Hello,

I have a problem with our neighbor cat. She has come around to our terrace and looking into our place which was okay by us. And then yesterday she came into our place through our daughter's room window. I opened the window to air out and she came in. I spotted her on our hallway and she ran out the same way. And then today I had the shuttle tilted in our bedroom, not open and she came in and was in our living room. I saw her and she ran out but she really had to squeeze herself to get out. I have the feeling that the cat knows what she is doing and fear it's going to be the daily occurrence. Is there anything I can do? I do not want her walking all over in our place and scratch our piano or the furniture.

I know about the throwing water but honestly I don't have time to get the water, she is too quick to run out. By the time I take one step she is already running out. I can't have window closed forever either. I have no landlord since we are all owners here. Do we have any rights? It seems to me that the animals can do whatever they want to like walking into our terrace, digging our flower pots and now inside our apartment and there is nothing we can do about it. They seem to have more rights than us! I still need to talk to the cat owner but I fear it won't help. I appreciate any advice,

Thank you,

Lee

Cats roam, and your garen is part of their territory.
Probably the previous occupier let her into the house as well.

Buy water pistol and keep giving it a blast, it will soon get the message.

Our bedroom windows are on the ground floor, and we also had an inquisitive cat neighbor coming in to looky-loo (friendly calico, good manors, but my husband isn't a "cat person"--If I hadn't met that guy, I'd probably be living in a studio lined with bookcases and 15 cats who'd found me through their cat magic).

In the short term, I would leave the window open but the "tapparella" (what's this called in English? shade?) with all the cracky things open--ventilation without catilation. Long term, put screens on the windows. Use a fine enough guage to keep cats out.

Just think: if cats can get in, so can smaller (and bigger) things. Probably best to think about a solution that covers all the bases.

is not likely to scratch your furniture unless it's a kitten

Do you know the owners? If so, why not having a word with them?

Thanks for your replies. I don't mind cats coming into our terrace and roaming around. But I have to draw a line when the cat started coming into our living spaces more than once. Like I mentioned I can't get fast enough to get any water or water pistol. Not that I even want to throw water inside the apartment!

About the shutters, so I can't even open the windows and shutters in my own place? I had the shutter only tilted and the cat squeezed through! Like I said I don't have any rights in my own place! We have never had any animals coming into our place and I doubt any will ever will except this cat.

Lee

What do you expect the owner to do about it?

I will have to have a word with the owner of the cat. And we are nervous not only because of the furniture but we both are musicians and have many musical instruments in our place. Even if the cat just jumps on our instruments it can already cause damages.

Lee

I have the same problems with our neighbours'cat, a big black thing who considers our terrace is his territory, and has to pee and poo there regularly to prove his point. He also tries to get in when he can, which really bothers me as I'm extremely allergic to cats

The cat also pees in the corridors in the building. It's quite a wild thing, as he once attacked my (small) dog!

I don't think you can force the neighbours to keep their cat inside (and it wouldn't be fair for the cat anyway). So except shouting loudly to scare him out of your place, there no ideal solution.

BTW I don't know the owner.... I only know she is old swiss lady....

Part of the problem is that you've tolerated the cat looking in, now it's taken its curiosity to the next stage; coming in. The water pistol method should discourage it and the advice about keeping the blinds down when your ground-floor windows are open is worth following.
Personally I can't stand cats and hubby is allergic to them so we've got a box-thingy in the garden that makes a high pitched 'click' when it senses anything larger than a bird, seems to keep all of the neighbours moggies away. I can't remember where we got it, but googling 'cat deterrent' shows that amazon.uk has similar ones so I expect there are other places too.

what exactly do you think she is going to be able to do though?

Just make the cat feel unwelcome. Shout and wave whilst charging it. Don't 'here kitty kitty, sweet furry possom, shoo shoo out the window there you go...'

Even though you secretly want the cat and love feline possom, you just need to let it know that it's pissing you off. This could of course make it worse.

In my book, you're blessed to have its attention.

Many years ago a cat came into my house. I ran after it and it ran upstairs and jumped out the bedroom window onto the ledge. It was too high to jump down from there.

I shut the bedroom window and stared menacingly at it for about half a minute. Then I opened the window and stepped back. It ran like the clappers back downstairs and out of my house, never to return.

Harder to do in an apartment, but I guess you need to show it who's boss. Maybe a kick? Not to hurt it but enough so that it knows you're not playing. A gentle kick but with an aloof "f/ck you, cat" face as you walk away.

Put some sticks in the ground in front of the window so the cat can't jump. Plant some roses around the sticks.

Get a dog.

cheers
SC

Please do not do this, this will make the cat afraid of people, this is not a nice present for its owner.

Good question...

But at least by informing the owner that their cat is becoming a nuisance and you're concerned about any damage to your property, it won't come as a shock/lie to them later on. You can also discuss what action to take together so that you don't do something the owner disapproves of. More of just a preemptive measure than anything else, I s'pose. Can't hurt.

You could try as Ssscat device and place it at entry points. Hiss at the cat when it comes in, I know it feels idiotic but that seems to work with even the bravest cats (my own cats are ridiculously chilled out, clapping loudly or shoo shoo-ing them just elicits an interested gaze, the only thing that works is hissing when I want them to move or a loud "No" when they are naughty). A friend of mine has a cat who hates, HATES the smell of orange peel, maybe there is something that you like but kitty hates?

Hi, actually we don't have any windows but doors in every room that leads to the terrace so it's pretty hard to always keep it closed. I did chase after but didn't scream or anything like that. I think I need to look into some kind of guard or protection to put around our terrace, some kind of spray maybe... Do any of these work? I do think this cat takes a great interest in us for some reason...

I find it strange that the dog owners always have to put a leash on while walking, cleaning after the dogs etc. and cat owners are not responsible at all for their animals...

There you go:

http://www.google.com/search?q=cat+r...iw=935&bih=158

They have simillar stuff in Coop, Jumbo and Landi. Good luck!