Marauding cat

[Barmaid]

Well I think we've reached the end of the line. We fitted a new flap - it took a couple of weeks for the bruiser next door to break it.

We've replaced the hall carpet with lino because he had ruined it by spraying.

We barricade our cats in at night, but we get up in the morning and the barricade is destroyed and ours are stressed.

One of the cats has taken to living on the microwave and will only come down if I am there. One has taken to crapping in our bathroom cos she is so stressed. One of our boy cats will only go in and out through the kitchen window.

To top it all, my BF is decorating, when he went to prepare the doors, he realised they were damp and absolutely stank of cat pee (we had been wondering how our dining room stinks of cat pee when we keep the cats out of there). Now we have to replace two doors. None of our cats spray (well that we know of) and I have caught the marauder peeing up the front door before. I am convinced it is him.

The neighbours couldn't give a flying fluff. I was in tears this morning at the state of one of my cats who is just so worked up (and she has a dodgy heart so she could do with being kept calm).

The choice it seems now is that we rehome our own cats and don't have a flap because whatever we do the Marauder from next door always gets round it and just upsets ours.

Any suggestions? I hate seeing ours so unhappy. And I bloody well hate the stink of tom cats piddle.

[LoftyLottie]

Barmaid. Is a cat flap really essentia?. Our cat goes in and out by asking at the door (well actually shouting!) and is inside when we go out. I have kept lots of cats this way and they really do learn to know when they can go out and when they cant. It saves an awful lot of hassle. Your cats will be calm, your home will be safe and you can relax again. You can't go on like this.

[LoftyLottie]

Cat litter tray will obviously be essential though.

A better option than rehoming in my opinion. I know how much you love your cats and they are obviously happy with you.

[marval]

Try this, that will get rid of that pesky cat for ever.

http://catrecipes.com/recipes/braisedcat.html

[McMouse]

Marvels recipe is ok but a touch of crushed ginger will really make it zing.

[LoftyLottie]

You could feed it to your cats China - sweet revenge for them!

[Barmaid]

Yes Lofty, I think that may be worth a go. We can tape the flap up and see how ours get on with asking to go in and out. I know one of the girl cats will be OK with that because I have done that before with her. The youngest male (ASBO) has always had a flap though so he might be more difficult. Tbh, none of them actually want to go out much at the moment because the weather is so foul. Lazy toe rags!!!

lol Marval. You have no idea how tempting that is. I do actually feel quite sorry for the bruiser though because no one seems to care about him. If my own cats weren't so scared of him, I'd offer him a home here.

[greenrook]

I'd suggest getting a dog, but that would probably frighten your cats as much as it would the bugger next door. You can buy lion dung also, they market it as 'Silent Roar', but again, your cats might be as affected by it as the target cat. I've read that cat owners can't be held responsible for their pet's depredations, but common law states that you are entitled to 'the quiet enjoyment ' of your home. I'm sure there must be some sort of legal remedy. Have you tried CAB, or the Council? Or get a Fixed Fee interview with a participating solicitor under the Legal Aid system. They charge you 5 or 10 quid for a half hour interview, so it's best to write the facts down and give them to the solicitor at the interview, to save time. Don't give up, you're not on your own. -G-

[LoftyLottie]

Good time to start the new routine Barmaid as they are not going out much. Get them sorted before the good weather starts.

My cat put her feet outside the door on Sunday for the first time in weeks - one foot in the snow and I have never seen her run back in so quickly.

Persevere, I promise it will work. He might protest initially, but they settle down. (That is the cat, not Mr Barmaid!!)

[LoftyLottie]

Greenrook, I think Barmaid might well be a solicitor/barrister herself! ;o)

[wolf63]

My friend had a cat who charged through her cat flap and night and ate her own cat's food. They booby trapped the cat flap with post and pans and other really noisy stuff - when he burst through the locked cat flap he set off the trap. It took a couple of time but he stopped dropping by for a feed.

Cats are so easily freaked out when other cats come onto their territory - I just can't imagine when a cat-burglar does to them. Your own cats might be so freaked out that they are spraying in the house.

It is a cat-eat-cat world out there - might have a look at some of the recipes later.

[LoftyLottie]

Reminds me Wolf. Years ago we did have a cat flap. One morning we were awakened by a dreadful noise downstairs and came down to find the head and shoulders of a large ginger cat stuck through the cat flap and our bovver boy tabby giving him one hell of a beating. The ginge was firmly stuck and couldn't retreat. We did rescue him and he never came back!

[jheppy]

When I had a cat she just used to jump on the window sill outside and howl until I let her back in. Also can you not get those magnetic cat flaps that will only let your cats through if they're wearing the magnetic collars?

[Vagrant]

How about something like this?


http://www.microchipcatflaps.co.uk/

[tamborine]

Trap the marauder - secrete it away afar.....

[Barmaid]

lol - glad its not just me. Thanks in particular to Lofty who gives good advice and makes me laugh to boot. Greenrook, there is no legal answer (unfortunately). I can honestly say I am considering less legal ones though!!!!

I have been waging a war of attrition on him. Everytime I hear the flap go I grab a spray bottle which I have filled with water and lemon juice and give him a squirt. So far it hasn't worked. I've also been lucky not to have got one of mine (sometimes I've been somewhat the worse for booze and its been dark)!!!!

[LoftyLottie]

Thanks Barmaid.

I just posted this on another thread by mistake. And it was quite a serious thread :o(

"Trouble is most cat flaps even lockable ones and ones t hat work on microchips, magnets etc. cat all be broken by really strong and determined cats. My son has had to devise his own reinforced cat flat to stop his own cat getting out when the flat is locked. She literally battered the door down. "

[wolf63]

It was a micro-chip cat flap that my friend had and the thug still managed to ram through it even when it was locked.

Lottie - there was a story in our local Cat's Protection newslitter a while back similar to your ginger burglar. It was about a multi-cat family, one of the cats was a dustbin on legs and was too fat to use the normal cat flap. But one morning they found him in the kitchen eating, or trying to eat, breakfast with the cat flap stuck around his middle.

Cats are such complicated little animals Good luck Barmaid.

[LoftyLottie]

LOL Wolf :o)

[Barmaid]

lol Lofty, I saw and I did laugh.

That is exactly the problem. We had a new lockable flap and he just head butted it until it broke. I am grateful to jheppy and vagrant for their suggestion but until we have solved the problem (the BF has just agreed to try duck taping it up and letting ours in and out on demand) I think it will just cost us a load of money.

Tambourine, you have no idea how tempting your suggestion is. Although in fairness I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

[Barmaid]

lol Wolf. I have suggested feeding him and feeding him until he is too fat to get through.