Cat attacks, how to stop
Author
Discussion

Quattromaster

Original Poster:

2,997 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th July
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I fear this may be a lost cause, but thought the power of PH wisdom may have an answer.

We have two cats, sisters approx 18 months old, we have had them since last November, rescue cats.

They have just under an acre to play around in, plus fields and woods surround two sides of our property.

We have lots of local cats visit the garden, have no issues with that at all, bar the odd hiss at each other its all fine.

However, the male cat from two doors up, is a nasty vicious bully, who attacks my two girls, so far we have had two trips to the vets, they have even soiled themselves when he attacks, and has even chased them into the house when doors open and attacked them.

He's had the chop, has no real issues with any of the other local moggies, just my two, his owner dropped off a water pistol, expecting us to sit in a hedge and squirt him, problem with that idea is you never see the little coward until it's too late.

Unsure as why my girls can't join forces and do him over, they have no issues with killing rabbits, mice and birds, and eating the lot, yet seem unable to fight their way out of a plastic bag.

So, any suggestions of how we can stop this, he's more than welcome in the garden, just NOT attacking my cats.

Please, no shoot it, drown it, catch and release 50 mile away replies.

Ta muchy

Evanivitch

24,763 posts

138 months

Sunday 20th July
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Cat fence?

https://www.catfence.co.uk/pro-fence-cat-run/

https://tractive.com/en/c/plans

Not cheap, but cheaper than vets bills?

Alternatively, a smart sprinkler that detects the offending cat (rfid, Bluetooth) and soaks them? Might need to be homebrew.


MitchT

16,798 posts

225 months

Sunday 20th July
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Had the same issue. Two female cats here, well, one now as one died last October. Female cat a few doors down is very aggressive and attacks ours, usualy overnight causing us to jump out of bed to intervene. In our case, the doors are always kept closed and we have a microchip cat flap but that doesn't stop the little bugger cornering ours outside or coming to the flap and battering it trying to get in.

Same story here, hundreds spent in vet charges having our cats examined and, where applicable, treated. Owner of bully cat is actually a lovely woman but she's a workaholic and never at home so isn't there to give her cat the love it needs. Plus, by her own account, it's a nasty piece of work, most likely because it was ill treated before she acquired it.

There was a big male cat on the street who ruled the roost. He'd chase bully cat off but was really gentle with our two, sitting next to them on the path, rubbing noses with them, etc., but sadly he died a while ago or more order might have been maintained.

What is the answer? I'd love to know!

Jasandjules

71,172 posts

245 months

Sunday 20th July
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Get yourself a Maine Coon male. In six months he will ensure the garden is safe. Or water pistols but yes sitting around all day waiting is a bit tragic.

rossub

5,189 posts

206 months

Sunday 20th July
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Had exactly this a few years ago with a big male against our 4kg female. Near £1,000 vet bills for infected bites.

At one point I had a bamboo cane and was jabbing it through the cat flap, as it was going absolutely mental attacking the flap trying to get in.

It was becoming clear it could easily kill our cat with a neck bite and I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

Thankfully it was found dead in a neighbours garden before I needed to do something to protect our own.

Doesn’t help OP, but huge sympathies.

breamster

1,090 posts

196 months

Friday 1st August
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I know someone who had one bully cat repeatedly coming into their home to attack their female cat.

They tried all the usual things without success.

In the end they set the cat flap to in-only to trap bully cat in the house. Scared the crap out if it (but didn't physically hurt it). They had to repeat it once and the bully cat didn't come around again after that.

Now, I'm not advocating this but this is what worked for them.

Alternatively get a chipped cat flap so only your cats can enter.

Evanivitch

24,763 posts

138 months

Friday 1st August
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breamster said:
I know someone who had one bully cat repeatedly coming into their home to attack their female cat.

They tried all the usual things without success.

In the end they set the cat flap to in-only to trap bully cat in the house. Scared the crap out if it (but didn't physically hurt it). They had to repeat it once and the bully cat didn't come around again after that.

Now, I'm not advocating this but this is what worked for them.

Alternatively get a chipped cat flap so only your cats can enter.
We did this by accident once. Came downstairs to find kitchen a bit of a mess where it had been lookingfor a way out, I realised my mistake, looked under table, wandering cat flew out, jumped into closed French doors, bounded back under table, then flew out again as I managed to open the French doors in time.

geeks

10,544 posts

155 months

ChevronB19

8,078 posts

179 months

Sunday 3rd August
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Either tolerate it while you bring up a big ass boy kitten who loves his aunties, or cat fence, but that would be hugely expensive for an acre.

We got ours from here: https://protectapet.com/collections/cat-fence-barr... but should be easy enough to cobble together DIY (I was lazy).

At the right height on top of an existing fence, they really do work.

Inbox

214 posts

2 months

Monday 4th August
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Does the bully cat have a particular route into your garden, if so stick a cucumber in the way.

Apparently cats are quite scared of them if youtube is to be believed.

TwigtheWonderkid

46,558 posts

166 months

Tuesday 5th August
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Quattromaster said:
Unsure as why my girls can't join forces and do him over, they have no issues with killing rabbits, mice and birds, and eating the lot, yet seem unable to fight their way out of a plastic bag.

God, it's so annoying. I had a male cat like that. Great hunter, but definitely a lover, not a fighter. Used to get his head kicked in on a regular basis by every other cat in the neighbourhood. Young females half his size would give him a complete battering. Absolutely clueless on defending himself.

Slow.Patrol

2,137 posts

30 months

Tuesday 5th August
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Water pistol.

We used to live on a busy road, but I wanted our cats to have access to our garden.

The first few times they went outside, every time they made their way home the front garden, they got a squirt with he water pistol.

They soon associated the route as being something nasty and stayed at the back of the house.