My neighbor has cats that cross our fence and fights with my cat. Is there a way to keep them out that isn't harmful to my cat? I've tried to talk to my neighbor about keeping her cats in her home but I've had no luck there.
Hm. This certainly does sound like a problem. I don't know if there's any real way to keep their cat from crossing over into your yard short of your neighbors intervention or your own. Is there a routine their cats follow, like rub against certain things? It sounds like a territory issue to me, their cats want your cat's turf.
Unfortunately, you'll probably have to keep your cat indoors to avoid fights.
One way to give your cat the outdoor experience without the dangers of fights is to build an aviary-type structure, so your cat can sit outside, but in a large, wire-enclosed cage. If you have a convenient spot, you can build it up against the house so your cat can go in and out via a window or cat door. A screened porch is also a viable alternative, although you might need chicken wire over the screens to prevent the cat from pushing the screening out in a corner and escaping.
Once your own cat is contained, there are motion-activated sprinklers that might discourage the neighbors' cats from entering your yard.
This really is a tough question indeed. I cannot think of something that would adequately keep the neighbour's cat out and would not interfere with your cat in the process.
I know cats do not like pepper. I have known people to put some pepper on their porch to keep cats away. Putting pepper near the fence would not be a good idea because it would also affect your cat. In fact, I am not so sure I am in favour of this method.
Building a cage like structure in your garden seems like a lot of trouble to go through. I was wondering if that would be worth the trouble because what would you do when your cat does not like it?
Keeping your cat indoors is not always an option either because why should you keep your cat indoors when the cats next door are the aggressive ones? Secondly not everybody is able to keep a cat indoors because of various reasons. Is there enough room? Does a familymember suffer from cat allergy?
When your neighbours persists to be unresponsive, maybe you should consider reporting to the RSPCA?
Have all the cats been spayed and neutered? Altering the cats may really cut down on the kitty drama and the need to defend a certain territory. Are you leaving your cat's food out or growing catnip in your yard? These will definitely encourage other cats to head on over and enjoy the spoils. If they aren't actually physically fighting I wouldn't worry to much. My cat hisses and postures all the time to show he's the top cat in the neighborhood, even though he is safely confined. We have a chain link fence with the cat fence-in on top to keep Sable in his own yard to keep other critters out. You can read about it at http://www.catfencein.com/. You could probably make a cheaper version of your own without to much fuss.
Good luck to you! I know how frustrating it can be when dealing with neighbors and their pets.
I agree with belgianwriter. If your neighbors consistently fails to respond, you can report them. Unless your cat is docile, keeping her/him indoors permanently may not be a great option. Talk to your neighbor and let them know that if they don't attempt to remedy the problem and cooperate that it will leave you no choice but report it. Boundaries needs to be respected.
