they just feed it. Its not the only tom in the area, but its the only one that comes into the garden. Another neighbour has told me that the tabby was a kitten her own cat had, which the old tenants 'took in' (feed :rolleyes:)

It visits my cat everyday. It spends more time in my garden then its own. I have never ever encouraged it or fed it. They lie at the screen door and shadow box. On the rare occasion when he doesn't visit, my cat cries half the morning. Its all very friendly, purring and thrilling. However my cat is very timid and even with a glass door between them, sometimes he gets frightened and hides.

Now that we are getting good weather, I like to let my cat out on occasion.
Days like today when its really warm, its nice to have the screen door open (or indeed any of the windows!) and since my cat is leash trained, I can hook him to a ring on the clothesline and he has a 'run' of about 20ft x 5ft (the distance the line and his elastic leash allows) he can explore. Most days he just lays in the sun.

This is a relatively new thing for him, so it was always closely supervised, but its working out great. Except for one thing.

His friend. His friend is very skittish, you can just about touch his head but he'll run away as quick. He seems by all accounts, very friendly towards my cat. I can't decide however, whether a) he wants to play or b) he thinks my diminutive socially retarded cat is a rabbit. I would not have expected an entire male cat to tolerate another cat living in 'his house'.

Despite being very afraid of people, he is very bold about the garden and the house. When the door is open, he comes in and sits just inside the door, I take it, where he always used to! I don't like him coming in, because he's filthy and my poor eegit is afraid of him and sits on the table peering down at him.

They often lie just feet apart in the garden and all was well. However, I've discovered, that his friend only behaves when I am within reach. Whenever I turn my back, or am out of his range, he stalks my cat and has pounced on him. My cat is generally oblivious to his antics when he is outside as he is so mesmerized being in the garden.

Today he was out on his own, just lying in the sun immobile and I was sitting just inside the open door of the house, and his friend ran up and pounced on him, pinned him to the ground and started biting his back. Luckily the harness protected him.

My poor little fella was totally shell shocked, and of course, attached to the lead, he wouldn't be able to go very far if he was to run away. I feel so bad for him. Its also really worrying since this cat is so unhandled, I very much doubt he's had any sort of preventative healthcare and since he's entire and there are a lot of feral and semi feral cats in the area, he may have FIV

Its really irritating, I mean my cat is always within sight, but its no good if I have to be within arms reach. I brought him in today after he was attacked, but now because he's used to going out, he's very unhappy. I would bring him out on the lead anyway, supervised, but its more about being able to let him out when I'm doing housework etc and so I can get air in the house!

He spent about 2 hours trying to get out this afternoon. He is able to open internal doors quickly and easily, which means I have to keep all the windows in the house closed. They don't have a good enough latching mechanism to even leave ajar. heard an awful racket in the utility and he had managed to open the PVC door, just not get it ajar. I also usually leave the bathroom window open because the door is heavy and sticks in the frame (a child would not be able to open it) and he managed that too

I'm at my wits end!
What would you do? I'd love to trap the cat and have it neutered and tested for its sake and my own piece of mind, but it does technically belong to someone else.

I would say there is a very good chance if I approach the owners in any way, they might be glad to wash their hands of it (if they haven't already) but I don't want to attain it by default either. I am unclear as to whether they 'left the cat' here or made an attempt to bring it with them. If you feed a stray is it then 'your cat', or is it just a stray you feed?! I'd say their feeding this one cat has populated the whole area.

I would have always been inclined to believe, you feed it? You own it (ie, you are responsible for it!)

OldNotWIse

We have some that we just feed. Others are "entirely" ours. Depends on the situation I suppose. Most have been neutered and vacc'd with the exception of one because he is not strictly ours, though I am itching to have him done as he is becoming more dominant.


Have you spoken to the neighbours about their cat?


Good idea with the leash

Rips

No, I haven't spoken to them yet. I was happy enough when it was just visiting by the screen door as it was something new and interesting for my lad, but I can't run the risk of him being bitten so its going to be a problem for the summer. Its such a shame too, when he could have daily access to the garden except for this.

Ignorance would have been bliss :rolleyes:, but for the fact that my other neighbour told me it was her cat's kitten (3/4 years old) and that it was living here when they did, I wouldn't have known. I don't know these people even to see, but I have been told where they live.

