New male feral stirring up trouble in the colony. Need advice stat!

It's a small colony of three cats (two females, one male) that get along well for the most part, but now a new tomcat has decided he wants a piece of the pie (where "pie" means "cat food") and the resident male of the colony is having none of it.  There have been numerous violent battles between the two of them, and the resident male is starting to take out his frustration on the smallest, most docile female.  

Is there anything a caretaker can do in this situation to either restore order or discourage the new cat from entering the yard?  Something needs to happen ASAP before someone gets seriously injured   

Yes. Trap and TNR the new tom cat. We cannot control the colony: food will always attract more cats. Without hormones, the fights become squabbles.

My mantra is that loving feral cats is a constant exercise in letting go of control.

Your only other option, I think, is to enclose your yard with something like Purrfect Fence.

LDG said:

Yes. Trap and TNR the new tom cat. We cannot control the colony: food will always attract more cats. Without hormones, the fights become squabbles.

My mantra is that loving feral cats is a constant exercise in letting go of control.

Your only other option, I think, is to enclose your yard with something like Purrfect Fence.

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I had a feeling you were going to say that.  Darnit.  But, you're right, that does make the most sense.  I moved to a new town recently and had to leave the colony's care to a family member who's a novice at cat care.  He's not going to be thrilled with the idea of TNRing a feral cat, but I guess what has to be done has to be done. 

If I could, I'd bring them here and enclose the yard, make the space a safe haven for them.  It's a future prospect to keep in mind whenever I start house hunting.  I'll definitely hang on to the Purrfect Fence website; I think it's a wonderful idea   

Are you close enough to help with the trapping, maybe on a weekend or something?

Aw, thanks for the hugs    The good news is that their new caretaker is getting very attached to them and doing an excellent job so far.  Having someone I trust in charge made the move that much easier.  Back to the situation with the tomcat: We've just enlisted another family member to help out with TNR, so it looks like he won't be going it alone.  I think they might have to wait until next week to catch him, though.  Do you think leaving food at the edge of the yard would keep everyone placated for the time being?  I thought it might help to have food in different locations.

And I just found out that new caretaker was afraid for the little female cat's safety and brought her inside!  Talk about jumping into the deep end before you're ready    She's got a little set-up in one of the bedrooms...I just hope all goes well for them.

I have the neighbor's tom coming over at this time, and yes all of my feral females are spayed, don't know why but anyway "my" ferals put the run on him.  Kind of funny.

Well, blessings on both you and the new caretaker. Those are lucky kitties. Vibes for successful trapping.

I think spreading the food out is a good idea. They won't feel as crowded and therefore, ready to defend their resources.

keyes said:

 
I have the neighbor's tom coming over at this time, and yes all of my feral females are spayed, don't know why but anyway "my" ferals put the run on him.  Kind of funny.

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The girls do seem to do a much better job of keeping the boys in line!  I've noticed this with my indoor kitty clan (three girls, three boys).  I had no idea how different interactions were between the sexes until I ended up with a mixed household.  

Ondine said:

Well, blessings on both you and the new caretaker. Those are lucky kitties. Vibes for successful trapping.

I think spreading the food out is a good idea. They won't feel as crowded and therefore, ready to defend their resources.

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I'm now in the process of trying to convince new caretaker to put out extra food.  I think he's been so upset by the fighting that he's started harboring resentment towards the new feral.  I've tried to explain that the new guy is merely desperate for food and shelter and wouldn't continually put himself in harm's way if he had other options.  It's a little difficult getting through to a person who just doesn't understand cats very well at this point in time.  I don't think he's keen on the possibility of another cat joining the colony, either.  It's all a tad overwhelming right now, and frustrating for me because I have no control over the situation and have to respect his feelings and decisions.  I'm used to being the one making all the decisions regarding their welfare.  

And now I find out that mommy cat (mom to my kittens) hasn't shown up in two days, not since the last showdown between the males.  She started packing on weight after her spay surgery and I worry that she overestimates her agility nowadays...and I worry that she hasn't eaten.  Overweight kitties can't go very long without food    Geez, when it rains it pours.  I swear.  

Big question: Can you pen in ferals?  Would they be content?  New caretaker and I are at odds on this issue and I'm wondering if he's doing the right thing for them.  Daddy cat was viciously attacked the other day- no one knows by what- and new caretaker trapped him and took him to the vet for immediate care.  Poor kitty was in so much pain he walked right into the trap and has been uber-cooperative with everyone, even though he'd never been handled by people before.  We're not sure if the feral tom that was stirring up trouble is responsible.  Apparently Daddy cat had chunks of flesh missing on his legs and the vet said he'll have massive scarring there and the fur won't grow back.  It's hard to imagine that one cat could do that to another.  

Here's how things currently stand: feral tom hasn't returned to the yard, Daddy cat is recuperating indoors, the little girl is still indoors, Mommy cat is outside (returned, safe and sound), and now new caretaker wants to pen in part of the yard (it's too difficult to do his entire yard right now with the ground being frozen) and keep all three cats inside the fenced area for their own protection.  He thinks he can successfully cat-proof the fence so no one can get out or in.  

I understand that desire to keep them out of harm's way, especially now that Daddy cat has suffered some sort of traumatic attack, but I wonder if it isn't going to create more stress for them to all of sudden have to adjust to life in a much smaller environment they can't escape from.  Has anyone successfully done this before?  Any tips for making it work?

No one has an opinion or advice?  I was really hoping to get a little feedback.  Maybe it was a dumb question...?

I just have no idea.  Mine are free ranging and you could try it and see what happens but--------it could be where it doesn't work out and then what?

No, it wasn't a dumb question at all. I've been off line, so sorry.

BUT you can certainly pen in the colony. I have an enclosure, with a wire roof, for my outside cats. Several of us have fences and/or other enclosures, so it is do-able and does help keep them safe. If would say go for it!

I am on my iPad right now, so I can't do a search on the cat site. But if you plug in "enclosure" you will find several threads for ideas.

This shows why neutering that Tom is so vital. He's really going to wreak havoc here. Plus, once that's done, it will be easier to eliminate him as a suspect. If the cats still get hurt, there may be another predator involved. You should consider that, too, just to have all the bases covered.

keyes said:

 
I just have no idea.  Mine are free ranging and you could try it and see what happens but--------it could be where it doesn't work out and then what?

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That's my biggest concern.  That they'll be miserable and all that hard work invested in penning them in will be for naught.  I guess we'll just have to see.  Right now the only kitty outside is Mommy cat and she doesn't want to move from her little house, so at least everyone is Ok at the moment.

Ondine said:

No, it wasn't a dumb question at all. I've been off line, so sorry.

BUT you can certainly pen in the colony. I have an enclosure, with a wire roof, for my outside cats. Several of us have fences and/or other enclosures, so it is do-able and does help keep them safe. If would say go for it!

I am on my iPad right now, so I can't do a search on the cat site. But if you plug in "enclosure" you will find several threads for ideas.

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Glad to hear others have had success    I'll definitely utilize the search for ideas.  

Ondine said:

This shows why neutering that Tom is so vital. He's really going to wreak havoc here. Plus, once that's done, it will be easier to eliminate him as a suspect. If the cats still get hurt, there may be another predator involved. You should consider that, too, just to have all the bases covered.

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Tom cat hasn't been around since the last big fight.  I hope he's alright...he's certainly caused enough mayhem, but I know it's only because the poor thing was desperate.  I hope he found the food and shelter he was searching for.