The neighbour's cat

[mani]

My friend does not have a cat at the moment, although she adores them.  However she is consantly visited by a neighbour's cat.

This cat started coming over to her house from the moment she moved there, about five years ago.  Trouble is he's really aggressive.  He will rub up against her and purr madly, but will then attack her for no reason.

Yesterday she was walking back to the house and he was walking alongside her (he is desperate to come inside, but isn't allowed).  She turned to him and said, quite gently "you know you're not allowed inside the house" and he immediately lunged for her ankle, biting her quite badly.  She was hurt, but also stunned/amused as she felt it was obvious he knew what she was saying.

I'm wondering if the previous owners let him in, or whether he is just desperate to extend his territory.  He looks well-nourished.  My friend will not approach the owners as they are not very friendly.

She's unsure whether he is around at night, but he is there very early in the mornings and comes around a lot during the day.

Any ideas how to deal with this?  My friend can only wear long, heavy pants outside now, and it's wearing a bit thin as summer approaches.

 

[frappe]

Does she want him to stay off her property? Or is she trying to stop his aggression? If the former, then I know my parents were having a problem with the neighbors cats coming and "attacking" their cats through the windows. It was really stressing out their indoor cats so they purchased motion activated sprinklers and have not seen the cats since. No stress for them, their cats, and minimal stress on the neighbor's cats.

They said the sprinklers just hook up to a water hose and there is a sensor on it that goes off at any movement. If they are doing yard work though, they have to turn them off so they don't get soaked.

 

[mani]

Does she want him to stay off her property? Or is she trying to stop his aggression? If the former, then I know my parents were having a problem with the neighbors cats coming and "attacking" their cats through the windows. It was really stressing out their indoor cats so they purchased motion activated sprinklers and have not seen the cats since. No stress for them, their cats, and minimal stress on the neighbor's cats.

They said the sprinklers just hook up to a water hose and there is a sensor on it that goes off at any movement. If they are doing yard work though, they have to turn them off so they don't get soaked.

She's happy for him to visit.  She just doesn't want to get wounded all the time...

There is no way we can use that kind of sprinkler system here.. we don't even have sprinklers here (unless attached to a water tank) due to water restrictions. 

It's really about the behaviour of the cat.

 

[mani]

No other suggestions?

 

[faustandfigaro]

There are products you can spray that are not pleasant for the cats to smell: she should spray that around the house & garden, so the cat would not visit anymore. From what you describe, I don't think she can/should accept the cat around her at all ! I'm sure the poor thing is only trying to find a new home (may be not happy with his owners ?), but no-one should accept that sort of behavior.

 

[sivyaleah]

We have a similar situation with our neighbors cat, which I've written about.

In regards to those sprays, "Invisible Fence" I think?  Be forewarned that the stench is truly awful, will cling to you skin if it's a bit breezy out when you apply it, and potentially waft into your home as well.  I tried using it and the inside of my house smelled like a combination of skunk cabbage and cayenne pepper for nearly a week. 

I don't know if it kept the other cat away all that much, but it sure kept my poor cat away from the back door where he likes to lounge in the pools of sunlight.  I didn't want HIM to be punished, I wanted the other cat to be the one to suffer the consequences!  

Plus, once it rains, you have to reapply it, so if it does the day after, you're up the creek and wasted the money.  And it wasn't cheap either.

I don't recommend it at all.  

 

[mani]

Thanks for your replies.

There is no way my friend will spray stuff round her garden... it's just not her style.

I think she was hoping of finding more behavioural responses to the cat... how to make him realise it's her territory and to cut the aggressive responses.  But that's probably a big ask.

Maybe if she practices her hissing technique