Help on two male toms fighting for territory

belinda502

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

I have had a feral tom cat for 5 years - he used to allow us to pet him but in the last year won't allow us near him. He has a cat bed outside and gets fed twice a day. There is no way I could get a cage next to near him in order to get him neutered - he is one nervous cat.

The problem is that another tom has been encroaching on his territory for the past 3 years and it's gotten worse. My cat has been bitten several times and I have had to break up meowing competitions between him and the other cat. I don't know if the other cat is feral - he isn't scared and if he sees me often just lies down and starts rolling around. The other two nights the other cat has been sleeping in my cat's bed. My cat gets into it for a few hours in the morning. Whenever they engage in these standoffs my own cat is crouched down and the other cat is not - I don't know if that means that the other cat is winning.

What can I do to put an end to this?

boomerang

First of all, you need to get your boy neutered. Many vets will have a trap that they loan out to clients, or contact your local feral cats group or animal welfare organisation. You may even be able to avail of low-cost neutering.

Is the other tom neutered, so far as you can tell? Neutering eliminates the aggressive behaviour in 80 per cent of cases. If he's rolling around infront of you, he's tame, but he may not be owned.

Fakediamond

I also had this problem some years ago. I was feeding a feral cat, who got into ferocious battles with feral toms passing through his territory, he would have terrible gashes on his forehead and body. I borrowed a trap and got my feral Tom neutered, which solved that problem. Sadly, a car got him a couple of years later. Sometimes, the local SPCA will cover some of the cost of getting the op done.

kathleen37

I've had this problem and actually trapped both and got them both done. (Explained situation to vet and they checked both for chips before doing the op - and neither had one)

jenn1984

Definitely agree with the neutering recommendations- you need to find a way as he is at severe risk of FIV if the fighting continues

belinda502

Thanks very much for the advice. I rang around vets before but none would come out. I will try again next week - the problem is that I can't see how I can get him into a trap at all short of having him sedated and I can't get hold of him to do that because he will not allow anyone to handle him. Will ring around again and see what could be done to get him safely into a cat trap.

belinda502

belinda502 wrote: »

Thanks very much for the advice. I rang around vets before but none would come out. I will try again next week - the problem is that I can't see how I can get him into a trap at all short of having him sedated and I can't get hold of him to do that because he will not allow anyone to handle him. Will ring around again and see what could be done to get him safely into a cat trap.

Doubt you'd find a vet that would come and do it for you. I think previous posters just meant you could ring around and find a vet that has a cat trap and borrow it from them.

With a trap you don't have to touch the cat at all. As far as I know you set it up in the usual area you feed them after maybe not feeding for a day so they are hungry. Then leave a trail of very smelly delicious food into the trap where the full bowl will sit. They'll walk in and the door will close behind them. Then you can cover it with a towel to help keep them calmer and transport them to the vet yourself.

Alternatively you can contact local rescues to either borrow a trap or to see if any of the rescues offer a trap neuter and release service for ferals.

Graces7

OP;had a similar issue and bought a trap. Fed the cat ONLY in the trap for weeks, door wedged open, then when he was happy with that ( try tuna!) just gently closed it. I had a flat book ready to cover the entrance while I closed it.

Worked fine.Once he was in he went quiet. Sheer terror probably.

The other thing is that in the car etc he WILL pee and spray so protect the area well.

Previously I had borrowed a trap from a local rescue as they use them for TNR but knew I would be moving soon. Got two at E40 and they have been used ascat beds since with the door fastened open.

Neutering is vital; I was totally stuck money wise then our local RAWR who I had worked with in the past had a "fix it for a fiver" programme" so that was great.

Good luck with it.

pawrick

A lot of animal rescues will provide a trap and show you how to use it if you give them a security deposit of Bout 50 euro. Some will even set it and collect for you if nearby and they have time. See if there are any near you as good ones are expensive to buy. Good luck

belinda502

Thanks very much for the advice; I will get onto animal rescue centres also next week - I think i will try Graces7 advice about feeding him in it for a few weeks because I know that if he goes into it once and I try to close it unsuccessfully i'll never get him into it again. Not exactly swimming in cash so will try all options and hopefully will have success.

Graces7

belinda502 wrote: »

Thanks very much for the advice; I will get onto animal rescue centres also next week - I think i will try Graces7 advice about feeding him in it for a few weeks because I know that if he goes into it once and I try to close it unsuccessfully i'll never get him into it again. Not exactly swimming in cash so will try all options and hopefully will have success.

WIse idea. I felt the same way and also leaving the trap set outside means other cats can get in. Once found my huge black and white boy sitting in the trap looking sheepish...

A big knitting needle threaded through the wire when the trap is held open is easy and quiet to pull out when he is in; get him used to you standing there as he eats. When his face is in the tuna...

I got my traps from a shop in DIngle; he sells a lot for TNR work in the area.

I knew I was moving and needed more carriers so absorbed the cost over the months.

aonb

where are you based OP?
Local TNR groups (Trap Neuter Return) will bring a special cage to your property, and set it up. Food will be put in the cage. If you dont feed your cat he will eventually go into the cage for the food, and a spring on the door will flip it close, catching him inside. The TNR folks will take cage/cat and have him neutered, then return him to your property.
Hopefully you have a TNR group nearby - google them - failing that, a local animal rescue will advise you, and will surely have a trap you can borrow

loveisdivine

You don't need to close the door yourself, when the cat walks to the back of the trap where the food is he will stand on the latch that triggers the door to close.

I wouldn't waste time spending weeks feeding him inside the trap. Our new house came with 2 semi ferals. One would run the second you approached, but within about 5 minutes of the trap being out he was caught! And when we had to do it again the next week for a check up he fell for it again