How to Keep Outdoor Cats from Bothering Your Indoor Cat

Few things can get some cats rattled and angry like the presence of a cat on their property when they can't get out to defend against it. Indoor cats that can see or sense another cat outside can become quite angry and even engage in redirected aggression, attacking people or other pets in the home as a proxy for the unreachable outdoor kitty.

If you think this could be going on with your cat, here are some things you can do to help.

Use Stress-Relieving Practices in the House

Cats that are stressed, like those that can see a trespassing cat outside, can benefit from some feline stressbusters such as:

• Feliway. Feliway is a substance that mimics the calming pheromone produced and emitted by cats. It can really help calm an upset kitty. It comes in spray or diffuser form.
• Extra interactive playtime with wand toys. This is one of the most significant ways to decrease a cat's stress. Interactive play with a wand toy, where you use the toy to mimic a cat's natural prey of birds or rodents, lets out a lot of pent-up steam for a kitty.
• Scratching posts in the area of the window. If your cat sees another kitty outside and then gets agitated, it may help to put a good scratching post right in that area. That way, your cat will have something to attack and take out aggression on. Plus, in general, good scratching posts help cats deal with stress.

The more calmness you can encourage inside, the better your cat will be able to cope with the outdoor cat's presence.

Try to Dissuade the Outside Cat

You can do some things to dissuade the outdoor cat from coming around, such as:

• Cats dislike certain fragrances, especially citrus, so scattering orange or lemon peels around your property or sprinkling citrus essential oils there may help.
• Remove any source of food the outdoor cat may be finding around your house, such as garbage. Make sure all bins are secure.
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  Get rid of shelter sources that the kitty may be using as a home. Or block access to the shelter if there's no way to remove it. For example, if cats are hanging out under your deck, affix fencing to the access areas.
• Install motion-activated sprinklers. Once a cat learns that your property emits spray at him whenever he wanders through, he'll find an alternate route.
• Use an ultrasonic sound device that emits noise you can't hear but cats dislike. Just make sure to read the package to determine the area reached and put the device in a spot where it won't bother your indoor cat.
• Cover or remove anything the cat may be using as a litter box, like a child's sandbox or your garden area.

Block Your Indoor Cat's View

Sometimes it's necessary, at least temporarily, to block your cat's view outside, so the intruder can't be seen. You can keep heavy curtains over a window and remove cat beds or posts from that window for a while.

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Redirected Aggression in Cats

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Interactive Playing with Wand Toys

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