# Neighbours cat spraying outside my house



## DottyJones (May 6, 2015)

Hello!

I just wondered if anyone had any advice regarding a problem I'm having with one of my neighbours cats please?

I have two young cats, who have just started going outside.
My neighbour has 5 older cats, who I guess are used to the whole area being theirs. But one of her male cats in particular seems to be stressed by the arrival of our cats, and is spraying all over the place outside.
I wouldn't mind, but today he sprayed on the front door while it was open, meaning it went all over the doorstep and my floor inside. 

I'm not sure if this behaviour would wear off when they all get used to one another? But does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do to put him off doing this? 
The thing is I don't want to put my own two cats off from hanging around my property, so I can't think of any kind of solution  

Thank you


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hello Dotty, welcome to Pet Forum

Your neighbour's cat is behaving completely normally in response to the arrival of 2 strange cats onto his territory. As you say, all your neighbour's cats have probably been used, up until now, to regarding your garden as part of their territory, so they are going to see your two cats as intruders trying to move in on their territory, and this is going to upset them greatly..

Cats spray their urine as a way of scent-marking their territory. It is a way of leaving a message to any strange cat that the territory is 'taken' and the other cat should leave. Entire males often spray more than neutered males, but I have known some neutered males that were prolific sprayers too.

It is probable the cat who is spraying your door has been neutered, but it might be worth having a word with your neighbour to check, and if he has NOT been neutered maybe the owner can be persuaded to have him 'done' for the sake of good neighbourly relations..

Male cats (entire or neutered) generally find male intruders more of a threat that female cats. So if either or both of your 2 cats are male, this would be even more of an incitement to the neighbour's cat to spray.

I assume both your cats are neutered? If not, please don't let them outdoors until they have been 'done'. Entire males are more likely to get into fights than neutered males, and may disappear whilst looking for females to mate with, quite aside from adding to the kitten population.

You mention your cats are young. If they are less than a year old I really would not advise letting them go outdoors without your close supervision. Under a year old they are too young and lacking in common sense to look after themselves, or to stand up for themselves if attacked by an adult cat. And there is a risk one or more your neighbour's cats could attack your cats, once they realise your cats are not getting the scent-messages being left, telling your cats to leave.

There is not a lot you can do to deter the neighbour's cat from spraying urine, as it is a powerful natural instinct for a cat to protect his territory. You can buy a water pistol and squirt him with water every time you see him actually in your garden [or near your front door], and he may run away, only to come back and spray your door later when you're indoors. However squirting him with water is definitely likely to make him wary of you, and might mean he'll stay out of your garden at least during the periods when you are out there with your cats.

The easiest way to stop your cats being threatened or bothered by the neighbour's cats would be for you to fence in your garden securely so your cats could not get out and no other cats could get in. There are various systems available to do this professionally, some more expensive than others. Worth thinking about....

You may like to read this thread I'm linking on the subject of Cat proofing the garden:

http://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/cat-runs-cat-proofed-gardens.211361/

When urine is sprayed on your door, or step, ensure you clean it off thoroughly (for the comfort of your own cats as well as you) with an enzyme cleaner such as Urine Off or Simple Solution. Or you can make a solution of bio laundry liquid and water and use that.

It is possible as time passes that the neighbour's cats, including the male who is doing the spraying of your door, will come to accept your cats presence. But to do that they are going to have to accept giving up part of their territory to your cats, and they may not be willing to do so without a fight. There is less chance of your cats being attacked, if during this current introductory period your cats are in your garden for short periods at a time, and always under your supervision.


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

I second everything that Chillminx has stated...... Especially regarding keeping your cats in at the moment if they are under one.

Not much more to add, Fizzion is another enzymatic cleaner which is excellent to remove the smell and stain of the spray, available at Amazon.

If your cats access the house through the back then a movement cat deterrent that expels a puff of gas from a canister placed by the door in question could work in addition to the water spray idea.

Catproofing your garden ensures your sanity and theirs, as mentioned with the link there are two or three well known systems at different price levels. We use Protectapuss which was reasonable and with trellis Round the top of our 6x6 fence panels quite unobtrusive, Catsecure is elegant and neat but too far out of our financial reach for us, around six times as much! Home made versions of both can be done if you look at the link and are DIY savvy.


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## Kate McFarlane (May 6, 2015)

Sorry posted in error.


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## DottyJones (May 6, 2015)

Hi there, thanks for your replies.


Yes, both of my cats are neutered. I have a male and a female so this was done quite a while ago 


I didn't plan on letting them out before 1 year old at all, but the female is a very nimble little thing and it was getting absolutely impossible to stop her from legging it out the door every time it opened. (I live in a very old property, one that has only one internal door downstairs - a lovely characterful one cropped 2 thirds of the way down, which she can spring right over in 5 seconds flat!) They are 10 months old this month, so they are not too far off.


So she is let out for short periods to burn off some excess energy, but we keep an eye on her. It's not ideal, but we really felt like we had no choice 


Sadly the cat proofing of the garden isn't possible either, as we have a strange outdoor layout with the neighbours, and the path that runs outside my front (and only) exterior door has to provide access for two neighbours to their own gardens.


Looks like I need to get some of the cleaning solution. Thanks for the suggestion.


My partner thinks the male cat in question is neutered (we have looked after her cats a few times) and it would make sense as she has 2 girls and 3 boys, but I'll check with her just to be sure. 


Thanks again


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## Kittenfostermummy (Jul 25, 2011)

Hey as bizarre as this sounds place clear water bottles filled with water near your door and any other points he likes to spray and it should help curb his spraying. I am not 100% sure how this works but I read it somewhere the other year and put it to use outside my front door as I have a neighbours cat that also sprays up my front door and it almost stopped completely!


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## DottyJones (May 6, 2015)

Ah, thanks Kittenfostermummy! That sounds like a tip worth trying


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

Buy one of the garden ornaments with a sensor - I have a duck that quacks next to my cat run as one of the local toms kept spraying in the run. Mine was about a fiver from B&M.


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