Cat Middening

[Barmaid]

Right, I am bang out of ideas. My 9 yo spayed female has taken to doing her business on the bed, in the middle of the night whilst we are still in it. This morning at least she didnt do it on the bed, she did it next to the bed and I trod in it. (Dont even go there, I still feel sick).

She went through a period of doing this before and Aunty Vet could find nothing wrong with her.

We *think* the problem is next door's cat. He is a bully and a bruiser and comes in through our flap at night (even if we remove uneaten food he still comes in). I slept in the spare bed a few weeks back and woke up to find him on my chest. He systematically seeks her out and beats her up. My boy cats are all wimps and just ignore him.

When we have more significant funds we are getting a microchip flap. Any ideas as to what we do until that happy event? (Apart from sitting up all night with a water pistol?!)

The two ideas I have so far is to confine her to a room (with food and a bed and a litter tray) at night so she can feel safe - although she tends to feel safest with us.

The other is that we lock our flap at nights so wherever our cats are at "locking up" time, they have to stay that way. That feels a bit unfair.

Any other bright ideas? I cant cope with cat *** on the bed at 4am...... (and I'm sure Binnie is equally as fed up).

[B00]

I'd have to go down the blocking the cat flap route.

As unfair as it may seem to lock your cats out if they're already there, im afraid even as an animal lover, that's more preferable to sleeping with cat crap!

Good luck :-)

[ladybirder]

Could your funds run to the flap that is triggered by a magnet around cat's neck which you can set to close at night whereby cats can come in, but once in, can't get out again? Your cats can then come in at what time they want but the intruder won't have a magnet so can't get in. I had to do that to stop the same thing happening to mine many years ago. While that bully's getting in you ain't gonna solve it the little so and so. Don't you just love 'em!

[Barmaid]

Sadly Ladybirder, next door's cat wears a magnet so that's why it needs to be a microchip flap. Plus I cant actually get Binnie to wear a collar. And ASBO would probably hang himself.

[Sqad]

\\\The other is that we lock our flap at nights so wherever our cats are at "locking up" time, they have to stay that way. That feels a bit unfair. \\

So which do you want....cat crap+smell in your house or temporarily disgruntled cats?

I know which i would choice.

The bruiser next door, can't he be discouraged with a dousing of water from a hose pipe?

[mazie]

How well do you get on with the cat's owners BM? Could you ask them to keep him in at night?

[Barmaid]

I've tried the hosepipe, Sqad. I used to keep a water spray by the back door and deliver a squirt to him the minute I saw him. At one point it became a battle of wits. Unfortunately, he won cos he just used to wait until I was in bed and come in anyway.

Fair point Mazie - I think they have tried that though cos I have dropped big enough hints. Trouble is he's a devious bugger and hides so he is out when they go to bed.

[mazie]

Maybe if they knew how much it's upsetting your cat and what she's doing in your bed they may make more of an effort.. I know I would (poor little Binnie x)

[furrypusscat]

I always got my cat in before dark and he was quite happy to stay until morning. Hours of darkness he was in. He had a litter tray but rarely needed it. All my cats have been the same. I think it is what they get used to. Maybe yours have got used to going out and probably too late to change their ways.

[Prudie]

Without a doubt I'd lock the cat flap at night, don't really see it as unfair. I never let my cats go out overnight, I'd worry too much. Alternatively I'd tackle the bruiser next door, you could sit up one night with a well aimed water pistol (and maybe the hoover,) at the cat flap - if he comes in then one hefty squirt and some noise might frighten him to death.

[andy-hughes]

It's a tough one.

Obviously your cat is reacting to the bullying and invasion by marking her own territory in this way - but it's a vicious circle that must be broken.

I would go for a locked flap - it may only need to be for a few days, the bully-cat will probably stop trying to get in and go elsewhere to establish his territorial rights.

[wolf63]

I think that the microchip cat flap is a good idea. I had a friend who had to resort to doing this. Alas the bruiser of a tom was able to ram in and through the flap. She rigged the flap with lots of noisy stuff (pots and pans mainly) so that he got a shock when he tried to get through.

I found this information - see if there is something that you hadn't thought of http://www.icatcare.org/advice/problem-behaviour/soiling-indoors

[anneasquith]

lock the flap...............keep the thug out.

[bunkmoreland]

your poor wee cat is terrified,imagine feeling like that! You MUST keep that bully out of her home to make her feel safe and therefore not poo etc near you,where she feels safer. The other cats will cope in the meantime,but,that flap has to be shut. Our female cat had a male bully,but,she gained confidence and could even fight back,once she understood the safety of her own home. She always saw him off outside afterwards! It was her own territory she was defending,NOT HIS!

[cupid04]

Tell your neighbours to keep bruiser in or else:-)

[tamborine]

Middening is dominence & you are cats choice to dominate. Deter it by restricting its access to you. Have you a loo with outside access or porch it can occupy?

[AndiFlatland]

2 further possibilities:

First, could you smother all the possible entry points of the intruder cat - fences, walls, ground-level gaps, etc - to your property with pepper, especially cayenne pepper? Of course, with the way the weather is, this could get washed off very quickly, but if a cat gets cayenne pepper on its paws, it'll hate it and maybe not come near again.

Second - and this is probably not a great solution, but... any chance of getting a small dog, such as a terrier, to add to your retinue? It will not please the cats at first, but they could probably learn to get along together. Arrange with the cat's owner to give you a small piece of cloth that the cat has slept on, and let the dog get the scent in its head. Then give the dog its own basket, and station it right next to the cat flap. The dog, if it's reasonably intelligent, will learn to recognise the cats that belong there, and let them pass unchallenged, but be very aggressive to the one that doesn't. If that cat knows that there's a hostile dog just inside the cat flap, it'll think carefully before attempting entry.