So sad for my cat

[alisonandarchie]

[quote author=Millys Mum link=topic=11288.msg191045#msg191045 date=1200512730

Until you have a intruder wearing a magnet   

What a cheek some of these intruders have

[Millys Mum]

I know it would be an expense but it might be best to change your cat flap to an electronic one., as mentioned by Hippykitty. The latest ones have a tiny attachment you put on their collars. Pets At Home have a good selection. Wishing you the best of luck

Until you have a intruder wearing a magnet   

Best flap is a petporte that reads microchips so no one can gain access unless you program them in 

[alisonandarchie]

I know it would be an expense but it might be best to change your cat flap to an electronic one., as mentioned by Hippykitty. The latest ones have a tiny attachment you put on their collars. Pets At Home have a good selection. Wishing you the best of luck

[Hippykitty]

I think it's bleach that you shouldn't use to clean cat pee because it contain ammonia  and smells very much like cat pee to a cat. Also avoid all household disinfectants which contain phenols, which are HIGHLY toxic to cats. Biological washing powder dissolved in hot water is good at getting rid of the smell of cat pee.

I don't know how other peeps feel about electronic cat flaps. My only reservation is the collar, but maybe they've developed a little since I last checked. I think it's possible to link the electronic code to a microchip rather than that enormous collar attachment. This would help allow only your cats to use the flap.

[Beanie]

Well as a cat lover there are two main things to address:

1. Are you sure that the other cat is a stray? Have you checked with neighbours? Does he have a collar or does he look thin? Does he let you nera him or stroke him? If he is a  stray, he is only doing what you and I would do in seeking food to simply survive. If he is  a stray and not just a curious neighbour's cat, I would urge you to call your local rescue (NB preferably not the RSPCA please beacuse of their destruction policy). Cats Protection, Blue Cross or PDSA  or local independent cat rescue will advise.

2. That still leaves you with your cats. I have a very open mind about cat flaps. They have their pros and cons. Most people are aware of the pros. Cats love normality, comfort and safety. A home is usually a safe haven where they know their owners and any other human or animal family members. A cat flap, respecially if not locable allows intruders to come in. The urine may be from your cat through fear but is more likely to have come from the intruder which is him marking what he considers to be his territory. It scares your cat beacuse it is a breach of his security. Having made sure that the intruder cannot come in, you need to slowly re-build that trust with your cat. He needs to know that the other cat is not coming in again and that all traces of the urine smell have been removed.

If you have a steam cleaner use that to get deep into any carpet and any underlay which may contain traces of the urine scent. Don't forget that cats have a  much keener sense of smell than humans, so be extremely thorough. It's easier if you have a hard floor which won't allow urine to seep through. Shaws make a good cat and dog stain and odour remover which comes in 500ml bottles. Have a look at that in a pet shop or hardware store

The Rescue Remedy and Feliway Diffuser, a smentioned elsewhere, are all good tried and tested ideas that often work in producing amore relaxed atmosphere for cats.

Make a fuss of him but don't overpower him. Allow him some space but show him that you love him. A few more strokes; a few more of his favourite treaats; play with him a bit more but be prepared to cut it short. Above all don't assume that he doesn't care anymore if his response isn't as you hope. I liken this sort of situation to a human being having a horrific shock, which takes some time to overcome before you get back on an even keel e.g imagine being mugged or having your home broken into and violated.

Good luck.

[swampmaxmum]

What did you clean with?  When my Max was an indoor pee-er due to nerves, I remember being told that some household cleaners either make it worse or don't remove the spray smell entirely.
Your cats' private and safe space has been invaded and I imagine even when you've got rid of the smell, they'll take a while to relax and realise it's theirs again. Your cat's probably thinking the invader's coming back.
Sorry I can't remember if it's bleach you use or don't use but hopefully someone else on here will know?
Never heard of Feliway actually upsetting a cat by giving off a 'strange cat' odour. I think it either works or doesn't work. If you can try rescue remedy that might help. Also if you can find valerian teabags, you can put them in an old sock and try that. Or catnip - which calms their brains after the running around bit!
I'm so sorry. I know how miserable they get when they're stressed at home.

