Do your Cats fight with the Neighbourhood Cats?
By jennybianca
@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
February 23, 2010 8:28pm CST
Mine do. I have two cats, aged 7 and 9 years. They are both female and desexed.
They dont even like each other, let alone the neighbourhood cats. It is mainly the older cat who would never be friends with the younger cat.
Anyway, they have always been territorial about our yard. Both cats sleep inside at night. I allow them outside during the day if they want.
Many of our neighbours have cats. There is this very large pure whhite male cat that lives opposite and two houses down. He is the largest cat I have ever seen, and soooo.. territorial. He loves to come to my yard and bait my cats. Even thiugh my cats are not friends with each other, they stand up for each other when the white cats come. They have been in numerous fights with the white cat, always when he comes to our yard. Both have had scratch and bite infections and been on antibiotics.
This white cat is very friendly with people. If I se him sunning himself on my rocks in the front, I try to get him off and back to his house. He just moves one metre away and rolls on his back because he wants me to pat his stomach. Other times I have picked him up, taken him home, and he walks straight back.
Do your cats fight with neighbours cats, or with each other?
Here is a photo of Kiwi my younger cat.
2 people like this
17 responses
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
25 Feb 10
My Flojo is a semi-indoor cat. By that I mean she is let out but under supervision. There is a litter tray for her in the house that she uses every day. The main reason that she is not outside for very long is simple; the shelter we adopted her from said that she does NOT like other cats...and it's true, she doesn't! Even through the window she will paw at it if a neighbourhood cat sits on the windowsill on the other side. If she spots another cat her eyes nearly pop out of her head. I often wonder what she would be like if we moved and had a large garden. I did have an indoor cat a few years ago that I brought to Mum's and he absolutely loved being outdoors. He did come in, obviously, to eat and sleep but the freedom he had was immense. I would like this for my present cat but the longer she stays in this house for (the previous cat was only 6 months old when he was "free"), the more she will become dependant on being indoors perhaps? Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated. She will be 3 this year.
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
All vets say that indoor cats are far better off. They live much longer and healthier lives, and cost less in terms of antibiotics for cat fights, etc. If your cat is quite happy inside, I would leave him there, if that suits you. Many cats live very happy lives totally indoors.
My older cat also hates all other cats, so I know what you mean..
If you really want her to experience the outdoors, you coulkd try what I did with my younger cat. I bought a cat collar. To get her gradually introduced to the outside, I would put her collar & lead on and take her outside. She soon got used to the feel of it and would lead me everywhere!
Within a couple of weeks I had her off the cat collar & lead and shes fine outside.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
28 Feb 10
Im really pleased you liked that idea of the cat harness if ever you need it. I bought ours at the discount shop.
It does work and allows you to take the cat out very gradually.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
26 Feb 10
Many thanks for commenting on my response, it's much appreciated. Yes. Flojo does have a collar on at present with her name tag and telephone number on it. She is also microchipped and I do know that cat flaps can be bought whereby the number of the microchip is fed into it so only your cat can get in the house. I wouldn't have that done now, maybe in future at another house.
However, what you said about a harness and lead is very interesting as it is something my Mum mentioned to me. It's a great idea and I do know harnesses are sold at Pets at Home which is just down the road from us!
We shall keep her (99%) indoors at this house but if we ever choose to move at least we have the harness idea as an option and I'm so pleased it worked with one of your cats. That has cheered me up no end, thank you.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
Indoor cats is the safest way to go. My older cat would hate it if I kept her inside 24 hours a day. She just loves the garden.
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@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
24 Feb 10
mine are indoor..but the 3 new and 3 old have been sorting out their pecking order the last couple of months,so on any given day there's mild cussing out of at least two.
it's usually the girls that start it.they seem a lot more territorial than my boys.
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Feb 10
I always thought males were more territorial, and the neighbours huge white cat seemed to be that way. But both my cats, being female, seem to be very territorial within their own small domain, including my bed!
