As we speak we are "sans weasel"- without the weasel- weaselless and unweaselled! We found him lurking in the new electric fuse cupboard, so he was trapped in a bucket and ejected to the marsh. Poor thing must have been ravenous!!!
Then just when you think all is clear another problem arises. The stray jet black cat has been around quite a lot recently in the gardens. Everytime you catch a glimpse of it the cat runs like a rocket across the fields. Charles Le Baron is still a little un-nerved by the cat and is still rubbing the fur from in the front of his ears frantically trying to leave his scent.
We have no idea if the black cat is a "tom" or a pregnant female ( please no!) looking for somewhere to have her litter. I did see Charles having a stand off with it as I watched through the window and after a time they just turned away and walked in different directions.
Saturday morning we went into the new building to find a wet patch in the builders sand and looked for a leak in the ceiling but could see nothing and it remained a mystery. Yesterday morning I opened the pantry door and the most hideous smell of cat pee hit me. Surely not Charles? Definitely not Charles he is such a clean cat. Then last night as we sat watching TV, Charles on my lap and Diggers sprawled on the sofa there was a crash in the cuisine. Mark got there just in time to see the black cat disappear through the cat flap!
So he or she is now entering through two cat flaps in the night to get to the cuisine. If it uses two cat flaps it must have had a home at some time and not be just a feral farm cat?
So what do we do? We cannot close up the cat flaps as poor Charles will have no freedom. Do we try and catch the cat and take it to the vet to see if it is a "tom" or a mademoiselle. If it is an un-neutered tom I would be happy to pay for the op and he can stay if he wants. If it is a Mademoiselle with a litter on board heaven knows what we will do. Suggestions please?
Is Charles spraying? If so it would suggest another male is around and they are both trying to stake a claim to territory. In the UK you can buy cat flaps that only open for the cat wearing a collar which releases an opening mechanism, kind of like an automated garage door. That may be your only option. Will Charles take to wearing a collar. Good luck, I had a similar situation with our cat Slinky many years ago. It entailed a lot of marking and a lot of cleaning - enough said, don't want to totally ruin your weekend :-)
RépondreSupprimerDi
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Hi Di
SupprimerCharles only ever sprayed once and he was up the vets next day and neutered! He has never sprayed since! That cat flap sounds like a good idea will look into it- mind you he`s not gonna like that collar!!
Spoke to someone today who had a tom that kept coming into their house via the flap and beating up their cats!!! Save me!
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I found one that only works in conjunction with a cat's microchip. If he's chipped this would be perfect, he wouldn't need a collar.
RépondreSupprimerOur cat was neutered, he still sprayed!
The flaps are called "Sureflap Microchip". They are for sale on Amazon.
Hope it helps.
Di
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So here is plan A.......we have just come back home to fin charles lying in the grass and the black cat curled up asleep a few feet away.The black cat shot away when it saw us. So perhaps they might be friends?
RépondreSupprimerWe have borrowed a large dog cage from a friend and tonight we are going to put it over the cat flap with some food and bedding in with the flap on one way. So, if he comes in tonight he will have to stay in the cage and we can see if he/she is friendly, male or female!!
I will keep you posted!!
Why is my life never quiet?
A catflap represents freedom to us but for a cat it's a chink in the defenses and needs to be guarded. It's a tricky situation. Hope you manage to catch the black cat :)
RépondreSupprimerI've never known a strange pet to come into a home through those cat flaps...wow. I know it must happen and seriously, I wouldn't know what to do either. Oh, let's all hope it's not ill and I hope you catch the little thing and find out the gender.
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