# Cat causing the neighbours problems! Big problem for me soon!



## GuitarMan (Oct 19, 2013)

Hi all,

I hope you can help.

First of all, I'm a British expat living in Cambodia. So we don't have access to western vets, products, etc.

I have 2 cats, 1 boy and 1 female. Both have been 'fixed'. The female is the one causing the problems for my neighbours.

Here, the vet couldn't spay the female cat until she had at least one litter. Weird I know, but like I say, it's Cambodia! So she had her litter, we rehomed all the kittens and got her spayed. 

The neighbour's cat was the same. Unfortunately all her kittens didn't make it.

Now my cat and the neighbours cat have never been on good terms. They used to have little spats, but nothing more than that. Other days they would eat together and sleep next to one another. But now it's got bad.

My cat goes into my neighbour's house looking for their cat and looking for a fight. It's quite bad, the neighbour's cat is smaller and always comes worse off. Losing hair, getting scratched and ending up a bit bloody. They only stop if somebody breaks it up.

To make matters worse, my cat has started urinating and leaving solids around her house. She doesn't do this in my house. Never has. 

This has been going on for about 2 weeks now. The neighbour's are getting so angry that they told me this morning that they will 'steal' the cat and take it away to the pagoda (Buddhist monastery where they Monks are obliged to care for them. This is another story in itself and a big problem in Cambodia. But that's another story). They said they would do this if the problem isn't fixed asap.

I don't want this to happen. So how to make my cat nice to their cat. She's ok and friendly with me, my wife, other males cats but hates females cats with a vengeance. 

It's not really easy to keep her inside. It's 40 degrees outside on a hot day and 30+ on a cool day! We need to leave the windows and doors open for fresh air otherwise we'll slowly cook inside the house!!

Please help!!!!


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

get a cat run made so she can go out but not roam,you will need some shade for her too.


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## GuitarMan (Oct 19, 2013)

Thanks for the idea. I was hoping that the anger issue could be resolved. Is she just going to be an angry cat?


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Sometimes, cats just don't like other cats, and to be honest, unless you own both, there's very little you can do about it.

I'd do a couple of things.

Firstly, go out and buy some screening. You can order this from the UK (I think it's called pet mesh), or get a heavier version of chicken wire. Assuming they'll have something like that out there of course. If not, can you think of alternatives? Screen off all your windows with this stuff so that you can still have them open, but she can't go out.

Next, build a cat run using the same wire stuff, off one of your doors. Again this means that you can leave the door wide open and she can come and go as she pleases without actually leaving your propperty.


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## GuitarMan (Oct 19, 2013)

Looks like I'm going to be busy for a few days!

So why the urinating and excreting? Territorial thing?


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## AtticusRavel (Sep 8, 2013)

yes, the urinating and especially the ¨bonus¨of the feces looks like very territorial marking. Is a way of saying I´m not scared of you, I´m above you.


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## GuitarMan (Oct 19, 2013)

So basically.

My cat hates the neighbours cat. There's nothing I can do about that. That's life.

The cat can't go outside anymore because of the problems she's causing. I need to keep her inside or build some kind of run for her. This isn't possible as I live in a rented property and the landlord won't have it. I can keep her inside and get the Air-Con on max. Big increase in bills, but not much I can do about that. 

She leaves faeces and urine to show that she is not afraid and better than the other cat. Not a lot I can do about that either. 

Is there nothing I can do to make the cats like each other?

Thanks for all the advice so far.


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## rox666 (May 22, 2012)

Because the other cat is not your cat then I don't see what you could do to try and encourage them to get along. Basically you would have to try and follow the "procedure" for introducing cats to each other (just google that and you'll find lots of information on it), which would really require both female cats to live in your house or a great deal of co-operation from your neighbour.

You can't just make cats like each other. At best they could learn to tolerate each other but that would be achieved by following a gradual and controlled introduction process.

If there is no way that you can stop your cat getting in your neighbour's house through open windows etc then you are pretty much stuck with trying to keep your cat confined to your house/garden. 

In the UK it's easy, we fit microchip controlled cat flaps so only "authorised" cats are allowed entry and windows are rarely open because (as you know) it's normally not the weather for it.

Good luck. I hope you come to a happy resolution for both you, your neighbour and your respective cats!


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Normally when cats fight, there's a lot of yowling and noise making and posturing, rarely any actual violence, and when there is it's short lived and stops as soon as one cat goes away. With yours, that's not the case which suggests an intense dislike between the two. That's difficult enough to sort if you own both cats, with no guarantee of success there either, but impossible if one of th cats isn't yours.

Don't poopoo the idea of a run and screening. Screens can be velcroed in place, and you can have a free standing run made of batton and wire pannels which screw together and are very easy to take with you when you go, with no more damage to the propperty than a few screw holes in the wall which are easily filled. There's nothing to stop you doing this.

I live in rented propperty. All of my windows are screened, I've added a screen door to the back door, and none of my cats can go anywhere. It can be done. It's just a wee bit more difficult. Cheaper than having air con on all the time though, and better for the cat if she still has limited outdoor access.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I have net screens fitted to all my upstairs windows, in case my cats try to get out through the windows when they are open in the summer. They are attached to the window frame by strong velcro which is sticky-backed. They are very effective, and cause no damage to the windows at all. 

In the UK you can order these screens made to fit your exact size of window. I see no reason why the companies who make them would not export to you in Cambodia, though I imagine the shipping costs would not be cheap. But it would give you a fairly instant *solution* to being able to keep your cat indoors. 

Sometimes with these kind of problems a bit of lateral thinking can come in handy. So, if you don't want to keep your cat indoors 24/7 and feel you can't build a temporary run for her, then what you could do is offer to pay for the supply and fitting of screens for your neighbour's windows and doors. 
At least then your cat could not get into their house, and it would take the heat out of the situation to some extent as well as reducing the risk of the neighbour stealing the cat to re-home her at the monastery. 

Of course screening the neighbour's windows/doors won't change the relationship between the 2 cats, but on the other hand it might provide a safe place for the neighbour's cat to get away from your own cat. 

The only way your cat will become less "angry" with next door's cat is if she no longer sees her, I'm afraid. 

Unfortunately cats cannot be reasoned with, when it comes to whom they like and whom they hate -- (believe me I have tried, over the years). It is an instinctive response, based upon territorial behaviour. 

As has been said by others, if you owned both cats and went through a painstaking process of gradual re-introduction there is a faint possibility you might end up with 2 cats who could just about tolerate each other. But somehow, I rather doubt it.

Sorry there is not an easier solution to your problem.


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## GuitarMan (Oct 19, 2013)

Thanks a lot for your helpful advice everybody.

I'm going to consider everything that you've said and try to find a solution as outlined above. 

I'll let you know when I've decided on what I'm going to when I know!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi again GM, just to add a bit of info you may possibly be interested in.

I contacted the UK company that supplied the made-to-measure net screens for my windows and they said they are willing to ship to Cambodia.

Furthermore as it would be a "one-off" order they say they wouldn't charge any more for postage than they usually charge! Which seems pretty generous of them. 

Window protection for cats - Open your windows without endangering your cat

The guy said if you are interested just order on line. Estimated delivery time for Cambodia is about 5 days.


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