Expert: Ali - 10/26/2008

Question
Hi, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on a supposed stray cat in my area.  I have my own cat who is female, 6 years old and is spayed.  I have had a few problems with a cat who likes to chase mine, both through the cat flap and jump her while she is outside. She will consequently take refuge under a car where a battle of hisses and growls then takes place.  Sometimes this cat will walk off, other times I will suddenly hear my cat bombing it through  the cat flap while the other cat sits outside making a loud howling noise. I went to shoo it away once and when I turned my back on it it went for me and scratched all down my legs and bum so now I am very wary of it! The problem has also been that it came through the cat flap once into my lounge, up my stairs etc and to get it out i gave it some food which I know people tell you not to do.  Now however, i am not sure if it just comes round to get to my cat or because it is hungry.  I was told by a neighbour that it is male and a stray but how do you really know?  I feel bad that it might be hungry, cold etc and I am not helping it by trying to ignore it and keep it away. As of yet I have not phoned any organization to see what can be done, but I have read that you need to make sure that noone owns it first and even after that I'm not sure I would be able to catch it.  Like I said I have become very nervous of it although a few months back before all this started it allowed me to stroke it.  Being a cat lover, I hate to think of it being out all alone and hungry but I can't tell if it is suffering.  It looks slightly gaunt at the rear end but other than that it looks okay.  It is a pretty looking black and white cat, so doesn't appear to be feral. How do cats survive for food if noone feeds them?  I have lived at this address for about 6 months and see it most days. I think my cat has sometimes given as good as she gets but I have taken to closing the cat flap now and letting her out only when I am around, which I know is hard for her.  I cannot take the risk though of this cat coming in when it feels like.  It saw her once through the flap and pushed so hard it broke through the lock!
Can you give me any advice on where I should go from here as it is really upsetting and stressing me out.  I know you can't help every animal but it has really got to me.
Thankyou,
Jo Jackson

Answer
Joanne,

There may be a few different things going on here, but most the most likely in my opinion is a territorial issue. Intact cats are far more likely to fight over territory and behave aggressively. I suspect that the reason this kitty came after you is because she was already worked up and you happened to be the closest one to her. It's best to keep your distance when cats are fighting - if you must intervene I would recommend using a water hose, a loud noise like an air horn or clanging two pot lids together. Once you've created a distraction and broken the fight up then you can go in and usher your cat inside. I would still advise you to be very careful with your cat if she has been fighting because it's quite possible that she might turn on you without meaning to - it would be just about the state of arousal that fighting comes along with.

I suspect that your stray kitty has probably been socialized at some point with humans and then abandoned - cats do exceptionally well at keeping themselves clean. It wouldn't hurt to feed this kitty once your little one is in for the night. If you can get close enough to the cat to see his/her back end when the tail is up then you can get a fairly clear picture of gender....If your neighbor thinks that the kitty is stray and you aren't sure that he/she is homeless there isn't anything wrong with placing posters up at local vet clinics and shelters as well as around your neighborhood, if this kitty has a caregiver that would be the way to find out who that person is...

From your description it sounds as though the cat may be on the thinner side (which may be caused by lack of proper diet or intestinal parasites) and if many cats in your neighborhood go outdoors routinely this kitty may have learned to survive by eating food placed outside for cats with homes and human caregivers...Stray cats survive without human intervention in a variety of ways- they will eat food off of doorsteps, they can catch small prey animals and eat them, they can get food from the garbage bags and some strays are lucky enough to find people who will feed them and try to care for them...I do think that this kitty is most likely one that has been socialized with people at some point in his/her life and would stand a chance of being able to be re-homed if you are able to turn him/her around and teach this kitty to trust again. In my experience far too many cats do without food and care partially because people will move away and abandon them...Most stray cats have to survive on whatever they can find and all too many don't find compassionate human beings that will actually help them out by feeding them...If you aren't in a position to take this kitty inside, (isolated from your resident cat of course)feed him/her, provide routine medical care such as vaccines, deworming, spay/neuter, and getting rid of internal and external parasites then it might be a good idea to do some research into no-kill shelters and rescue organizations that specialize in rehabilitating stray cats and if this kitty is feral there are many rescue organizations that would fund the medical care as part of a trap/spay/neuter, vaccinate/release program...If you listen to your heart you will know what the right thing to do is....Good luck!