Advice dealing with a feral Tomcat

[Marts]

For the last few nights my female cats have been acting very nervous. The site I live on has 12 cats in all that are resident, and despite the normal cat politics they all get on well, or at least manage to haughtily ignore each other.

For the last two nights though my girls have refused to go out and started eating all their evening food - whereas normally there would be some left in the morning when I get up.

I decided to do a test last night and switched their cat flap to In-only. I was woken at 5am this morning by an almighty howling and smashing downstairs. I dressed and went down to the workshop where the cat flap is and found a full-size mad as hell feral tomcat (I know its a tom because I checked after what comes next.) This boy was real mad that he couldn't get back out the cat flap he'd come raiding in through. my girls had barricaded the bottom of the stairs - their own last stand position and had hackles raised.
Discretion being the better part of valour I retired to the hallway and donned all my motorbike body armour, gloves and full face helmet and returned to the fray!

It took ten minutes of smashing through the workshop chasing him before I finally pinned him down. I've never had to deal with a feral adult tom before but his struggles were nothing like those you get when you have to put flea drops on your domestic moggie - this was full-blown spit and scratch olympics and there was real power behind him. In the end I had to resort to throttling him until he passed out.
Unfortunately I had nothing to cage him in so reluctantly took him to the main gate of our site and put him outside. He was already starting to come round.

I'm hoping that the experience will put him off returning to my studio, but just in case i'm going to change the cat flap to one of the magnetic ones. Of course this is just displacing the problem as the other cat-owners on site are likely to get nocturnal visits from him now.

Any suggestions? I really don't want to have to kill him - it's probably illegal anyway, but unless we can deal with the problem in a humane way I am not willing to see my own girls and those of my neighbours being seriously injured by this poor, damaged, vicious Tom.

 

[dommyracer]

Any suggestions

Phone the RSPCA might be a start.

 

[Marts]

Already done that. I was told someone would call me back. Nothing so far, so seeing as it was lunch time I thought I'd ask here.

 

[Boxy]

If the worst comes to the worst you can always make a nice hat out of him..... (Joke: no angry reprisals please)

 

[British Red]

Why not fit one of the cat flaps that are activated by the cats collar? That way only your own cats can pass in and out?

Red

 

[hammock monkey]

having to throttle him is not good... i understand what a nightmare they can be tho!

i'd wrap him up in a net / towel type thing and stick him in a box with not too much light (but plenty of air). drop him off with the rspca or blue cross, i doubt his future will be too bright tho
the blue cross are very good - at least they are here.

the people that have pets and are irresponsible are the Post Edited who need putting to sleep....with chuck norris as the 'vet....(the vietnam type that is)

good luck - let us know how you get on
i had a whole family eating out the palm of my hand when i was a student...took a lot of time, effort and trust... and plasters!

EDIT: Please watch you language, this is a family friendly forum. TT

 

[Marts]

I'm going to fit a magnetic cat flap tonight. Of course my cats don't understand the whole magnetic thing so they will remain very nervous of the flap regardless while the tom is still around. Also as I mentioned he'll just move on to my neighbours cat flaps.
I think that while i'm at the pet store tonight i'll see if they have a cheap cardboard containment/ carrier - then i might see if I can catch him again tonight and do as Hammock Monkey suggests. I don't expect his future will be tto bright though

 

[Lurch]

In the end I had to resort to throttling him until he passed out.

:yikes:

Lordy, that doesn't sound much fun.
RSPCA are a waste of space. Fact.
Try the local Cats Protection League, at worst they might have a cage they could lend you. I can't see a cardboard box lasting long against a furious moggy, could you get your hands on a sack of some variety?
Good luck mate, I love cats but if it was mine vs some other then Mr Intruder would be saying hello to my leeetle friend Mr Browning.

 

[Buckshot]

If he's as feral as you say I doubt a card board box will hold him for long!
I had a normal Tom coming into the garden and through the cat flap a while ago, spraying everywhere, eating the food etc.
One day I saw him walking down the garden towards the house.
I nipped out the patio doors after he'd gone through the cat flap and barrcaded it from the outside.
Then I got a spray bottle and a jug full of water and soaked him.
He eventually made it back through the cat flap and we never saw him again.

Based on my experience I'd be surprised if he ventures back in your place again but as you say that only moves the problem on.
I suspect giving him to an animal charity only moves the task of killing him to someone else unfortunatley. I doubt he'll be able to be rehomed and releasing into the wild is illegal I think (someone correct me if it's not please)

Good luck

Mark

 

[Jon]

Friends of ours had a magnetic cat flap for a while. There are a few downsides to them.........

1. The other cats learn to get in by following your cat before the flap closes.

2. Your cat will drag home any piece of ironwork that it comes across, usually six inch nails and old tin cans.

Jon.

 

[Tengu]

A feral cat around is not a good plan as he may have cat AIDS....

try your local cats protection. I too have no faith in the RSPCA as when I was trying to get help with vets bills they lectured me on responsibility...

...me telling them that I was disabled and on my own didnt but no ice....

 

[Toddy]

I usually deal with our local Cat Action Trust for problem strays.
They will arrange capture and vetinary help for feral cats, but if there are no good reasons not to, will deal with any medical problems, neuter, and return the cats to the site to live out their "natural" lives. Kittens that are capable of being socialised will be re-homed if possible.
Not sure if this would be of much help with your problem though

My own Tabby regularly sees off amorous Toms that wander into "her" territory. There are two that she happily flirts with however The others have no chance; madam screams the place down and the whole street knows she has no notion of their attentions The affronted suitor usually bolts pdq.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[ilan]

Rspca are a bit of a waste Try the hammond trust or foal farm they sometimes are able to neuter them and have farms etc that sometimes take them on . Ask around tho could be someones pet/ Had an old tom cat soft as butter with the family favorite trick was to wait in an old tree in the front garden and jump onto the back of any and i mean any dog that passed and was gone before they knew it . lived till he was 14

 

[Toots]

Feral tomcats can be a nightmare and over the years have been responsible for a serious population explosion amongst the cats on the farm. A small explosion in return (in a small brass case from remington!) proved a successful end to the problem. Not possible in a residential area though. Good luck with a satisfactory outcome.

 

[Marts]

Cheers for all the suggestions guys. I was talking to some of the other cat owners on site last night and it seems my girls aren't the first to suffer this Tom's attentions. One neighbour said his cat actually sh*t itself it was terrified so much - I know tales like this can often develop in the telling but I can well see how scared some of the cats could get. My own two for instance are rescue cats and it's taken me a long time to build their confidence up with strangers, human and cat.

Anyway I'm looking for something like this only a bit nearer than Guernsey!

After talking with some of the other owners last night I found someone with a metal dog cage and borrowed it. I set it up in the workshop last night and prepared mybody armour and the cat flap. Unfortunately I think I might have scared him too much the previous night as he didn't come back. I'll try again for a few nights, but after that I'm putting in the magnetic cat flap I just bought.

Cheers all.

 

[Marts]

Doh!

Just found one and it's the charity that we got our rescue cats from in the first place -when they were kittens

 

[Lurch]

I reckon I'd think twice before going back somewhere I'd been throttled too!