That was really nicely written!!Originally Posted by Mom of 4
The tom cat in your garden has claimed your garden as his territory. I'm guessing that he fought with your cat and won. While your cat may able to go out back and flee the garden with the tom's permission, the tom is obviously not letting him back in.
You do have some options. Only you can decide what will work in your case. I do think the tom needs to be neutered, no matter what else you choose.
The options for the tom:
When is away for the neutering, let your cat roam your garden and spread his scent. When the tom comes back, he recognizes it is no longer his territory and he moves gardens.
Release him in another area. IMO, that's cruel. And he might come back anyway.
Find a friend who would love to have him live in their garden.
The options for your cat:
Make a new cat door in the front of the house, so he doesn't have to go past the tom. No guarantee that the tom has claimed the front of the house either though.
Cat proof your garden so the other cat can't get back in. This is going to be difficult with children around and gates left open accidentally.
Rehome your cat. Perhaps a friend has a garden that he would be able to claim and be safer for him. Then he could go in and out at will.
The options you've turned down:
Making your cat an inside cat.
Making an enclosure in the garden for your cat to safely enjoy the outside.
Leash/harness training your cat.
There are probably other options that I haven't thought of, but it's hard without knowing the layout of the house, garden and surrounding area.
You've obviously recognized this is a huge problem and want what's best for your cat. Sometimes, we have to make choices that we don't like, especially when it seems like the choices are "bad" and "badder." As a parent, you've already done it many times - doesn't get any more fun, does it?
Good luck and best wishes for you and your cat.
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New house move - cat seriously unhappy
- Thread starter gazzak
- Start Date
Well, you can scare the cat away from your yard (garden) and take steps to keep Mr. Tom the bully out of it - but your cat is going to roam if you let him run free, so they will meet again regardless if the Mr. Tom is in your yard/garden or not. Then Mr. Tom may or may not let your cat come home again. To me letting your cat be bullied and harassed so he can't come home and won't get to eat and is scared and has to fight and/or hide sounds more cruel than keeping him indoors in this case. Best of luck to you in this hard situation.
You can make a cat fence for your cat if you want him to go outdoors in peace and be safe.
I think you got really good advice here. The simple answer to your question is No -- you can't stop your cat from running away to a "safe" garden. When you let your cat roam, you have no control over where he goes or who or what he encounters. That is just the risk you take.
The idea of the enclosure sure sounds like a good one.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #24
I thought I should post an update as so many of you took the time to reply to me, I'm still very grateful for all replies made.
Our cat continued to run away. He always ended up in the same place and every morning we'd go fetch him back. Later in the day he'd dissapear again and we'd go fetch him again. I said to my wife that this situation is ridiculous and we must stop it, she said to give it 2 more weeks and see what happened before acting.
Since August began things have changed. Firstly the other cat has been made to feel very unwelcome in our garden. If any of us, including the kids, see the other cat we chase it away. We've also made a lot of changes to the garden so it's not as welcoming or "normal" to the other cat.
Our cat then seemed to work out a timetable of when the other cat would be around, and seemed to go outside at regular times only. I think he also worked out where the other cat hid for his ambushes and avoided those places. He gradually started coming back unaided, and was slowly venturing further and further down the garden. Sometimes he would dissapear for the night but he'd be back inside when we woke up.
Now we haven't had to fetch him for almost a week, and his time outside appears to be growing daily. The other cat is seen less and less now, so I get the feeling that even though our cat is low in the local pecking order, he's beginning to command his own garden. We've also found out that other families have suffered due to the other cat and his local nickname is "Mr. Angry". He regularly beats up other cats. There's been no sound of catfighting in the last week either, so I also think that Mr Angry appears to think our garden isn't worth the hassle.
Basically the problem seems to be resolving itself naturally, but we're still keeping a close watch on things. I appreciate all the advice and will keep updating you of the situation.
Thanks again.
Our cat continued to run away. He always ended up in the same place and every morning we'd go fetch him back. Later in the day he'd dissapear again and we'd go fetch him again. I said to my wife that this situation is ridiculous and we must stop it, she said to give it 2 more weeks and see what happened before acting.
Since August began things have changed. Firstly the other cat has been made to feel very unwelcome in our garden. If any of us, including the kids, see the other cat we chase it away. We've also made a lot of changes to the garden so it's not as welcoming or "normal" to the other cat.
Our cat then seemed to work out a timetable of when the other cat would be around, and seemed to go outside at regular times only. I think he also worked out where the other cat hid for his ambushes and avoided those places. He gradually started coming back unaided, and was slowly venturing further and further down the garden. Sometimes he would dissapear for the night but he'd be back inside when we woke up.
Now we haven't had to fetch him for almost a week, and his time outside appears to be growing daily. The other cat is seen less and less now, so I get the feeling that even though our cat is low in the local pecking order, he's beginning to command his own garden. We've also found out that other families have suffered due to the other cat and his local nickname is "Mr. Angry". He regularly beats up other cats. There's been no sound of catfighting in the last week either, so I also think that Mr Angry appears to think our garden isn't worth the hassle.
Basically the problem seems to be resolving itself naturally, but we're still keeping a close watch on things. I appreciate all the advice and will keep updating you of the situation.
Thanks again.
