Cat territory question

[Anon112]

I think it really depends on the cat.

I've had two barn cats, Noir (RIP) and Oliver (now an inside kitty as he is older), who REALLY kept any "non-family" cats off of the property. They were friendly (or friendly enough) with the other barn cats, but any other cats were sent packing.

But, unfortunately, there are no guarantees that a cat you get will (1) have that defense mentality and (2) be able to physically beat another cat.

I have noticed that since reducing the rat population in my chicken area, the local stray cat is not coming around as much. I agree with earlier posts about doing your part to reduce the rats/mice by not giving them easy access to feed/scraps.

Also, while it's not a solution to your immediate problem, I agree with those who support local trap/neuter/release programs. Reducing the feral/unhoused cat population is good for everyone: wildlife, people, and the cats themselves.

 

[DonyaQuick]

I think it really depends on the cat.

I've had two barn cats, Noir (RIP) and Oliver (now an inside kitty as he is older), who REALLY kept any "non-family" cats off of the property. They were friendly (or friendly enough) with the other barn cats, but any other cats were sent packing.

But, unfortunately, there are no guarantees that a cat you get will (1) have that defense mentality and (2) be able to physically beat another cat.

Ah...yes the personality thing could definitely be a problem. My best point of comparison there would be my roosters I guess...I have one roo who is a great master flock manager and defender. He's also a pain in the behind quite often LOL. Useful but kind of like "oh no not you" when I'm not expecting to encounter him. I have met cats like that...they were not terribly fun. The kind of cats I like are more like a couple of other roosters that my husband refers to as "the useless roosters" since they're just passive blobs. Since it does sound like scent alone doesn't do much with cats, I suppose it would be kind of defeating the point to have a nice big friendly cat that's an excellent pet but that just gets bullied into a corner by the first little stinker that decides to invade.

(edited...apologies for some of the more bizarre typos and garbled wordings I've managed to type in a while)

 

[Anon112]

Ah...yes the personality thing could definitely be a problem. My best point of comparison there would be my roosters I guess...I have one roo who is a great master flock manager and defender. He's also a pain in the behind quite often LOL. Useful but kind of like "oh no not you" when I'm not expecting to encounter him. I have met cats like that...they were not terribly fun. The kind of cats I like are more like a couple of other roosters that my husband refers to as "the useless roosters" since they're just passive blobs. Since it does sound like scent alone doesn't do much with cats, I suppose it would be kind of defeating the point to have a nice big friendly cat that's an excellent pet but that just gets bullied into a corner by the first little stinker that decides to invade.

(edited...apologies for some of the more bizarre typos and garbled wordings I've managed to type in a while)

Noir was super friendly to people. He was a big teddy bear. But he took very seriously guarding his territory from outsiders trying to move in.

I've moved away from outside cats because of the damage they do to local wildlife, and also because of how anxious I get when one doesn't show up for a meal. But since bringing Oliver inside, there has been a noticeable (not huge, but noticeable) uptick in local strays hanging out on my property.

 

[McChooky]

Malnutrition, exposure to the elements and disease shorten the lifespan of cats that live in colonies

 

[SourRoses]

I think size matters.
Smell is a big deal with cats. Whether it has enough of an impact against the hunger of a stray is hard to say. But I think it would help.
If it's for the defense against other cats, I think your best bet is a large male, and lazy would be fine as he can probably still rouse himself when the need arises.

Our last barn cat, Frosty, was a love bug... Tended to flop down and turn over in front of our feet to get tummy rubs.
He was very big and did not tolerate other cats. Or squirrels or coons. But he didn't care about hunting. It was just territory.
One day he came home with obvious signs of an encounter with a toad. We had to flush his eyes. He had a persistent issue with one eye ever after that. Nasty toads.
He came home with wounds on his face from fights, we used Vetericyn on those and they healed well enough. He liked to come inside on hot afternoons / cold nights and make use of human comforts. A big boofy overfed boy. We loved him.
Then one day he didn't come home. It was so sudden and he had been with us there for long enough, plus it was far from the road... so we knew some creature had killed him. That was really hard.

Our cats since have been indoor kitties. Two girls, both very sweet. We don't let them go outside, even though the eldest is a ferocious hunter who cared for herself before we found her.