Rips

Good idea with the leash

Thanks, it was just idle thinking, his leash was just long enough to reach from the line to the ground so it doesn't get tangled and theres enough stretch in it lets him wander about
Its one of those plastic coated lines (smooth) so it works brilliantly!

I had towels drying inside on the clothes horse today so the cat could get the use of the clothes line :pac:

boomerang

Are you sure the pouncing and grabbing isn't just play? My two boys get up to those antics, they look like March hares, sometimes

They look very relaxed in each other's company

Rips

Oh well of course, its his friend :P
To begin with, I was surprised at how 'good' he was, but it really is just me hovering around that keeps him at bay. Its just a bit rough at this stage. He was vicious today and he only oversteps like this when I'm too far away to intervene. If it was my own cats having a scuffle that would be one thing, but I don't like the risks involved here.

Sometimes he ignores him, like when he is just sitting around, but when he does get interested in interacting with him, he's very assertive, and a bit sneaky too, always creeping up behind him. You would think my cat was deaf and blind. I'm sure its great fun for the tabby

kathleen37

I would trap him and get him neutered anyhoo. Like you say - he's probably responsible for all the kittens within a few miles radios. I live in a very rural area, so trap and neuter any cats that come our way.

When at the vets, you can see if he's chipped. If not, and you're not sure of or if anyone owns him, would you consider taking him on? He's defo your cat's chum and I's also say the pouncing is just play fighting (though I understand your fella being nervous if he's not used to other cats around)

Is your kitty on the harness because you're feared of him running off? He is a beauty!! To be honest, I would think the harness may possibly be making him more nervous? Just from the point of view he knows he's ok without it indoors, but hey - this must be scarey outside if I have to be tied up like this? I wonder if you would consider getting a big pen for him (with lots of different level shelves which he could exercise jumping up to/on off - access to your lovely grass too) I'm just wondering if that may be better for him that the leash?( I hope you don't mind me asking.)

You sound great in that you're concerned for your visitor, and to me, it looks like your kitty may like to have a pal around full time...

It is a worry, so I hope you get something sorted that works for you.

Like I said, good for you for being concerned in the first place!!!

Rips

Yeah he's on the harness because he's indoor only, he doesn't seem to notice it really, and he knows he gets to go outside when its put on.

I'd love for him to have a run eventually, but I wouldn't have got the use out of one so far. He doesn't go out in the cold at all. I've asked a relative to build me a frame I can cover but I might be awhile waiting.

Oh god no, I don't want another cat, too many dependents already :P I couldn't have an outdoor cat anyway.

I might try talking to the owners, get an idea of the situation.

MrWalsh

I think you should definitely try to talk to the owners. The cat should be neutered one way or another.

About your own cat, how about constructing a "catio", a fenced in outdoor area so that he still gets to go out and he can see his pal but they cant get at each other?

chanelfreak

Can I just say how CUTE your kitty is Rips! And I love the idea of the leash If I wasnt sure of losing my fingers, I would definitely try the same thing with my two girls

Rips

MrWalsh wrote: »

I think you should definitely try to talk to the owners. The cat should be neutered one way or another.

About your own cat, how about constructing a "catio", a fenced in outdoor area so that he still gets to go out and he can see his pal but they cant get at each other?

Yes, I think he should be neutered, and if the owners won't pay for it, I'd rather do that then spend the money on a catio. I think it might be the best compromise as well as it means they can still play?

It sounds silly but because my lad is indoors he is an all-access cat, he isn't ever locked out of anywhere. If I built him a catio if would have to be mobile and he would be locked into it would be such a small space that he would feel locked in. He's more of a runner and less of a climber. There is an old frame of a swingset, I've contemplated covering with wire, but it would be such a small space. 4ftx5ft?
There is an actual patio on the house for example I lock and let him into sometimes, but he only only goes in for 5 mins, sniffs around the plants, has a look out to see whats going on outside, and comes back in.

He only goes outside when its warm too. One of the days we had showers, it was still really warm, but a) the grass was wet, and he didn't like that and b) there was a kids party next door and he didn't like the screaming :rolleyes:
And if its cold at all, forget about it, he's really susceptible to the cold, he shakes like he has hypothermia.

