Cat marking territory on electrical equipment!?

[Jen]

I have been having an on going problem with my new neighbours cat coming in and eating my cats food and marking its territory in my house on my electrical equipment!

Apart from being very annoyed, I am also questioning why the electrical equipment???

I have got into the habit of locking my catflap now and only letting my cat out when I am about which is fine, apart from the odd occasion when my cat does a bunk before I go to work and I have no option but to leave the cat flap unlocked so she can get back in.

Wednesday I came home having had to leave to cat flap open, to the horrendous smell of cat pee (or whatever it is that they mark their territory with?) of all places but right beside my bed (at the head end!).

Once I set to, to clean it up, I found that the cat couldn't have been more accurate if it had tried and having pulled the plugs out of a four way socket thingy, there was cat pee all around the plugs and between the plug and socket!

On previous occasions it has been my computer printer (with paper in it) and video that have copped it!

What is it about the electrical equipment - does it let off a particular current or something that attracts them???

I have now resorted to shutting my kitchen door if my cat is no where to be seen so at least she can get in the kitchen, but if anyone else was to come in, they can't get any further.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but any help would be appreciated.

[aberlemno]

Well, there's always the old colonial trick of a pile of Lion poo by the cat flat - works every time! Helps if you live near the local zoo though . . .

As for any sensible solution - dunno - but if you ever leave your plugs plugged in and switched on you are going to come back to a barbecued cat who had a short, sharp shock in his nether regions and you won't have any more problems !

[berylsmum]

An interesting problem, we have had problem we neighbourhood cats in the past but they have never gone for the electrics.

You can get special cat flap which are magnetic so only a cat with a special tag on its collar can get in, not sure how well they work though.

The other advice I have heard is to set the flap onto in only and trap the cat in. Then when the cat is in go inside and make loads for noise bangs etc, but with the flap still locked for going out. Then after a few minutes unlock the flap and let the cat out. I think the idea is give the cat a fright and cut of its escape route so it will think twice about coming back in.

Other than that what worked for me was getting a new younger cat who attacked anything that came anywhere near our house.

[native]

Leave the appliances switched on, should rid you of the problem in no time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[esme]

We had a problem with one of our cats being territorial in this way and it was really awful. The worst moment was when I found out that she had sprayed all over the toaster - but not until I had switched it on and the burning smell of cat pee was.... well put politely overwhelmingly disgusting! We also had a close call with the TV socket shorting out, when investigated why the fuses kept tripping we found she had been round there too! Yes there is some sort of smell given off from the electrics that they are attracted to apparently. In our case we used hormone therapy I think to settle the cat down and covered whatever we could with foil as they aren't meant to like the sound of it (she didn't care just peed up it anyway, but at least it protected things a bit). I think your only soloution is as suggested above with the cat flap magnets, but you could also lie in wait if you see it about and when it comes through the cat flap tip a jug of water over it - we also had that problem at another house with visiting cats, it worked a treat, the look on the cats face was brilliant and it turned tail so fast and was happily quite unharmed, but put it off coming back again!

[Jen]

Thanks for all the advice above. Unfortunately I have just replaced my cat flap, as the last one went out with the cat when I chased it having locked it in - or so I thought! My latest cat flap is one that is either open or closed, as I cannot afford to keep replacing them if the cat is going to go through it whether it is open or not!

I'd prefer not to have to start putting a collar with a magnet on, as my cat has never had to wear a collar, but I guess it would solve my problems.

The thing with this cat is, that he doesn't frighten easily, and even when you try to shoo him off he just sits there looking at you!

I shall continue to keep my cat in or confined to the kitchen and hope this cat doesn't take to marking it's territory in the kitchen!?

[percypony]

Ewww you poor thing!
Can you not talk to the other cats owner or do you not know where it comes from?
I have had many cats in the past and only the ones un-netured/speyed every sprayed. I would say it was the owners responsibility to make sure their animals didn't stray not yours to keep it out/stop it!
Let us know how you get on.
S x

[gwenoakes]

Can you try the water pistol thing. Sorry if already suggested. Just a thought. If not water pistol, poss bucket of water if outside. I wish you luck as I know how horrible cat wee is and the smell last ages.