Why Tom can't stay!!

[Booktigger]

My neighbour leaves her door open most of hte day (even when she goes to wrok as the other neighbour keeps an eye on it), and Tom has started sneaking in and beating her female oldie up. Despite her being a temperamental tortie, she wont stand up for herself, so he is doing it all the more. As a result, she has had to ask me to shut the door when I let him out, so he cant get in to get at her. Which I dont mind, I much prefer it to Tom beating a cat up, but it isn't good as we have the whole summer to get through - there are 12 cats on my street, and he has had a go at either 5 or 6 of them (one neighbour has a mother and daughter, both pure white, so can't tell them apart). And then the neighbour who 'looks after' her house opens the door without checking with me where Tom is and he did nearly get her even though I thought I had shut the door and was safe to let him out!! He doesn't have a prob with the cats in my house anymore, although it took him a few months to get used to Ginger. I dont know why he has suddenly started doing this, or if I Can stop him - other than finally finding him his forever home.

[MzTrouble]

surely its just about him finding his place in the pecking order?

When I moved last year, both mine had A LOT of fights (in fact, we were verry worried about my baby but we kept him in for a bit and he sorted himself out..... even my nearly blind old man likes to have a pootle around the garden every now and again and doesnt have issues :)

[Booktigger]

The vet nurse thinks it is - I just can't understand it as he has been here nearly 11 months (good job I knew he was a long term foster when he came!!) and has had outdoor access for about 9 months.

[sweetmimi]

Has Tom been neutered? If not that might help calm him down.

[Booktigger]

Yep - don't know when though, as Tom was taken to the vets last year aged 12 to be pts, but the vet refused - his only health probs being dangerously obese, in need of a dental (but too big to risk) and stress related cystitis. I was watching him to make sure he didn't go for my neighbours cat earlier and hadn't noticed another cat come on the street, so he went for her instead - but came back with a bit of loose fur and oil on the back of his neck, so I think she had a go back, which could be what he needs. My neighbour doesn't think he is getting worse, just that he has more opportunities to attack cos there are more cats out - but there are also more cats on my street, and that visit the street than there were when he first came, I think that has something to do with it, but she says no.

[sweetmimi]

Oh dear seems that he just likes to be Top Cat then. Only other solution would be to put a cat run in the garden all enclosed so that he could play in there but not bother any other cats as I dont think he is going to change his way at this age.

[Booktigger]

Only prob with that is I dont have a garden!! The only permanent solution would be to find him a permanent home - but we have been looking since Jan, only had two enquiries and both have not only had a resident male (that he may get used to in a few months), but regular 'visitors', which I doubt he would accept with the way he is at the moment.