Six cats is a lot.
The most I ever had at once was four.
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@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
25 Feb 10
i think they would be if they weren't neutered..these two boys tend to lounge and watch the floor show LOL
i was a little surprised at the girls acting like this too..but it's like they all want to be the "favorite" at once.
i was a little surprised at the girls acting like this too..but it's like they all want to be the "favorite" at once.
@standbymeforever (887)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
I have 5 strictly indoor cats.they never go outside at all since we moved. We live close to a highway and there are some very inconsiderate drivers out there who wont stop or slow done for kitty to cross the road. Also my neighbours have these big wolf like dogs that would use them as chew toys if they got any where near them so im afraid they would be the dogs supper or road kill if I let them outside.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
I dont blame you for keeping your cats inside permanently. Cats dont understand roads.
Neighbours of ours three houses uip, once accidently let their huge siberaian husky out the front, and he killed another neighbours cat. It was very upsetting & I had to help the owner identify the owner of the dog.
@standbymeforever (887)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
My sister accidently let my one cat out by mistake. i was looking around the house for her evry where unbtil I realized she wasnt there. I was so frantic because i thought for sure she owuld be gone by now because she had been out for a bout one hour. Luckily she was smart enough to stay on the lawn at the front. I got so mad at my sis though and now I just hope she watches carefully when she goes in and out the house.
1 person likes this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
24 Feb 10
One of my cats looked a lot like your Kiwi. I had 4 that all had the same mothers from 2 litters. There was only one from the first litter and he was dominant. He only went outside during the day and only if it was nice out. The others didn't go out at all. It was rare for another cat to come into my yard. I know there are quite a few around but they stay away for the most part. If one did come in the yard, he would hiss at them, but he wouldn't fight them, he would want inside.
They all got along okay,but he seemed to like the one better than the others. If they did something he didn't like he would beat them up. They quickly learned what not to do so that didn't happen often.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Feb 10
Its funny how one cat can be very dominant. My older cat wanted to be dominant, but it kind of didnt work in the end. She became very stressed at one atage, and got a bladder infection. The younger cat sensed her "weakness" and decided it her chance to get even. Now they ar equal in status, I think.
Do you have a photo of any of your four cats?
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
24 Feb 10
I don't believe I have any photos of them. I wish I did! My ex was into photography and he took a lot of pictures of them, but he took them with him when he left.
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
3 Mar 10
How many cats do you have? Do they all fight with the neigbourhood cats?
@binacheri14 (299)
• United States
25 Feb 10
I have a neighbor that has at least 15 cats, I am not exaggerating. They are not taken care of and he feeds them 3 small canned cat food maybe everyother day. They fight all night long, and it sounds like the poor things are being painfully tortured. When my cats do go outside, here come the neighbors cats attacking. Of course my cats defend their territory and then I have to go out to run the other cats out of my yard and get my cats back in the house. I did once call animal welfare on him, not just because they annoy me, but one of them had been hit by a car or something and my son (10 years old) came in to tell me, I went out to look and the cats left side was open there were flies all over and maggots eating him alive. It was horrible. The animal welfare came and took maybe 10 cats, thats why he has only15 left. It is a discrace to animals.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
It siunds to me as if Animal Welfare need to pay this owner another visit. He obviously cant even look after 15 cats if they are half starved. Poor things.
It makes it unsafe for your cats too.
I hate people like that.
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
24 Feb 10
Moomin is often out marking his territory yet when the neighbourhood cats come into the garden he usually comes off worse in any fights. We have a lot of cats in the area and they frequently come into my garden, yet Moomin ignores them all unless they make the first move.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
Sounds like Moomin is not an aggressive cat if he doesnt start the fights. Pity he comes off worse. My younger cat is quite small and she comes off worse.
