Under Siege

Our house is currently under siege and has been for about the past week, due to a local tomcat who has upped his ongoing campaign to claim our garden as his personal territory. The cat in question is a beautiful ginger tabby and most likely a much loved pet, but he is also an absolute terror and is waging war on my kitties, which is not a good thing.

This has been going on for a while and certainly is not news in our house. Charlie in particular is being bullied constantly by this cat who was responsible for the wounds that saw us heading off for an emergency visit to the vet back in August. Charlie is rather timid at the best of times (except around us, because we are the best thing ever - after Missy of course) and easily spooked, so being beaten up every time he steps outside the door isn't doing wonders for his self confidence.

Missy is doing better as she is fast, very fast... And she is mean if provoked... And she is a very proficient tree climber. However, Ginger has taken to hanging around outside our back door hoping to jump our pair the instant they set foot outside the house, which has meant he's tree'd her far too frequently of late. And of course, if Missy is jumped, Charlie wades in to defend her (as she watches from a safe height) which means he gets beaten up again.

Things are escalating. I've even had to drive the ginger tom away from the back door as he tried to pursue Missy inside. Charlie is becoming reluctant to go out until I've checked the coast is clear and I'm fed up of having to dive out into the garden in my pajamas to break up a cat fight every morning.

I think the lady next door and her daughter are fed up with it too as this morning's fracas brought both of them outside as well.

So I've succumbed. I've combed Ebay and I've just bought a large water pistol so that Dave and I can defend our borders. I don't know if it will work, but if a good soaking every time he sets a paw in our (or next doors) garden makes Ginger think twice about hanging around, it can only be a good thing... So it's worth a try methinks.