# Visiting cat dilema



## supertramp (25 April 2018)

There has ofyen been a small black cat that wanders around the area, in and out of gardens, at the time this caused no problem,  however he started to come in through our cat flap last summer uninvited and would eat all that had been left out for my two cats.  We purchased a cat flap that should work by using the micro chip the cats have, one took to it really well, the other couldnt stand the clicking noise when she stuck her head in the gap so declined to use it, i should point out that these are rescue cats in their iddle age and if human would be Hinge and Bracket!  To ensure they both went out we would leave the back door open when we were in so the very timid one could enjoy some outside time.

Fast forward to the snow that we had in march, i woke to find the black cat on my bedside table!! Couldnt put him out as the snow had blocked the cat flap by bout a foot, but as this wasnt our cat i took myself off in the direction i thought he may have surfaced from, found his owner, who licves at the bottom of the garden, our gardens back onto eachother. She said he had always been a wandered and ate very well, "has he still got his nuts?" "oh yes, " she replied "i wouldnt want them removed it may change his temeperment!" I did explain it may stop him wandering onto other houses. I went home, unblocked the cat flap, carried him down the garden and passed him back to her over the fence!

However, he is back, he whips in the cat flap, hoovers up every morsel , then visits every cat flap in the area! I think he is left out most nights, as often i see him at 6.30 am on thw shed roof, she has no cat flap, I am at a loss what to do , he eats everything, my two are so victorian they just look at him in horror, a few nights ago he came into an elderly neighbours kitchen through the cat flap and ramsacked her bins leaving a shocking mess. Im not sure he get fed well in his own home.

I would like to approach the owner and ask her to maybe keep him in and get herself a cat flap, also im concerned that he isnt treated for fleas, and have just spent nealy £40 treating my two. He is becoming an unwelcome menace, and i do understand what he is doing is natural, but it is having an impact on my neighbours and myself. 

How do i move on from this, it it reasonable to contact owner and ask her to get a cat flap and try to feed him when he is in ?


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## PapaverFollis (25 April 2018)

Next time he came in my house I would take him back and tell owner that if you pick him up again you'll take him to a local rescue rather than back to her.

Can't stand people not being responsible for their animals.


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## SusieT (25 April 2018)

Cats wander. How would you feel if your cat being an independant animal visited your neighbours? Poo'd in your neighbours garden?
I would either feed my cats at set times so they got fed but no spare food was lying about, revisit the microchip cat flap idea (you can get microchip cat feeders) or put fencing around my garden fence to make it difficult or impossible for him to get in.
I would be tempted however to take him to vets as a 'stray' and get him neutered and re release him - less said the better about that!
Or a spray bottle when he comes in? It is not unreasonable to allow your cat out. If you have a cat flap in a built up area you need to work out how to prevent unwanted visitors or accept them..


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## FubsyMog (25 April 2018)

May be hard to carry out this tactic if you have other cats around, but if you can scare the absolute bejeezus out of the intruder by acting as bizarre as you possibly can, it might have some effect.

When we moved into current house, a neighbouring cat constantly came into the garden to toilet and intimidate our own cats. One day I saw it coming and ran out the door with my arms windmilling, making ridiculous noises and generally creating the impression that I was Weird And Scary and Not To Be Trusted. It looked at me like I had landed from outer space and ran off. 7 years later and it has never crossed the threshold of the property again - I see it every day, but it keeps to its own patch.

You have to really go all out with the 'weird' element - I had shoo-ed this cat in a 'normal' way, including water pistol, many times, to no effect.


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## Sussexbythesea (25 April 2018)

FubsyMog said:



			May be hard to carry out this tactic if you have other cats around, but if you can scare the absolute bejeezus out of the intruder by acting as bizarre as you possibly can, it might have some effect.

When we moved into current house, a neighbouring cat constantly came into the garden to toilet and intimidate our own cats. One day I saw it coming and ran out the door with my arms windmilling, making ridiculous noises and generally creating the impression that I was Weird And Scary and Not To Be Trusted. It looked at me like I had landed from outer space and ran off. 7 years later and it has never crossed the threshold of the property again - I see it every day, but it keeps to its own patch.

