Attacking Tom Cat Needs To Go! How?

[Jennsen]

I have a tread posted in "cat health" about this and was adviced it should go here. My poor babies are getting attacked by a big black stray tom cat when they go outside. Ive tried live trapping him, but he's was to smart for that! I spray him with the hose when he's close enough also but this doesnt even bother him. I would feel sorry for him if he was coming for food of something like that, but he coming here just to attack and fight. All my cats are spayed and neutered so I know it's not that either. The local vet here takes in strays to give to farms around the area if they want them and that's where he needs to go! Is there any other ways or advice that you know of to do this?

[rosethecopycat]

I can't say that I have any advice, but I would make sure your cats are current on FVRCP, FIV/FeLV, and rabies vaccines. That is pretty bad exposure to the worst diseases.
Most of us here condone 'indoor only' cats, and I know that's 'easier said than done' when you got cats accustomed to going outside.

There is a product, a spray, I believe, that deters animals from coming close.
It may effect your cats too, however.

Sorry about your situation.

[The Cat Lady]

Have you tried chaining open the live trap for a week or so with food in it so that he grows accustomed to going into the trap without it triggerring? and THEN setting it to catch him? I have found that if I have a particularly difficult cat to catch, that I have to first make him feel safe going in the trap, before I can catch him.. And if he is not neutered, then he needs to be. His aggression may just stem from protectiveness of his environment. But make sure your cats are safe and current on their vaccinations.. If he is THAT aggressive, it could be rabies too!

Be safe and good luck!

[moosmom]

What this cat needs is to be neutered. "Whole" male cats are very aggressive. Once he is neutered, the aggressiveness stops. Do you know who this cat belongs to?

I hope you'll try trapping him again. Good luck.

[Jennsen]

All my cats are current on all their vacs, because they do go outside, the oldest is 16 years old and the 2 others are 14 and 12yrs old and have gone out all their lives, so it's very hard to keep them in. I do have 2 cats that are not allowed outside because they are younger(1yr and 4yrs old) and they do not know the outdoors.
The black stray belongs to on one, I'm assuming he comes in from the rural country that starts at our property line. His neck is the biggest I've ever seen on a wild tom also which is another big clue he's never had a home.
Chaining the trap open is a great idea...but I've watch him stick his paw in through the side of the cage and scoop the cat food out through the wires(his legs are that long also) I've wired the food can directly in the middle so it a pretty long reach but he gets it anyway. And I've tried every kind of food too!
I know getting him neutered will probably stop these attacks, and there's a very sweet large animal vet here that does it for $10...if I can catch him!!!!!!!!!!
so, I guess I'll keep the cats in and hopefully he will forget were here. My (few)neighbors have had trouble with him also, so I hope they can maybe do something with him
Thanks for all your great advice! I'll try it and see if it works!

[The Cat Lady]

Don't use a food can then.. Try lining the trap with newspaper and dropping pieces of fish from the front (small pieces) to the back of the trap (larger pile of fish). If he enjoys the fish, he will walk further and further in to the trap to get to the big pile at the back of the trap. He won't even notice how far back he is until it is too late.. Then he will get caught! Also, sardines are excellent for catching hard to trap cats. They smell awful and are really slimy, but the cats love 'em!

[Jennsen]

Great idea to line the trap with newspaper!! I never seem to think of those kind of things when I get frustrated! Thank you!

[QueenScoopalot]

One of the most effective baits for tom cats is fresh catnip put on the ground, so it's in the center just past the trigger. I hope the trap you are using is not a two door Havahart. Those are useless IMO. If you do trap him, he can't be neutered and just plunked onto a strange farm unless he's conditioned to the area by being caged for a month or so. Otherwise he'll be driven away by the other cats. He sounds like one tough old scrapper who's fighting to survive.

[Jennsen]

Thanks I'll try the catnip too! If I do catch him and have him neutered, he would be free to roam here as he has always done, and if he stops the attacks, I will start to feed him and maybe tame him a little. I know how tramatic it would be for him to be taken somewhere he didnt know. My parents live on a farm a couple of miles from here, and I have spayed and neutered all the cats there, and half of them were wild to start with, and now they are very tame. I just learned the Lg animal vet would neuter him for the cost of $10 and feel that would be better for him. The other vet would cost $85 to neuter him and that's a bit costly for a wild cat, and he would be taken to one of the Amish farm in the area, so that's not the plan any more. I do feel so sorry for him as I do any cats born in the wild to fend for themselves...and with no petting or laying on a soft bed.

Thanks
Jennsen

[catmandu]

THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MALES,ON MY PORCH,BUT,FOR THE MOST PART,THEY JSUT COME,TO EAT,AND ARE FAIRLY WELL BEHAVED.
I WOULD TRY,THAT SUGGESTION,WITH THE HUMANE TRAP,AND SEE,IF THAT WORKS.
AND THIS POOR CAT,HAS BEEN,ON HIS OWN SO LONG,THAT HE HAS GONE FERAL,AND THAT IS A SHAME.



THERE,BUT FOR THE GRACE,OF GOD,GO WE.