Intruder!

[Leopardspot]

The cat flap we have is currently broken so we can't lock it at all and another cat is coming in on a night and eating all poor little Tigger's food. As a result Tigger is absolutely petrified (he's such a wuss), his personality has changed, he's no longer affectionate and he's permanently on edge. I've just managed to find a cat flap on the internet that fits the old ones dimensions and ordered it so as soon as it arrives, its getting fitted so I can lock the other cat in the house. Thats my question - what can I do frighten it not to come back? Its not a stray it belongs to some people at the top end of the village otherwise I would have caught it and taken it to the cat shelter where we got Tigger from. I was thinking of chucking a pan of cold water on it to give it a fright - I would never hurt it just need to frighten the cheeky thing! Those infra red collars and cat flaps are out of the question as I don't really want a collar on him in case he gets trapped somewhere. Any suggestions welcome! Thanks

[LoftyLottie]

Well this won't probably help, but we awoke one morning to lots of caterwalling. Rushing downstairs we found our cat boxing the ears of a ginger intruder who had tried to get through the cat flap and was totally stuck. We freed Ginger and he never tried it again.

But, as Tigger is a wuss, I doubt he will agree to this plan!!

[aka pixi]

Have you thought of filling a watersquirt gun (not the highpowered ones) or a squirty bottle with water and spraying the cat when it comes in the garden? It wont hurt it and after 2 or 3 times the cat should get the message. We get lots of cats in our garden and most of the time we dont mind but the ones that cause damage or spray all over get the bottle lol

[tiggerblue10]

I had the same problem with my 2 girls. My Tigger is a complete wuss and Bluey is a bit more aggressive. I've tried the infra-red and magnet catflaps and the always either break or Blue manages to break her collar.

I to have been woken in the middle of the night by the horrific screeching. I reckon it was a fox though.

[Leopardspot]

The last cat we had would have beaten the intruder up - once he'd been in a fight and had hurt his paw so my mam took him to the vets only to bump into the lady across the road with her cat cos her cat had had his tongue shredded - turned out our cat had shredded the neighbours cat's tongue and as a result he'd been bitten on the paw! The other one ended up needing an operation the poor thing so think our cat came off best!

The difference between our old cat and new cat in terms of bravery is at different ends of the scale - poor Tigger saw the intruder through the window the other day and ran upstairs going round the dining room table sideways he was going that fast!

The intruder seems to come in between 4am - 7am on a morning so realistically I can't be sat with a water gun on guard! I think I'm just going to have to douse it with a pan of water - I'm going to feel guilty even doing that - but it really is affecting my poor Tigger I'll have to get on with it. Was also thinking of putting something on Tigger's food to put it off - perhaps pepper or something?

[rosiewesti]

Childs water pistol works a treat! My vet told me to do this (I have 2 cats) as cats were coming into my garden and catching the birds at the birdtable also coming in at night thru the catflap - so when we go to bed now, we make sure the cats are in and simply put a large bag of cat litter or anything else solid in front of the catflap.

Have you mentioned this cat's antics to the owner?

[LoftyLottie]

Could you feed Tigger somewhere else in a different room until the new cat flap is fixed?

[LoftyLottie]

Our cat flap has a three way locking device. You can lock cats out, lock them in or both - so once the cat is inside at night no other cats can get in if the third option is chosen.

[Leopardspot]

I've moved out from home but had to leave Tigger behind cos where I moved to was on a dual carriageway and I'd worry too much and plus he's absolutely ruined where he's at with hundreds of fields to explore so thought it would be unfair to move him. If I'm stopping at home then I let the cat stop with me but if not then he's locked out of the main part of the house (my mam's got a thing about him crawling all over the kitchen benches!). So on a night he's in the utility with a bed on the radiator and access to the back door where the cat flap is, all his food is in there on a night we have tried removing all his food and only feeding him in the kitchen but he's famished on a morning cos he can't get to food during the night and we know for a fact that the intruder is still poking his nose in when there's no food there!
With regards to mentioning it to the intruders owners - they are not the most friendliest of people and I suppose that it would be impossible for them to keep their cat in all the time for my Tigger's benefit!

[peb9]

get a dog wi huge gnashers lol

[persianlady]

Could you not keep Tigger in at night? Block up the old broken catflap till you get the new one. Leave his food and a litter tray in the utility. That way he has everything he needs till the morning.

[Seafarer1966]

I had the same problem a few years when a big fat tom was getting in to try and ravish our beautiful lady cat, Phoebe. Twice I caught him in our hall pinning her down and each time he ran off without me catching him. Our cat flap was one of those Fretwell magnet ones where our cat had a magnet on her collar. The problem was that jumbo-nuts was so strong he could head butt his way through the flap door.

I saw him rolling on our patio in the sunlight one day and loaded my old .22 air gun with peppercorns and blatted his bit fat backside. I've never seen a cat move so fast down the garden. I mean he was bionic...taking the six foot gate with a running jump. He never came back.

[markja]

we had a tom peeing every where and only cured it by putting the cat flap on 'in, but not out' shut all the doors and went out for the afternoon. when i got home 'piddles' was in.i got a rolled up newspaper , blocked off the front door and chased the git up and down the stairs whacking it for about a minute before letting it out. it did no harm to the cat but it never came near after that. and before you all moan, i'd tried loads of other methods to stop it but none worked.

[Kleiber]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with this problem! Seafarer - I think "Jumbo nuts" lives near me!! The little old lady down the hill from me took pity on a poor, starving ginger kitten about 3 years ago (he was so hungry, he was scavenging the lambs' tails when they were docked). She took him in and looked after him, but unfortunately never had him neutered. I got so fed up with him breaking in through my locked cat flap when he grew up, beating up my cats and spraying all over the place. He must stay out at night, whereas my lot are always indoors, because we only ever see him late at night or early in the morning. He got a nasty shock once, though, when he chased one of my old girls in (she'd only popped out the back for a quick pee!) and was confronted by Elsa - large, hairy German Shepherd, who adores her own cats, but isn't over keen on interlopers! She didn't hurt him (I think she was more surprised than he was!), but the cat flap was locked to "in only" and he was doing a great impression of Garfield, trying to get out...!! He crashed his way out in the end, before I could help. I thought it would teach him a lesson, but no - he still comes over here, although he hasn't been in the house since.

[wolf63]

Kleiber pmsl. I hink that you should get two bricks and ....... well I am sure you know the rest of that.