Unwanted cat visitor

We have a cat. She has a cat door so she can come and go as she pleases.

It seems another cat has decided that it can come in and eat her food. The cat door is right next to the laundry where her food bowl is. It seems to be happening more and more now. I have caught it racing out the door when I have arrived home and her bowl has been licked clean twice already today (she never licks it clean). It tends to come in when we are out, but I have also heard the cat door going when my cat is in bed next to me.

I can't think of anywhere else suitable to put her food and I would rather not shut the cat door because she is old and it is cold outside. Can anyone think of any way to stop the other cat from coming around? Do you think if I shut the laundry door and it couldn't get to the food for a few days that it would give up?

Don't leave food out.

Here's what we do (well, we used to do before Puss became a dignified old lady who stays indoors most of the time): call your Puss in at dusk, and feed her then as an incentive to come inside. Puss then stays inside overnight, food goes away in the morning, when Puss goes out again. You could follow a similar pattern and keep the cat door closed from dusk until morning when the food is down & Puss is inside. Your cat will soon learn to come inside when it's dinner time :). And stranger cat will soon learn that the all-day servery has closed. (Saves wildlife too when they are not out overnight).

(PS I should add, having a kitty litter tray is an essential element in this plan).

*sigh* I guess I will have to put the food away. She is a snacker and pests me all the time for food - the old dodge past your feet as you are walking so you nearly trip trick. Do you think that visitor cat will get the idea after a couple of weeks and go away? It isn't underfed - it is big fat thing. I am surprised it even fits through the cat door.

Could you put the cat food in another room until the visitor realises the smorgasbord is closed?

We have exactly the same problem and it has been going on for years. Our cat just sits and watches this stranger come in and eat her food! We will hear the door close when ours is curled up on the lounge.

We have a similar problem where ours is a snacker, doesn't eat all her dinner and with us being at work all day, it's hard to just feed her on demand. When we are on holidays, we will close the cat door so there is no access and this seems to work for about a week - then the visitor comes back.

Teach them not to snack by only putting food down once a day, for a couple of hours. Trust me, your cat will whinge for a few days but they are clever little beasts and will catch on quickly. If you don't train them, they will train you.

You can get magnetic cat doors which only unlock if the cat is wearing a special collar to let them in. Otherwise move the food out of the laundry.

Yes move the food away from the door into another room. This worked for us as our cats snack all day too. I tried the magnetic door but the poor cars ended up collecting odd metallic bits stuck on their magnet collar including nails (we were renovating at the time!) apparently orange peel is meant to work as a deterrent... Maybe scatter some outside the cat door??

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You can get magnetic cat doors which only unlock if the cat is wearing a special collar to let them in. Otherwise move the food out of the laundry.

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This would be my suggestion. Also, if you are happy to have her "locked in" you can make it so she can come in but not go back out?

funny story (maybe not for some) I worked for a vet who had a similar problem with a tom cat coming into her home & spraying everywhere. She invested in the magnetic cat flap thingy & also set it up to the cats come get in but not out. She came home to find the visiting Tom cat locked in her house, so she caught him. knocked him out, castrated him & let him out in the morning. Pretty sure he wasn't a problem after that.

I can't move the food anywhere suitable. I guess we will have to keep the laundry door shut.

However… last night DH thought he was locking the cat door but he only half locked it so about 10 minutes after I went to bed I heard banging and sure enough the cat was locked in the house. Seeing me scared the bejesus out of him. I am hoping being caught in the act might be a deterrent.

What gets me most is how bold he is! Yesterday he was just sitting on my lawn and didn't move until I went right over and shooed him away. Judging from my cats expression, he has scented all over the outdoor furniture etc. I think he waits for me to turn all the lights out and then comes in. He is just sitting out there watching…waiting...I am rapidly turning into that crazy woman running across the yard in her pyjamas with a broom yelling obscenities at the damn thing lol.