How to manage a new cat on the block

dougpeg

dougpeg

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A new cat has appeared and is hanging around my driveway, even sitting on the front door mat. He / she looks well looked after and is a pedigree so pretty sure it has a home. Problem is it's terrorising my cat (male neutered) to the point I'm finding clumps of my cat's hair outside. My cat doesn't stray from the driveway and is quite upset about the intruder 🫣. I've tried chasing the cat away but it comes back as soon I come inside. Its getting bolder and bolder and will stare at mine through the window. I guess cats will be cats but I feel sorry for mine who is now spending more time inside. Any tips to dislodge the unwelcome visitor?
 
I've recently read some upsetting tales of cats missing from home for several years but fed by someone somewhere who then eg died the cat finally gets scanned for a microchip. One was very matted with rotten teeth but fed occasionally by someone. When the rescue heard about the cat they caught it and scanned it and found the owner. The 'feeder' lived only a few hundred yards from a vet but didn't think to get the cat scanned. The cat had been missing for 7 years. Only a few days ago the same rescue were contacted about a stray that turned up at a school. Scanned, micro chipped and owner found. She'd been missing for 2.5 years and the owner had dine everything possible to find her. A visit to the vet showed 'she had dreadful kidney failure and was in significant pain. There were no options'

So just in case your recent arrival is a missing pet start with a paper collar asking the owner to contact you. Hopefully it's owned and then you can deal with keeping it away from your place. But if the paper collar doesn't get a response capture the cat and take it to a vet or a rescue and ask for it to be scanned. It might just be someone's missing pet. Even pedigrees go missing eg stolen then dumped.
 
We've had this scenario for about 10 years. Neighbour's cat was desperate to move in and came inside regularly, but was never fed by us (and we don't leave food down). He would take naps upstairs, do 'nip behind the sofa with our own cats. All very sweet until he suddenly started to attack them. We had to put in a chip activated flap and keep windows on secure catches if we opened any (still do!). When one of ours died, the other lost so much confidence she mostly only went out when I did. When she got older I had to escort her to see the chickens and make sure he didn't try anything, as she was pretty blind. We never did resolve it. When she passed away this year, we got three boys at once from a rescue and they've well and truly put him in his place. We still have the occasional spat, but his nose is well and truly out of joint and it's hard to feel sorry for him.

Sorry, not very constructive. You could paper collar the cat, but not sure what else you can do. Water pistol will just make them fear you, it won't stop them attacking your cat. Definitely get a chip cat flap, too.
 
Thanks all. I don't think he or she is interested in food or my home. They just seem to enjoy displacing my cat from his territory and sparring with him. I'll try the collar and water pistol route.
 
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