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
24 Feb 10
I have 4 cats trixie the oldest is 15 an if anything comes in the yard to mess with my 2 youngest female cats who are also fixed trixie chases them away an now rags the only boy of the bunch he is 35 poud ragdoll saimse an he will watch an if the strays come in the yard he waits till they get close then chases them out of the yard to same with if anything gets near my 2 dogs we had a dog come in the yard once an went after our shayla an trixie who is so tiny compared to this dog jumped on his back an rode him out of the yard trixie is one of the best cats anyone can ask for she is always where the kids are when she had her first litter of kittens she went outside where the kids were playing mind you there were 5 kids screaming an plaing an she had her kitten right there by the playplace weird huh
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
I once was in a caravan, and the owners cat got on bed next to me and gavce birth.
I would love to have a ragdoll siamese.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
My younger cat is much more indoors than outdoors, but the older cat has always loved it outside. She loves the garden and sniffs around the different shrubs.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
Hopefuly that means she doesnt get into any fights, which is really good.
@snoopyfan (1312)
• United States
24 Feb 10
Yes we have some people who live in the back and they have a cat named Brandon. He stays outside and many times when I see him he has some wounds. I know one time he fought a possum. He is sweet with me and we had other cats he got along with before. I don't know who he is meeting out there in that dark night. I tell him stop fighting cause it looks like you don't always win. He just looks at me and meows. I guess he is saying I am one tough cat. LOL
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
He fought a possum!! Wow! I once had a cat that was bitten by a fox, it took a chunk out of his tail.
@H3idimich3ll3 (150)
• United States
24 Feb 10
my cat loves to sneak out and fight with other nieghborhood cats which is really annoying because we are always scard she might get hurt or a disease. the white cat sounds very frindly is seems like it likes humans more than its own kind. i use to have a male cat and he loved to fight but he did like humans more and was a big sweetheart. i think male cats are more loving but thats my opinnion
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
It is scarey when they fight, as they can get quite viscious in their fights.
@elsrenne (16)
•
24 Feb 10
My cats are utter wusses. The neighbourhood cats come and eat their food and lie in our house when we are away and our cats just stare at them sadly and wait for us to try and chase them away. I have two cats, Mia and Orlando and they don't really fight with each other. They're like half-related and they've always had a close bond. Sometimes at night or in the morning I hear yowling, which means that my cats are trying to fend them off and failing.
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
Oh, your poor cats. Thats terrible that the other cats come inside & pinch their food when you are away.
One of my neighbours leaves her cat food out the front, and one day she complained to me that "that brown cat" eats it's food. Thats my older cat.
@GardenGerty (160696)
• United States
24 Feb 10
My cats will chase other cats away. They do not really fight with each other, but they tease and pick at each other. They all have their own space in the house. They go outside at will. All kinds of strays like my yard. My old, slightly decrepit cat is probably the most aggressive of the three at trying to keep others away. I looked at Kiwi's picture, she is pretty.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Feb 10
If I had all kinds of strays in my yard, both cats would go ballistic. Do you have any photos of your cats to show? My other oilder cat is prettier than Kiwi, but it doesnt show up so well in photos as she is dark tortie.
@kaylachan (69824)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
24 Feb 10
The only fighting that has ever occoured is with my cats is the natural "play" fighting they do with one another. They don't do it to the point they hurt one another. But I don't have any problems with the neighbors cats. Why is this, because I don't let them out unless of course they are in my arms. I hold them a certin way and they look around, but they are very good otherwise.
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Feb 10
My older cat used to love play fighting with our pet dog. Nowadays, her play fighting quickly turns to serious. She cant quite work out the difference.
@moneymaker92 (394)
• United States
24 Feb 10
My cat isn't really territorial, and most of my neighbors have dogs, not cats, lol. So we don't really let him out to explore much on his own much...when he goes out, we're usually with him so he doesn't get into any trouble.
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@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Feb 10
Many of our neighbours have dogs too, and I have one, but mostly the dogs stay in the neighbours back yards. My cats are scared of big dogs, but dont mind small dogs. Our 0lder cat is jealous of dogs and turns her back on them if they come in our yard.
