I have a number of outdoor cats that are mostly well behaved. But I have one neutered male who consistently intimidates my spayed female by chasing her every time they come in contact. He is obviously jealous of Flint. He seeks her out and often tries to eat her food although they have unlimited outdoor space to roam in. She really dislikes him and hisses and mews every time he comes near her. Then she jumps the fence at the first opportunity. He swipes at her but so far has not caught her. I have tried giving him treats before he reaches her. I have tried swiping his face lightly with my hand. I have tried turning him in another direction and distracting him. Nothing has worked. He has another spayed female friend that is his constant companion and he has never treated her like this, in fact, just the opposite. They eat out of the same bowl. If fed separately, he does not bother her food. If I leave treats specifically for her, he never touches them. They even sleep together. And, I have to say, she treats him like a king, defers to him, kisses up, so to speak. Whereas, my female cat can't stand to be around him, avoids him as much as possible, and fears him. He is always invading her space and acting like a jerk so that she has to flee. Please give me some suggestions that I can try to keep peace in the family. This situation is a daily occurrence. The first photo is Chi-Chi and his girlfriend, Patches. The second is my female cat, Flint, in her favorite yoga pose. (Hope you got both pics.)
Hi Kelly
Thank you for the photo of Flint (she's gorgeous and sensitive). Chi-Chi and his girlfriend Patches' photo didn’t come through.
Unfortunately, as the caregiver, you have limited control over inter-cat tension outdoors; however, I made some suggestions below.
I am still determining your home's current setup and whether Flint spends time indoors. If she does, it might be worth installing a microchip-activated cat flap so she can hide inside when Chi-Chi starts chasing her. This will help with her safety and minimize jumping the fence. If she lives outdoors, you can set up an outdoor cat condo with a microchip cat door or install a permanent or a foldable Catio that is only accessible by Flint. Ultimately, it would be best if you introduced more outdoor hiding spots for Flint, which are not accessible by Chi-Chi. You can also try harness and leash training to enable Flint to go out safely under close supervision.
Avoid punishing Chi-Chi or giving him treats before he reaches Flint; this might inadvertently reinforce the wrong behavior. Try tossing a treat away in a different direction to encourage Chi-Chi to get the treat, which gives Flint time to escape and distracts him at the same time. Chi-Chi is a territorial cat and makes it known to everyone.
I hope this helps a little.
All the best
Melina
@melina-grin Hi, Melina. Thanks for your response. I have tried throwing treats in a different direction to Chi-Chi and this works sometimes. I have also used a water bottle to spray him if I catch him in the act. He will leave for awhile, then sneak back to try to chase her again. In addition, I have placed 3 cat condos and a stepstool in the backyard where Flint hangs out for her to hide in, under, or on top of. She has hidden a few times, but her natural instinct is to jump the fence into the neighboring yard where she was raised and has lived since birth. I have brought her into my house several times to spend time with her brother. She likes to play games with him, but she does not want to stay for more than a few hours. I had hoped that she would get used to my house and want to stay there, but this situation has stayed the same since their birth, 9 years ago. I will keep working on a solution. Thanks again for your many ideas. Attached is a pic of Chi-Chi and his girlfriend, Patches.
@melina-grin Hi, Melina. Thanks for your response. I have tried tossing treats in a different direction to Chi-Chi and it works sometimes. But he is determined and always returns to his plan of chasing her over the fence. I have also sprayed him in the face with a water bottle when I catch him starting towards her, as a temporary fix, but although he runs away, the next day, it starts all over again. I have placed three cat condos and a step stool in the back yard for her to hide in, under, or on top of. She's done this a few times, but her first reaction is to jump for the fence as Chi-Chi swipes at her with his claws. Fortunately, she is one fast cat. Maybe this is just one of their games, but it looks serious to me. Based on her hisses growls, I am certain she does not like it. I will keep working on a solution. Thanks again for your help. Pic of Chi-Chi and his girlfriend, Patches, is attached.
@marthame
Hi Martha
Cats are territorial, and it’s challenging to discourage aggressive behavior.
Unless you already do that, you can try feeding him in a different location to minimize the aggression or feed him higher-value proteins.
A catio would also be another option for your diva.
Chat with your vet or an animal behaviorist in your hometown; they can provide more advice.
As a last resort and usually not ideal, if the community cat is causing many problems and you can’t solve them on your own, contact a rescue organization for help.
Alley Cat Allies ( https://www.alleycat.org) can provide additional advice and support. Don't hesitate to contact them.
Thank you for caring for the cats in the community.
Melina
@kellygreene How timely that you had posted this. This is my first time to come to this forum, and I have a similar problem. We have two "community cats" who chose our house back in April. I don't know the age of either, but I suspect the male is younger than the female. She was already spayed, and i had TomTom neutered in May. He's aggressive towards her as well. She just wants to lounge around being a diva, but sometimes he takes off after her. I was wondering if there were some way to discourage that aggressive behavior in him.