Cat Flaps & a Cat Bandit

[Greedyfly]

Hello guys.

I have a kitty and he has a regular cat flap which he uses all day whilst we are at work and lets himself in and out as he pleases. The other day my O/H noticed another cat sticking his head through our flap and obviously my tom cat chased the intruder off. But the last couple of days I have come home to see kitties toys have been trashed (some literally shredded) and his food bowl licked clean. He gets fed regular and usually always has some left over when we get home. I am beginning to suspect that we have a cat bandit stealing his food?

How can I stop another cat coming in when my cat refuses to wear a collar (so cannot buy one of those fancy flaps that recognises your cat)? I have today spread some used cat litter out in our yard in a bid to scent the area with my toms scent. But I really don't want another cat in my house eating his food and trashing the place.

Any ideas?

Thanks GF x

[mike11111]

Were it not for the fact that I would arouse the wrath of cat lovers everywhere, I would have suggested putting it in a wheelie bin (p.s. I don't hate cats, in fact I'm partial to a bit pussy now and again).

[jaydah]

hide your pc else tom will fb all his friends over for an orgy while you're at work.

[Prudentia]

you need a sureflap, a micro chip reading catflap, try the sureflap website it will only allow your microchipped cat in. weve had one for two years or more it is brilliant, any problems please contact me. Prudentia xxx

[pussnboots]

I had this problem with next doors cat and it was a real bully. My own cat would hide whilst bully cat ate all the food (bully cat would even come in whilst I was in the house) Also it made no difference having a magnetic cat flap as it was easily accessed with a good thump from big bully cats head. I'm not a lot of help....am I? the only way to manage the situation is if you can witness it sometimes and squirt a water pistol at the intruder or perhaps leave some cat food outside, could be that it's a stray and just hungry. Good luck.

[Buenchico]

Here's the link for Prudentia's suggestion:
http://www.sureflap.co.uk/

My cat flap is open to all. There's currently one cat on my sofa and enough upstairs on my bed. Neither of them live here!

Chris

[Prudentia]

The sureflap is the ultimate answer, foolproof and once installed just replace the batteries when the flashing light tells you to. Prudentia xxx

[pussnboots]

That sureflap looks good, we've moved house now so don't have the same problem.....not yet anyway.

[wolf63]

Greedyfly - I can't help but laugh at your predicament and some of the answers.

I have two cats and they are threatened with a visit to the wheelie bin when they are bad. I see that the lady was fined £250 or so for her crime.

The microchip operated doors are great, well unless the cat burglar is a large cat - he would be able to simply ram through the door. A friend had this problem and she booby trapped the cat flat with a mountain of pots and pans that fell when he pushed through - this worked and he never came back.

Beunchico is bullied by his neighbour's cats. Imagine a adult human being bossed around by a small animal that weighs about 4 or 5 kg. I had better go, Frankie is rattling his biscuit bowl in a very impatient manner.

Susan

[mrs.chappie]

I like Susan's idea of putting a mountain of pots and pans in the intruder's path.

[karenmac60]

It happened to me once and once only. My petite but extremely feisty female cat battered hell out of the intruder and he never ventured back :)

[boxtops]

We regularly have battles royal through our catflap, often I come home to find the flap part up the garden.....

[LoftyLottie]

Years ago I was awoken by the sound of a cat screaming, rushed downstairs to find a ginger moggie stuck fast in the cat flap and unable to reverse out whilst my killer tabby was beating him up!! I set ginge free and he never returned.

[annie0000]

I have a sureflap as well, it's great one one cat in and out. Took her a while to get used to it as it makes quite a loud clicking noise and she had never used a flap before either. We did have one big moggie with his face pressed against the glass - he had a bit of a staring contest with my OH - he gave up and wandered off and haven't had any bother since. We have a steel skinned door, so we got the window fitting kit as well as the flap to ensure that it didn't interfere with the magnets and it has been fine.

[Barmaid]

I've given up. The ginger marauder from next door has completely buggered our cat flap so it is now just a hole (and an open invitation to any small furry creature). I can't booby trap it unless I can get my four in at night (I can normally do 3 at a push), but if I do get all four, my god, you've never seen anything like the trap I set. Pots, pans, the top of a metal laundry bin, a pan of water and still the little Sugar comes back. Twice I got up last night to throw the bugger out. And then today my girlie cat shat on the bed today cos she is too scared of him. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[annie0000]

Is it just a normal flap barmaid? Why dont you try decanting your cats for a night and then borrowing a big dog - that would give it a fright!

[RATTER15]

Greedy, wanna borrow a big dog? lol

[Barmaid]

It WAS a normal flap, but the bruiser from next door managed to break it into several small pieces so I just don't see the point in getting another one unless it is made from reinforced steel!!

Hmmmm, the dog idea sounds like a good one.

Mine are all in at the moment (can't you just tell the weather is cold?!) so I've barricaded it shut with two laundry bins and I can still hear the little sod trying to get in.

[Greedyfly]

Thanks for your answers guys. I just got home and found the kitty stuck in my house this evening as I had set the cat flap as usual to keep my kitty in after he came home. He is wearing a collar that says do not feed me I am on a special diet (yeah my food) but no contact details.I let him free. Think I shall be buying an id barrel tomorrow and if he come in again I shall be leaving a message on him for when he goes home. Greedy beggar.

[tigwig]

Thats quite ironic that the cat wears a collar saying do not feed me lol. I would attach a note saying "I can't help but feed your cat as he forces his way into my house and steals my cats food"! I bet his owners are having problems with him eating different foods, pay a fortune for his special diet and have no idea that he eats yours.

[Lardhelmet_2]

I've fitted management's flap so that he can go out but he can't come in (and neither can anyone else!) After bringing a live rat in (a prezzie for me so I'm told) and all the neighbourhood cats, I decided enough was enough!