Elderly cat started fighting - what can I do?

skintchick

My cat is a very old girl - she is at least 16 and the vet thinks more like 18 (she was a rescue).

She has a thyroid problem for which she has tablets but other than that is healthy although she spends most of her time sleeping.

She doesn;t go out very much but she likes to sit on the front doorstep and considers her territory to be the front garden and drive, and the back garden.

The problem is that a) we have three cats next door who want to be friends with her and b) she is very territorial and hates all other cats!

So you can see whar's happened...

The ginger tom next door who I think has been spayed but might not have been (neighbours didn;t spay the last one but he got run over) wants to be mates with Kizzy (my cat) and often comes into the garden, partly because I have a tub of water by the back door and next-door's cats use it for drinking water as they are often shut outside with no access to food or water.

Usually Kizzy just hisses at them or gets all cross from inside the house, but last night we were watching TV when I heard the worst catfight going on, looked out, and Kizzy and the ginger tom were having a proper scrap!

There was fur flying everywhere and I rushed out to separate them. Ginger is scared of me (I had to make him scared otherwise he comes in the house) so he ran off and I chased him right out of the garden.

Checked Kizzy over and she has a couple of scratches but all the fur was from the tom!

I think because she hardly goes out and her claws are super-sharp he came off worse!

Thing is though, she is very old and he is only two or three and I'm scared he will kill her

And then later on, we let her out the front and heard yowling and hissing and when I went out she was at it again! This time, she and the ginger tom were both having a go at a new cat - big black fluffy one, looked like a tom - who only really ran off when I went out.

She isn;t allowed outside if we are not in the house because the other cats use her cat flap, so we open it when we're in, or let her out the front door.

I'm worried that she has started picking fights - OH says maybe she is going senile?

Has anyone got any advice? Her jabs are all up-to-date but she cannot have an anaesthetic because of her thyroid so if anything happened to her I don;t think she'd survive.

She goes crazy if we dont; let her out at least a little bit each day, and I dont; want to coop her up indoors, but what can I do? I've tried to discourage the other cats from coming in our garden as much as possible but I do worry they have no access to water which is why I leave some out, and they only want to be friends!

Does anyone have any advice?

Sami_Bee

I'm no expert but I'd think options are ..
* speak to neighbours ask them to put water out for their cats, pointing out ur not being funny just trying to save money on their vets bills?
* always be outside with ur kitty (not the best suggestion tho )
* get ur kitty an enclosed run
Sorry I don't have any magic answer x

tiamai_d

The same problems in humans can cause iritability so I spose it could in cats too?

Can you move the water into your neighbours garden so the cats stay out? Or just move it to the other side of your fence?

Other than that, you just got to hope the other cats get the idea that they are not welcome. She sounds set in her ways :rotfl:

Krystaltips

Could it be that he's not spayed and he tried to get a bit fruity with her?

We have 2 spayed females and a complete (at least until tomorrow!) tom... At the moment Mr Tabson keeps trying his luck with Sassi(She's the black and white cutey in my avvy!)... She's not so keen on the idea so we keep having little scraps... Not as violent as yours sounds but she does growl and hiss a lot while fighting him and she's normally quite placid, if a little skittish...

I can't offer any solution though really... Apart from keeping her in, or removing the water... Outdoor cats tend to be free entities...

RacyRed

Its interesting that she teamed up with the ginger tom to see of the stranger cat. Maybe the black fluffy one has been a catalyst and your girl may decide that the now well beaten up ginger neighbour is bearable if he helps her see off cats that don't live in your house or next door?

I'd stick a feliway near her cat flap in the hope that it keeps things a bit calmer, then see what happens over the next few days.

Tricky one though and I can see why you are worried.

rita-rabbit

change the catflap so only she can gain access to your home?!!

skintchick

rita-rabbit wrote: »

change the catflap so only she can gain access to your home?!!

Unfortunately she cannot wear a collar as they make her skin raw, so we have to have a normal cat flap. And that wouldn;t solve the issue of her fighting outside - I've stopped them coming in cos they are scared of me (I chuck water over them when they even sniff teh flap)

McKneff

I dont think you need worry too much. I think she's brilliant and looking out for her territory. The other cats will soon get the message that she doesnt want them there. Our daughter moved back in with us with her cat who was 67 years old, she was a farm cat when born. She is vicious when other cats come in to the garden, and for the last 3 months they have got the message and dont even wander in any more, we dont even see any birds now. Dont put the water outside. Theres life in the old girl yet ! lol