Stray tom cat - advice please

[felix24 10]

Hi everyone

Next dilemma

 

For the past few weeks a black and white tom has been visiting. He's approachable, no collar, and I did stroke him the first time I saw him so he's friendly - fairly clean - I do think someone near me owns him - however, he's recently started coming in through our cat flap - he's eating and drinking everything that I've put down for my cats - and worse, he's not been castrated - and he's peeing everywhere, it absolutely stinks - so I'm now locking my two cats in the kitchen at night, but feel awful because they've always had their beds in the room.

 

On the odd occasion I've left them in the room, when I come home it stinks in there too - so there I am, flash wipes in hand, on my knees hunting for the spray - it's usually on the side of the sofa which is ok as it's leather, it wipes off, but he must have also done it on the carpet somewhere in the kitchen and I cannot get rid of the awful smell.

 

I have put notices up on lamp posts today, to see if the owner will kindly have him neutered - or at least feed the poor thing...there's no reason for him to come here my last remaining female cat (rip xx) was spayed, and my two other cats are neutered toms - if he's just coming for food, then why is he spraying?

 

It's driving me mad - I don't know what to do to get rid - I've thrown water at him, chased him off endless times - I can even smell him outside the door this afternoon he was laid sunbathing on the front step!

 

I can set my cat flap to in only/ out only or locked but that's unfair on my cats. We did have a magnetic one before but the boys lost the magnets within a fortnight, so that was pointless.

 

Am I within my rights to take him to the animal sanctuary if it persists? can't go on like this ....

 

thanks

H

x

[midgecat 10]

you might want check out pet porte and sure flap - they open on signal from micro chip so you can set it just to let your own cats in. i have one of each and they work very well.

[thursday 10]

You could put a collar on him, with a note asking the owner to contact you.

[vwkittie 10]

We had this exact problem - whole black and white tom cat coming into our house. However this tom cat is not at all friendly and was also attacking my cats (leading to a £40 vet trip for my tom and my girl cat getting so scared she wee'd herself on our bed ).

 

Problem solved by installing a Pet Porte cat flap. They work by scanning the microchip in your cats and only allowing them in. It is not a cheap cat flap by any means but over the time we've had ours it's easily paid for itself in cat food saved!

 

The tom doesn't hang round much any more as he knows there's no food available here any more.

 

We had some difficulties with the flap at first - my girl cat is stumpy-legged and shy so she wasn't activating the sensor properly as she was too short and kept approaching it from the side. We just had to build a bit of a step for her and used some bricks either side to funnel her in the correct way!

 

Now the cats seem to understand that they have to make the flap beep before they can get in.

 

It does all sorts of other stuff too like in-only, day/night sensor etc but we don't actually use those functions.

[Hanksy 10]

Which are you in?

[felix24 10]

hi - sorry been away.

 

Area is Kiveton Park

 

last night the bloody thing came in and ate half a coffee and walnut cake!!!! it's constantly tipping the bin over and eating the contents - my cats aren't micro-chipped so that cat flap, as brill as it sounds, wouldn't work.

 

I've phoned the RSPCA, they can only send someone out if its hurt or ill - I've now taken to locking my cat door to out only, so my poor cats can get out for the loo but cant get back in if no-one's home

 

i've just emailed Thornbury to see if they could take it in - I do feel for it, it's obviously starving. but I've got enough on, and apart from that it's frightening my cats, one of whom is 16!

[FallenAngel6 10]

See i am always worried about someone taking my cat thinking that he is being starved cause hes a little underweight at the moment. George has no collar and he is constantly craving food, we have just had a battle with worms and finally found some that will work on him (expensive but worth it) I would have to feed him three times a day and still he would beg for food so please dont think automatically he is a stray, is there anyone in the area that has cats? Could you not just wait a day or two to see if someone contacts before taking him to a rescue.

[vwkittie 10]

I think you can get microchipping done for as little as £10 as well, if you decided to go that way.

[FallenAngel6 10]

I know theres someone on here who i will be using to come chip my two kitties. Maybe he'll post on this thread cause i cant remember the name :/

[teeny 10]

The cat flap is operated by a magnetic collar not a chip! Please make sure nobody owns this cat before causing someone who may own him alot of pain of a lost cat!

also why not pop to vets to see if he is chipped or if he is a lost cat his owner would be grateful to have him back.

[vwkittie 10]

The cat flap is operated by a magnetic collar not a chip! Please make sure nobody owns this cat before causing someone who may own him alot of pain of a lost cat!

also why not pop to vets to see if he is chipped or if he is a lost cat his owner would be grateful to have him back.

 

I think the OP said they'd tried a magnetic type cat flap but the cats lost the dongles that make it work, that's why a flap operated by a chip is much better.

 

Edit - also the magnetic ones are easier for foreign cats to get in anyways - my next door neighbours cat sits inside the house next to the flap which makes the flap in the open state, so my cat walks into their house!

[felix24 10]

As I said magnetic collars are no good to my cats as they are out a lot, and lost their last ones within two or three days.

 

I wouldn't pay to have a cat chipped - I found a cat on the road in Killamarsh a few months ago, phoned the emergency vet and he discovered that unfortunately it had broken it's back - and yes it was chipped - so he phoned the owner, a woman in Scotland answered - said no that's not my cat my cat's sat here with me - so someone somewhere has made a huge ****-up with the inputting of chip and phone numbers! meaning that poor cat had to be put to sleep and it's owner will NEVER know.

 

If I take it to the sanctuary it's at least going to get neutered, fed, and kept warm which is more than it's been getting for the last month!

 

I can't believe someone thinks I'm being cruel for wanting to do that ..... it's making my life and my cat's lifes a misery! and yes I have put posters up - not one phone call, so I'm hardly not trying!! but thanks everyone lol xx