Cats facing up to each other, should I worry?

My daughter's next door neighbour shouted over to her when she was hanging washing out. 'Do you know Eric (Cantona - don't ask!) often comes through our cat flap when he can smell bacon?' My daughter said 'sorry - just shoo him out - he has plenty of food here.' 'Oh, we don't mind - I just wanted to give you this photo.' Neighbour produced a photo of Eric fast asleep in her bed, head on pillow and covered up!!

I had an Alpha tom cat who had a huge territory which it took him all his time to control and as he was run over when he was 6 years old, he never reached the stage when he had to concede it to the next Bosscat.

Now I have a neutered Tomcat who had trouble as a kitten just looking after our garden which is his territory. We decided early on to help him and everytime the new Bosscat called round we threw a bit of earth and clapped our hands. This was started 16 years ago and after this help in the beginning, our cat has prevented another cats from coming in through the cat flap and so into the house.
We acted on the advice of our 'Know your Cat' manual.

Because our cat is so gentlemanly and polite he has a large fan club of single ladies who feed him tit bits ( forbidden by me but ignored). We celebrate his birthday every 5 years with garden party and I can thank them for looking after him when we are away.

Anagram: I'd feel even more guilty heaving all that water just over a cat rather than a sharp one-off shot with a pressure hose ie finger over the end. I reckon the hose could produce less water than a bucket - depending on the size of the bucket of course. A spray doesn't quite have the oomph that I feel is needed shysal but thanks for the idea. I've taken to chasing it instead - not very elegant when in one's nightie!

Better still - keep a spray bottle of water handy!

Pedant Alert!!!

goldengirl, you can actually use buckets of water during a hosepipe ban - just not hosepipes!

My next door neighbour has acquired a kitten who is now being allowed out into the garden. She is gorgeous - extremely fluffy tabby with such a lovely face, amber eyes and the thickest whiskers I've ever seen. She has learned to climb onto the outhouse rooves at the end of our gardens and makes her way along the ridge tiles then down onto the fence. Yesterday, she was picking her way along the ridge when she came face to face with a baby squirrel, and neither knew what to do. In the end, she ignored the squirrel and walked past it along the slope of the roof, whilst the squirrel sat and watched her. Lovely

Numberplease we have a similar problem. We have two neutered males - brothers who adore each other. Another cat - a beautiful, fluffy tabby, I have to admit - comes not just into our garden but has been through our cat flap on several occasions. At first it seemed there might be a satisfactory menage a trois but there's obviously been a row and one of mine hurtles outside for a scrap whilst the other watches from the comfort of the window sill. However if the noise is prolonged he also goes out and sees off the intruder himself. The intruder is now less invasive - I hope for good - but fur did fly and both brothers have sustained minor scratches as a result. I have chased the intruder with a bucket of water [before the hosepipe ban ] but I should really let the boys deal with it themselves - there are 2 of them after all and it gets them off their cosy seats and gives them some exercise! I find it's me who gets worried about it all!

Oh, good. I do hope you enjoy it, shysal.

I have ordered a used copy of The Silent Miaow from Amazon for 1p plus postage, I look forward to reading it.

I'm so glad you like the book, folks. But do try "Jenny" too. It's about a boy who wants a cat. Then he has an accident and wakes up in the body of a stray cat. All a bit whimsical, I know, but what follows is what cat lovers will respond to. He meets Jenny, a small, female story, and she has to teach him the rules about how to be a cat. For example:

"Pausing on the sill, or lingering on the threshold; you know what you are leaving, but you don't know what you are going out to."

"When in doubt, wash."

Yes?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I must get a copy of The Silent Miaow, it sounds like the feline version of How To Be a Little Sod!

Our cat Effie died in October aged 17. Her brother Stan died 18 months previously. We have always had cats and I like them as pets. I like dogs too but would not have one as a pet as I do not like the smell of damp dog and I find them too sycophantic as a pet! My quandary is whether to get another cat or not? We have so many birds in our garden and I would be sorry to lose them. To cat or not to cat?

My boy cat has been squaring up to the neighbouring male cats more than usual, it must be the season! We have 3 humans, 4 male cats and 4 female cats between me and my immediate neighbours. They are remarkably tolerant of each other most of the time, but boys will be boys, so if one turns it's back after a stand-off there is a scuffle. Fur flies and it sounds horrific, but results in hardly any injuries. My rear garden slopes steeply so a few times I have seen a pair of toms rolling together scrapping all the way down the hill. My neighbours do not intervene, but I can't help rushing to Bugsie's aid, I think it's a Mum's instinct!

I bought The Silent Miaow years ago, and still have it - I must read it again!

In our little close of 7 houses, the cat population outnumbers the human one! They all seem to get along fine, our Maurice is a particularly chummy sort with other cats, which is nice, but I did think he was taking things a little too far when he brought his friend Fluff Gordon from next door round to share his cat biscuits.

Meant to say - in my life with cats, a lovely vet somewhere said:

"You know, Mrs A, cats do not readily extend the paw of friendship."

Ariadne the bit in The Silent Miaow" about what to do if a visiting person sits in "your" chair is very funny!

It's what they do! Most of it for show until they decide reaaly to go for it.

Do read:
Paul Gallico's "Jenny" or, even better, "The Silent Miaow" ( written by a cat; a hand book for kittens and strays on how to take over a house.)

Cats are one of my other passions!

Bless him!

I thought that that was what it might be, but have never come across it before with any of our other cats. I didn`t even realise that he had that much noise in him, lol!!

Daisy's ear appears to be a bit 'chewed' this week....

It's interesting to watch them. We had a sweet cat who would arch his back and spit, then his tail would double in size as he thrashed it angrily on the path at his opponent. Then they would face each other for ages until the other cat would walk away cautiously - one false move and it would get physical! It's all about posturing

Yes ...they're deciding who's 'top dog'!!
Once they've agreed the 'pecking order' they'll be fine
Usually these things get sorted before blood is drawn.