[Hippykitty]

I agree with Milly's Mum about shutting the flap. Instead of ignoring your cat or cuddling, try playing with a wiggly waggler type of toy (a wiggly string on the end of a stick, you can buy them from all good pet shops). Play will help to take your cat's mind off whatever is troubling him and get rid of some of his tension.

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

The following links may help:

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php?topic=4793.0

http://wizz-catz.co.uk/timidcat.html

[Millys Mum]

I have a v.nervy cat and i find leaving him to get over what ever has upset him the best way. If you treat/cuddle when something happens it rewards their behaviour and confirms to them they were right to be scared!

I would block the flap up 100% of the time until he has got back to normal.

Feliway and rescue rememdy are both v.useful extras

[Maddiesmum]

I would let him come round in his own time.

[Bonker2020]

Should I continue to try and pick him up and stroke him like I normally would, so he can get used to human contact etc, or would it be best to leave him alone and not stroke him so he can try and regain a little trust in his own time ?

[ccmacey]

Maybe if you get the stray neutered then everything can return back to normal 

What kind of a stray is he? Can you touch him?

[Tiggy's Mum]

Have you tried Rescue Remedy?  It's a herbal remedy that you can get from most chemists, you can either put a few drops on the outer ear or in the drinking water.  One of my cats is easily frightened and I had great success with it recently.  See - http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php?topic=9929.0 for dosages etc

I had cause to use it again yesterday, the smoke alarms keep going off for no reason and he was really freaked out by it.  I put some on his ears yesterday morning and by the evening he was relaxed, playing with his toys and accepting tummy rubs.  I really can't praise it highly enough and I know some rescues on here swear by it too. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

It takes time for some cats to get being back to their normal behaviour and once they feel really safe they probably will..............well I am hoping my Sasa will cos she is being hounded by another of me cats ....................sigh

[Bonker2020]

Hi - thats horrible!!

Yes, I have been blocking the flap up at night, and sprayed water at it the last couple of times I saw it.
 I haven't had any trouble for the last week or two so I think I might sorted,  but they still wont revert to normal behaviour 

[Maddiesmum]

We had this problem with a neighbouring ginger tom who would come in through the flap, beat my cats up, spray everywhere (even on my handbag and in my shoes) and then fall asleep on the stairs or somewhere.

I shut the cat flap in the end and used the back door so it did limit my cats' freedom but stopped the offender from coming in and scaring them half to death.

[Bonker2020]

Hi. 

I have a couple of 1yr old cats that have always been quite nervous and skittish. Recently, I had a few incidents where a local stay-cat has come into the house though the cat-flap.  On each occurrence we have found cat-wee sprayed about the house.

My cats have NEVER wee'd or marked our house, so I don’t know whether its our cats spraying their own territory because another cat has invaded it, or if the stray done it because our house smells of our cats etc? Either way, I have cleaned up the mess and chased the offending cat away several times with a water-spray, so that might be the last of it…..

HOWEVER ……

Since then, my cats have been even more nervous than usual, jumping at every noise, and every time they hear the cat-flap, they stare at it and cautiously approach to investigate. To my mind, they must be scared that it is the Stray-cat trying to get in again. One of my cats that used to love sitting on my lap, now won't even approach me.  When I call for him and encourage him over, he shakes his tail like a rattlesnake and takes refuge elsewhere.  If he is lying down resting and I walk over to give him a little chin-scratch, or even just crouch near him and talk softly to him, his eyes widen and he entertains me for only seconds before jumping up and scuttling away to hide.

I brought a Feliway Diffuser and it been plugged in for about a week now.  One of my cats seems a better, maybe even slightly more friendly that he has ever been. But the other cat (the one that wont sit on my lap anymore) he is still just as frightened and solitary.

I have cleaned the house twice thoroughly and used special cat-odour sprays to try to eliminate the scent of the stray, but I doubt I will be able to get rid of it completely, to their noses.

What can I do to help him relax and get back to the way he was ?   Will he forget the stray in time and revert to normal behaviour or has he been scared for life now? Could the Feliway be doing more harm than good, emitting a scent that he recognises as foreign ?