You have to really go all out with the 'weird' element - I had shoo-ed this cat in a 'normal' way, including water pistol, many times, to no effect.
		
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I did the mad screaming banshee to a cat that chased my boys in the other - lord knows what my neighbours thought! 

I use a microchip catflap though so it cannot get in. I used to have various visitors prior to that and once found one sleeping behind the sofa!


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## supertramp (25 April 2018)

SusieT said:



			Cats wander. How would you feel if your cat being an independant animal visited your neighbours? Poo'd in your neighbours garden?
I would either feed my cats at set times so they got fed but no spare food was lying about, revisit the microchip cat flap idea (you can get microchip cat feeders) or put fencing around my garden fence to make it difficult or impossible for him to get in.
I would be tempted however to take him to vets as a 'stray' and get him neutered and re release him - less said the better about that!
Or a spray bottle when he comes in? It is not unreasonable to allow your cat out. If you have a cat flap in a built up area you need to work out how to prevent unwanted visitors or accept them..
		
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I know cats wander, I am very aware they pop into next door garden, my next door neighbours cat often pops into our garden, but this is a bit different, im not sure he is being looked after well, he seems to be out at all hours, he has no cat flap to come and go, and i may omitted to say theat when i returned him during the snow episode i was told she let him out for a wee the night before at midnight and was most suprised that when she called him 5 minutes later he didnt respond and come inside.  Whilst i have no evidence myself, my neighbiurs ell me that these people often go away over night without making provision for there cat.


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## supertramp (25 April 2018)

Have thought about doing a mad banshee dance but he hears me get up to go to the kitchen so is trotting out before i can get into banshee mode.


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## Lacuna (25 April 2018)

Does your cat have a chip?

I'd definitely recommend a pet Porte flap which scans the cats and only unlocks for chips that are in the memory. Yours  can come and go as they want and others are locked out.


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## supertramp (25 April 2018)

We do have the chip method, but one of the cats wont use it, she is terrified of the click, she is a rescue cat, so i have no real idea of her past, it does seem a bit of an over the top reaction from her, but she is so much more relaxed than when she first arrived.


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## WandaMare (25 April 2018)

PapaverFollis said:



			Next time he came in my house I would take him back and tell owner that if you pick him up again you'll take him to a local rescue rather than back to her.

Can't stand people not being responsible for their animals.
		
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Me too. I would only take him back once more, next time I would get a rescue organisation involved. With any hope she might give him up and give him a chance of a decent home.


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## Meowy Catkin (25 April 2018)

You know that the cat has an owner (albeit one that isn't doing the best job) and you know where they are, so it is very wrong IMO to take the cat to an animal charity/rescue centre. I find it very sad that people on here are actually recommending something that is so immoral as it is essentially stealing the cat.


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## supertramp (25 April 2018)

I have never said I would bundle him up and take him away.  &#128577;


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## Sussexbythesea (25 April 2018)

Could you train her to use it using a highly desirable food reward e.g. by feeding her bits of tuna near it whilst it clicks away and she then associates the noise with something nice? Mine do anything for tuna. They also sit annoyingly looking out the cat flap whilst it busily clicks away!


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## supertramp (25 April 2018)

We struggle to pick her up, sometimes she wont be stroked, it depends on how she is feeling, everything is on her terms, which we have no problem with, we just want her to be happy, shes not food orientated ar all, unlike her sister who would be happy to have a bit of tuna , or anything else going her way.


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## SpringArising (25 April 2018)

Home Alone style trap that sprays him with water as soon as he comes through the flap!

Not sure of the logistics on that but it would probably make him think twice about coming back...


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## Red-1 (25 April 2018)

Cats being cats I would probably de flea him and resign myself to the fact that he now lives with me.


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## WandaMare (25 April 2018)

Faracat said:



			You know that the cat has an owner (albeit one that isn't doing the best job) and you know where they are, so it is very wrong IMO to take the cat to an animal charity/rescue centre. I find it very sad that people on here are actually recommending something that is so immoral as it is essentially stealing the cat.
		
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I don't think anyone meant to steal the cat lol. I would only get a rescue organisation involved with her knowledge, they might be able to speak to the owner. Its not really fair on the OP to allow this situation to carry on.


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