On the leash on the clothesline, he has access to half the garden and he feels very free, he sprints up and down, jumps over the little wall of the patio and runs into the house. I must get a video actual, its very funny. I kind of like from a safety POV aswell as, the line goes right to the back door, so he now used to coming in and out, has a sense of where he can go and where he can run back in when he's scared, instead of being carried out and in dazed and confused! I give him treats when he comes back in of his own accord (such a bad owner) its like my fail safe, if he were ever to escape. Not that, I really don't believe he would survive 10mins ' in the wild'.

He has two cat trees, one ceiling height and one medium, and although he uses them, he isn't really a climber. Ie: He never gets up on shelves, the mantlepiece, the tops of presses or curtain rails. With a catio, for the cost, he'd only have a smallish floor area, and I don't think he'd make use of the height.

Can I just say how CUTE your kitty is Rips! And I love the idea of the leash If I wasnt sure of losing my fingers, I would definitely try the same thing with my two girls

Thanks
I had a different harness before this one that he didn't like, but this one, he tolerates and its very secure. He is a bit of an oddball though, I can imagine another cat wouldn't be impressed. It did take a long time for him to be really good on it, but I used to live in an apartment with lots of long empty corridors and let him run around with it on. It was good for training because it was safe and enclosed, and he knew he didn't get to go out there without the harness on. I don't want anyone to read this and think they can tie their cat to the clothesline and everything will be fine! That's the only trouble with harnesses, I think if they were really determined they could get out of them.

Ambersky

Hi I too have an indoor cat. I made the decision by weighing up all the pros and cons of the indoor outdoor issue and knowing what I personally would be able for.
So I consider it my job to keep him as happy and stimulated as I can.

I think my cat looks a bit like yours Rips he was lead trained as a kitten and did enjoy going out into his garden on a lead.



But eventually I wanted to give him a bit more freedom and to find a way to keep other cats out unless it was my choice. I tried various things and eventually went with fencing my whole garden with a pvc fence that is something like the one below as part of a complete garden make over. It is at least 2 meters high all around, it was expensive and it only worked because my boy likes to run and keeps quite low down like a mouser rather than a bird catcher, he isnt much of a jumper. The PVC is slippery and doesnt provide a grip for nails. I know other cats that can jump 2meters from a standing start and the fence wouldnt work for them I dont think.


http://www.maintenancefree.ie/pvc-fencing.html

In the beginning there were some gaps where other cats were able to enter and exit but I was able to block those up and now I dont get any other cats coming into the garden either. For example I surprised a visiting cat in the garden one day that had jumped in and it ran around looking for an escape when I came out before scaling a tree and making its get away. I later put chicken wire around the trunk of the tree and I havent had any visitors since.
I dont trust the fence 100% and still keep an eye on my cat when hes out but he hasnt managed to get out and its been up for over a year now.

Rips

Aww he's lovely. Oh definitely, I don't think I'll ever have anything but an indoor cat and when I have my own garden I'd love to get it catproofed. PVC is a great idea. Its something that's hard to attain with an indoor cat sometimes, peace of mind!!

The garden here as it is, is secure enough, in that its breezeblock walls all the way round but there are so many things up against the boundary (garden shed, oil tank,old dog kennel, mature trees and shrubs etc) that it would be escaped. Its mid terrace in a back to back row as well, so there would be a few gardens that would be to be conquered before freedom! Cats certainly don't have a problem coming in and out though.

My fella can jump when he wants to as well, he's only done it once or twice, but he's taken fright and literally 'hit the roof' from a standstill (well the pelmet of the blinds in a room with tall ceilings)

Ambersky

Oh yeah forgot you were in a different situation and it wouldnt make sense to splash out right now.
Then again I have found that chicken wire is a very inexpensive but useful thing and with a bit of imagination it can be used to deter cats littering or climbing in certain areas. It can be wrapped around the middle of the trunk of trees or left hang over oil tanks to prevent jumping up on them. I use it to fill in the weak points in my fencing system as good and all as it is it still has weak spots.

A length of chicken wire strategically placed can stop a cat climbing onto or up on things particularly if you leave some of it loose and hanging out. Cats dont seem to like the feel of it.
This isnt chicken wire but it gives some of the idea. Its a lot of bother but maybe if you wanted to keep other cats out or yours in off lead it might be possible. Youd have to watch and see how other cats get in and out and gradually block exits and entrances.