Neighbour's Cat Won't Leave Us Alone!

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LilyandGeorge

LilyandGeorge

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I'm at my wit's end with our neighbour's cat. First, he started bothering the piggies in their outdoor run, stalking around and jumping on top, even with me there. Now I can never leave them unsupervised in the run, and they rarely can run free in the garden, even if I am there. I am nervous as he can appear any time. Then, this week, my son heard Lily screaming and went into the piggies' room (this time indoors) to find the cat actually sitting in their open c & c cage. I chased it out the house and soaked it with a water pistol! I straight away built a roof, so at least they are now safe. Now this evening, despite sitting here in this sweltering heat with the doors closed, the cat found its way in again - this time through an upstairs window. It took ages chasing it round to make it leave. Now I've had to close the windows as well. My neighbour says the cat won't let them put a collar on him. I wish he had a bell on him. It's starting to give me the creeps as I don't even know how long he's been in the house. Apart from barricading ourselves in, any tips on deterring him? So far, I spray him with water whenever he comes in the house or garden, but he doesn't seem to care! And am I right to be worried? Could a cat hurt a piggie? I saw him maim a poor lizard on our patio once.
 
Oh dear! Yes, he could certainly hurt (or even kill) the piggies if he is so inclined. We have neighbour cats who are very interested in the pigs but they don't come in the windows and a clap near their face worked very well to deter them. This cat seems a determined beast. The best way of getting rid of unwanted cats is probably to get your own (but that doesn't really solve the problems) I hope someone with cat experience comes along - until now, I've always had serious cat-chasing dogs with guineapigs so we've never had to worry about cats. :-(
 
lol! I love cats but you need to understand how cats work as they are sneaky characters.

You need to befriend the cat I'm afraid!

Once it sees your garden as part of its territory, it will go further afield. I cannot condone your use of the water pistol!

If you really don't like cats, please try a kinder method like orange peel.

If you plant some catmint in a specific area of your garden you might be able to encourage it to roll about in that.

but befriending the cat will be the quickest. cats seem to head for the gardens of folk that don't like them!
 
Ps is this an un neutered tom? Sorry i missed the bit about it being in your house and cage! Very cheeky!
 
I think he must be neutered as the same neighbour also has a very timid female cat. Initially, my kids were delighted that the cat came and played with him, so we did start with befriending, but he's got worse and worse. I've found him on my kitchen worktop, under our bed at bedtime, after locking up for the night, etc.! The thing is, I heard about citrus peel, but the very place he is currently pooing is - wait for it- under our lemon tree!
 
I think the main attraction is the piggies, he goes crazy for anything which smells of them - their laundry, poops on lawn, pet carrier. He only started coming in since they first went out on the lawn back in springtime
 
I'm sorry if you think a water pistol is out of order, one of the neighbours cats tried to get one of my previous piggies and would have caused it serious harm, I turned the hose pipe on high pressure and bowled it off it's feet before squirting it over the fence! It never came back in my garden ever again! It was killed a few weeks later by a car as it chased a smaller cat across the road trying to attack it! The same cat attacked our old cat, as a consequence of it attacking our cat, he got an infection which couldn't be cleared and he ended up being PTS, so as far as I'm concerned - good riddance! :twist:
 
That's terrible about the loss of your own cat, BossHogg, how sad. Even the cats protection website suggests using a water pistol, so I thought it should be ok. They didn't mention a high pressure hose though!
 
It was a serious threat that needed handling in a severe non lethal way. It shocked the cat and took the wind from it's sails. It made it think twice about coming in my garden again. Luckily my pigs are never allowed unsupervised access to the garden. I also have a guard bunny! Ronnie the lop doesn't like cats, he's a big lad and will protect his territory and his tribe. He chases cats and birds out of the garden! :))
 
I suppose the cats protection website is being realistic and suggesting something that won't harm the cat physically - like a lot of dog trainers will advocate squirting water in dogs' faces as a training method. i can understand @BossHogg s frustration with that particular cat and i must admit when we had a problem with a neighbour's barking dog, my stress levels rose so high, i could have cheerfully strangled it (though of course in rational mind, i knew full well the owners were to blame)

what about stringing some broken bits of cd above your run. Cats hate reflective things. am i right in thinking lily is your young daughter?

My guess is if you could teach her to befriend the cat, it'll be off like a shot! Especially if she's under 5! I spent a good part of my childhood trying to befriend other people's cats and they mostly shot off! at least it won't be spraying in your house if it's neutered.

that's a small comfort!
 
Lily is one of the piggies, lol! She was making that terrified screaming/squealing sound, probably the way I described it, it makes it sound like a human. I know what you mean, a toddler would be a perfect deterrent, unfortunately kids are a bit older. I could try the cds idea though for the outside run.

I love the sound of Ronnie the lop too! And I have to say also the hose, certainly in that situation!
 
