what to do about next doors cat

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I agree with the others on the anti-freeze.

My car is 13 years old and have never topped it up and reading the manual....its a ford.......it says unless it is drained it never needs topping up.

If its ever been drained or topped up its at the garage so do not believe that this is not accidental and its well known that the sweetness of it is very disireable to cats.

However there is something else that can do this which is screen wash cos some contain the same stuff in as anti-freeze and its very east to spill while filling up.........I try to wash away any spills .

[Mymblesdaughter]

I can highly recommend the cat flap that uses the cats chip. I told my Mum about it after everyone on here said how good it was. They are really please with it and the neighbour's cats are no longer getting in and scaring her two. 

Have you considered cat proofing your garden or getting a enclosure so that Bella can get outside? I would be so worried in your situation and definitely wouldn't let her out.   

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Am with Helen on this one - too many in my view to be "accidental." 

I do think running an article in the paper would be useful - you could come at it from two angles - either this is accidental, and so people need to be educated" and the "or the alternative doesnt bear thinking about that someone would act in such a criminal fashion and inflict deliberate death on an animal, because if that's the case that person needs to be brought to book, and fast before their impulses develop out of control." 

If Bella's not showing too many signs of irritation at being kept housebound, I'd definitely keep her in for a while longer. 

[Tiggy's Mum]

Perhaps I'm a bit more suspicious than you, I've never topped my antifreeze up at home in all the years I've been driving (presume it gets done when the car is serviced!) so for someone local to top theirs up so regularly, and also to be careless whilst topping up, so their spillages caused the deaths of four cats in a matter of months is a stretch too far for my imagination   

I bet she'll love her new toys -  the Flying Frenzy is the UK version and is amazing, hope her pocket money will stretch to a Flying Frenzy mouse too! Even though my garden is catproofed my two are only allowed out when I'm home and it's light so in the winter they spend the vast majority of time indoors, toys like Frying Frenzy/Da Bird really help to keep them stimulated as they can get a bit of cabin fever at times!

[girlinleeds]

Dh gets paid tomorrow and me and bella are doing some shopping for new toys da bird is on her wish list. Everytime theres a cold snap another cat dies, so dont know if its just someone not being careful when there topping stuff up. Tempted to print flyers and put them on all the cars that i can find in the area. Really just want to stop it happening all the cats live within minutes of our house.

[Tiggy's Mum]

That's awful  Seems a suspiciously high amount to be accidental  Has Bella got a Da Bird / Flying Frenzy? It's a great toy to keep her occupied and active while she's indoorr only.

[girlinleeds]

At the moment they seem to tolerate each other hes not been in our house in a while. But its been slightly out ofour hands at the moment another poor cat died of anti freeze poisioning at the weekend she only lived three doors away, that makes four since barney in december so bella is under house arrest. Im starting to lean more towards keeping her in untill spring is well and truley here, does anyone let there cats out only in the warmer months. Bella doesnt really seem that bothered this last few days about not going out so were happy to keep her in. Contacted our police community support officers who are going to speak at the neighbour hood watch meetings and they suggested contacting the local paper and seeing if they'll run an article not sure what else i can do poor kitty

[Bren22]

 As well as keeping Bella safe you need to deter him, or she'll never be able to enjoy outside.  I suggest having a word with your neighbour, before getting one of those huge kid's water  pistol things.  They have a long range and if he gets squirted often enough he should get the message.  Water is a good deterrent to most cats and it doesn't hurt them.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

I so sympathise with you over this issue.  We had similar problems dating back to late November, with a persistent un-neutered Tom, who smashed his way through two of our cat flaps, and has a campaign of terror going against the neighbourhood cats.  To make matters worse, he's been joined by another, slimmed-down version who is equalliy as pugnacious, neither of them having been neutered.

After a great deal of deliberation, we took the plunge and went for a sureflap micro chip flap (as opposed to the magnetic type requiring a collar with a "key") and whilst it was expensive (doubly so as we bought the wrong size initially!) I would wholeheartedly recommend it.  Since we had ours fitted, the tom hasn't been able to gain his casual access to the house, and our cat feels a lot safer as a result.

It was hearing others on the forum who had one of these flaps that encouraged me to try one for the boys, and I'm very glad we did.  I hope you can get the problem sorted very soon.   

[ToffeeandCookie]

agreed that it might be an idea to have a polite chat with next door ( just take some photos of him in action just in case he is a softie at home!)
I'm sure if you explain that you want to avoid any big vet bills that might happen after a fight that you can work something out - even if its just finding out when he goes out and making sure that Bella is kept indoors at those times.

I agree a magnetic cat flap will help, but if he really wants in he will probably get in. You coudl move their food away from that room - so there is less incentive for him to come in and also less for Bella to feel is under threat. Also may try getting some Feliway so she doesnt get too stressed out? You coudl also try giving her some additional high viewing points in that room so she can see him coming?

Just a few ideas - Good luck!
 

[CatGirl]

The first thing i'd do is-lock the cat flap! It sounds like you ought to have a word with his owner maybe?

[Dawn F]

could you try squirting him with water

[girlinleeds]

Next door have a huge big ginger tom cat he is neutered and used to be barneys best friend, but he seems to hate bella. Yesterday she was in his garden whrn he stalked her and pinned her to the ground hence much screaming from me. I know he was probably saying this is my garden get out. Today hes gone for her in our garden soshe came in 10 mins later i hear the cat flap go and hes come in and went for her in the house. I screamed at him and he ran of. Shut the door so he couldnt get into the kitchen only thr hallway but hr came back in anf was growling at the otherside of the door. He then went back out and sat on the outside of our living room window growling at her.  going to spesk to dh to see if we can get a microchip flap now rather then after payday like we'd planned but not sure what else i can do. Hes over twice the size of bella so could do some damage, any suggestions i dont expect them to be friends but would like her to be safe