[hafod]

Hi,
Have any of you got any ideas on how i can deal with this situation?!

We are cat lovers and have two cats of our own but over the past few months there has been a random cat around our yard (no collar and very timid, but looks quite well fed so not sure if it is a stray or not).
 Our two cats don't seen too bothered about it, they let it into their space without any hissing or fighting but this cat has started coming into the house and spraying everywhere - I'm fed up of trying to get rid of cat wee smells!
We have a magnetic cat flap which is supposed to only open if the cat has a magnet on their collar. However, this random cat has worked out that the cat flap opens if it whacks it hard (magnet or no magnet!) We have already replaced one cat flap as it managed to shatter the plastic flap and this current one is on the way out too!

I wouldn't mind so much if it was just eating cat food, but spraying/weeing everywhere is just so horrible and last night it sat outside our bedroom door and howled!! (not impressed - I like my sleep)
The cat runs off every time it hears us coming so we've no chance of getting near it.
Any ideas what we can do to stop it coming in the house. I don't really want to block the cat flap because of our two cats.

Thanks
H

[Rosemary]

Cat Protection may lend you a cage to catch the cat. Personally, I'd take it to the vet and get it neutered - I asume it's an unneutered tom, if it's spraying. Then I'd just adopt it 

[happygolucky]

Firstly I would check if it does belong to anyone near you? then if know one owns up to this roaming Tom then do ring cats protection and maybe get him chopped, that should sort that out but at a cost.
This post caught my eye as we used to have the very same problem although a few years ago, our neighbours had a huge male cat that got in as we also kept cats, it would eat the food and spray everywhere but the very bad when one night it came in to fight with our lovely female cat who then ran into our room and weed all over my partner, now husband...it was sort of funny but not funny....not sure what happened as from then on we kept our small window shut at night and our cats in!!!!
Keeping a cat out the house is not too hard if you have a dog around but its a different and much harder story with outdoors...our neighbours cat sits and watches the hens most days, our dogs are not remotely interested and I am sure the cat has a smug look on its face too!!
 
Good luck

[Fleecewife]

Shut the doors from the room the cat flap opens into to limit the problem to just the one room. 
 
Wait for the cat with a water pistol - doesn't hurt the cat but they don't like being splashed, and you can get it from a distance.
 
If your other cats will use a litter tray then shut the catflap at night.,
 
We once had a tom who was the culprit in similar behaviour.  We had him castrated, so he ran away in protest but eventually came home after 7 weeks.  He no longer sprayed but still went into other peoples homes - now to beg for food, until he ended up like a football.  Everyone thought he was a stray and fed him and he obviously practised the starved cat look in front of a mirror, so people believed he was starved when he was totally rotund 

[happygolucky]

  Cats are not daft   One of our cats used to fo to the near buy train staion for his breakfast, i was told by a friend who saw him daily "beg"

[plumseverywhere]

neither of your cats are coming into season are they? we had a tom that decided to smash in the locked cat flap after our little hussy, snowball, screamed so much through it he took desperate measures. After he got her pregnant he went onto spray my brand new kitchen, was really impressed 
He wasn't owned by anyone locally so he took a little holiday to the CPL to be rehomed and neutered. 

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, please don't assume this cat has no owners who love him and would be distraught if he were to be taken away or neutered without their involvement!

And don't assume he's unneutered either; all my males have been neutered at 6 months and two of them sprayed, one of them extensively. 

Limiting the problem to one room and making him unwelcome, along with making sure the owners know what he's up to, would be my first lines of approach.

[funkyfish]

Microchip activated cat flaps are great- pricy but save you a lot on vet fees when your cats get stress cytitis or having to spend money feeding a cat you don't own! Sureflap are a good make.

Have you tried cleaning up any wee with a solution of biological washing powder (1 table spoon to 1 pint water).

[hafod]

Thank you everyone for your ideas. We have around 2.5foot of snow on the ground at the moment so i will try and follow the cats tracks to see where it comes from. It doesn't belong to any of our close neighbours.
Must dig out the water pistol!
Thanks again 

[hafod]

Just thought I'd give you an update.....
As suggested we shut all the doors other than the kitchen and living room to try and contain the problem. When my OH came down stairs this morning all 3 cats (our 2 and this random 1) were curled up together on the sofa!!! When they woke up and saw OH our two 'pretended' to see the random cat off by a half-hearted box round the ears and a chase but I'm pretty sure it was all for show. Random cat ran off (as i said before he is not a people cat - yet!)
On the plus side there doesn't seem to have been any spraying last night.

[Rosemary]

Your cats have adopted him. Your opinion has become irrelevant     

[hafod]

Rosemary - I think you might be right!

[SallyintNorth]

Your cats have adopted him. Your opinion has become irrelevant     

 

Funny from the cats' point of view - but perhaps less so from the p-o-v of the other humans who think he is their cat!  Still, if they don't put a collar and name/address tag on him, what can you do?

[Rosemary]

Cats live where they choose - that's why we love them - they are completely self centred 

[happygolucky]

  , so true, cats are certainly free spirits!!