What a nightmare! I am an animal lover, and i would have done something similar to you with the water. Not as a training method for dogs, but spraying water as a deterant- yes! You needed an instant deterrant, which that was. I dont think i have any advice for a long term deterant as i've never had this problem, may be something a vet could advise you on? They should understand cats behaviours and what will keep them away. Is there a way you could have your windows on a latch type thing- open an inch or two to let air in but it cant be prised open from the outside?

I feel for you, must be horrible to feel like your piggies arent safe in your own home! Hope you come up with something soon x
 
Here in the US we have little motion sensors you can buy that spray a puff of air, which is harmless but cats tend to hate. You try smthn like that in a cage or outdoor run
 
LilyandGeorge said:
Lily is one of the piggies, lol! She was making that terrified screaming/squealing sound, probably the way I described it, it makes it sound like a human. I know what you mean, a toddler would be a perfect deterrent, unfortunately kids are a bit older. I could try the cds idea though for the outside run.

I love the sound of Ronnie the lop too! And I have to say also the hose, certainly in that situation!
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Oh! I was imagining lily as a young child! That puts a whole different slant on the story!
Hmmm. It sounds like it's making itself quite at home at yours which means your house is more appealing to it than your neighbour's.

As you say, the pigs themselves and their comfortable abode could be the attraction. Cats generally like to be undisturbed when they are stalking prey or sleeping which is why a noisy toddler is a good deterrent!

Maybe have a radio going near the pigs and keeping them in a high traffic area of your home if they're not already.


I think as ive had cats my whole life since babyhood, they are imprinted on my brain as adorable!

Our current cat is nicknamed murderclaw and she lies on my daughter's bed with her yellow eyes looking really full of murderous intent as she sharpens her talons but i can't see anything but cuteness!

She never goes near the pigs though.

I have a lid on my cage and would never trust her or my dog. But I'm pretty sure she sees them in her territory and has accepted them whereas she would go for pigs outwith her territory.


That was my idea in saying befriend this pesky cat that's being a nuisance. I know it works if you have a cat fouling in your garden as cats rarely foul their own territories.
 
Our old 3 legged moggy was absolutely fantastic with the pigs and rabbits, he just lay there and let them jump all over him. His presence used to deter the majority of other cats and birds from the garden.
 
What about putting a type of net on the windows? You can get insect nets but you'd have to secure it well. Just an idea. Is there some sort of deterrent like a spray that could be used (not on the cat lol)?
 
I love cats, I hate the ones that want to harm my piggies and rabbits! I will defend them in whatever way I can! :twist: The next door neighbours little she cat comes to us to get fed, she eats in the kitchen stays for a while and goes back over the fence, we used to feed her by the back step but Ronnie bun kept head butting her, she's absolutely terrified of him!
 
Yes, it's not that I dislike cats, it's just that I don't really want one creeping around my house at night or scaring my piggies! I like the netting idea, that could work well, I will try to fashion something.
 
:D That is a damned determined cat to get in by an upstairs window! I agree with the radio idea, as cats have very sensitive hearing. A noisy radio might put him off coming near. I squirt water at the cats that come in my garden when the piggies are out. It does them no harm.
 
Cats will not try to jump over or into something if the tops of the fence is at a 45 degree angle. I had a vet who had to suggest this to an owner whos cat kept doing the same to their neighbor.
Catproof Your Yard
I am really upset at the cat's owner for not stepping up and trying to make changes towards fixing the issue for you!
 
That fence thing looks great! If they aren't wiling to put that up, I'd say topping your fences & maybe window ledges with some thing the cat won't want to tred on would be a place to start. I think you can get hard rubber spike/nodules strips that won't harm, but are uncomfortable on their paws.

Also not adverse to a soaking !
 
The fence/window ledge idea is also good. I'm trying to find a use for a roll of chickenwire I bought, but it's quite difficult to work with. Think I might need that plastic netting.
 
Have a look at pet corrector spray- let's out a high pressure hiss, usually sold for dog training. We tried it for a crazy terrior we had but found is scared the living day lights out of our cat! We're currently under attack from next doors ginger tom who's taking no notice of out cat or dog & keeps eyeing up the pigs.
 
How awful! I have a cat, love her but don't like other cats XD We used to have them come in and eat my cats food but now we have a microchip bowl that they can't get into so they don't bother. Before that, nothing else worked to deter it. Found it in my bedroom once, my poor cat was scared and swearing at it. I soon chased it out (sounds mean, but I don't need cats fighting on me while I sleep, it's happened before) making evil, possessed sounds to deter it from coming upstairs again. It never did, I'm not a nice person when woken up at 3am! I almost felt sorry for it XD

I don't agree with befriending it tbh, if they have a reason to be in there then it will be (like food, cuddles and prey), maybe you'll have to persist with watering it and hiss at it in a language it understands so it knows that it's not welcome. I know it sounds mean, but it's got to learn that it's not in charge. Or get a tom cat haha.

I hope you, your family and poor piggies get it sorted out soon. It's horrible having an intruder in your home, be it human or animal.
 
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