We have 2 rescue cats Daisy and George. They're about 4 years old and really loving cats. They came as a pair and we've recognised that in times of stress (they were both ill separately due to the stress of being rehomed, but nothing serious), they lick eachother. They've been licking each other quite a bit lately.

There's a new black cat around, we shall call him Blackie. Blackie seems to be bullying our two. We've caught him just staring at the house from the garden a few times, from the shed roof mainly. The other weekend he was actually waiting outside the catflap and not letting Daisy through, they were yowling and hissing at each other and Daisy actually wee'd on the floor. I shoved my hand through the flap to scare it off and it just yowled and hissed and didn't move. I opened the door and Daisy chased it off down the garden, but it didn't jump the fence or anything, just slunk behind the shed! We found it in the house today, just inside the utility where the catflap is. Luckily it ran off when it heard one of us! It then sat on the shed staring at the catflap until we aimed a jug of water at it. The cats don't seem to be going out as much, are really are licking each other more, as if to comfort themselves.
George has an astonishing kill rate of mice and stuff, so he must be quite fast and tough, even he doesn't be able to see it off properly!
I guess it's a new male cat in the neighbourhood establishing itself and gaining territory, but it's just doesn't seem intimidated and quite frankly, has a right attitude!

Any advice?

I understand your situation, we had something similar with our first cat, she was a gold glitter bengal and only 6 months old.

There was an in-neutered male who basically 'owned' our garden as we'd only recently moved in and the previous owners didnt have pets. He would beat her up any t,e he saw her and would make a point of using her garden as a toilet, we would often shoo him away but he never stayed away long and would often sit the other side of our rear patio doors staring through.

Anyway the best thing we did was leave them to it, I know this sounds hard but it'll soon work out. They will learn territories and the conflict will be resolved. But they need to resolve it themselves, firstly because the other cat will only be scared off by you not your cats so will still go for them when you're not around and secondly if your cats feel you will sort things for them they won't learn.

After 2-3 weeks our cat and the neighbour cat ignored eachorher.

Sadly our bengal was stolen, we adopted another one who was 2 k had been a house cat and she was very timid, we were terrified to let her out, but on their first encounter she gave him an absolute pasting and she is now a pretty dominant cat in her own right.

Good luck with it all, the main thing is you've noticed this all and really care for your cats, I'm sure they'll feel that love and will calm them in no time.

Can I just say I love the fact you decided to protect said bully cat by giving it an assumed name lol "there's a new black cat around, we shall call him Blackie"

Haha I didn't think of that when I typed it!

Yeah I think we'll have to just leave them to it, it's hard though! There aren't any signs that it's actually attacked our two, but who knows. It's only been a couple of weeks.

If the cat is entering your home you may need one of those cat flaps that only let your cats in, they really should feel safe in their own home.

The Beast has always been a wuss where other cats are concerned.

The OH, on occasion has had to shoo off another cat when the beast is cowering in our bush. Wimpering.

Recently the cat flap broke, and being a lazy toad I am still in the process of replacing it, in the mean time we have a bit of cardboard sellotaped at the top across the hole, as a 'temporary' fix.

The Beast can batter in, but has to be let out (which he likes, as it appeals to his sense of royalty, as one opens the door)

As it's been a bit chilly, he has been happy to come in at bedtime, monopolise the bed and kip until we get up.

However, Monday night we were woken up by terrible screaming and noise.

A big black and white cat, who I have long suspected,comes in and eats the food left uneaten by the Beast, was in the corner of the kitchen looking scared and couldn't get out, for once in his life the Beast was giving a cat better than he got, and was giving this cat monumental verbals.

To be honest, after 11 years of having a wuss as a cat, I didn't think he had it in him. But fair play the Beast was letting this cat know he was out of order, coming onto his patch.

I come into the kitchen, and probably the sight of a hairy naked man (I am the missing link) frightens the cat even more, and he starts trying to scamper off.

Cue a keystone cops chase scene around the house, with one cat dojng the wall of death trying to get away from one angry Beast and a naked man trying to get rid of said cat so he can get back to his dreams.

Add in OH, still in bed, shouting at the top of her voice (somewhat ironically) that we will wake the neighbours.

Intruder cat caught, and held at arms length whilst ejected. Very happy to out of the madhouse.

Beast, fluffed up like a puffball looking at me as if to say "we showed him"

Pick him up, back to bed, and I recount the scene to the OH, whilst the beast uses the opportunity to steal as much of the bed as possible, purring like a motorbike.

He's still a git, but I was proud of him that night.

To address the point, after my waffle, cats are territorial, and even though domesticated are still essentially a still a bit wild.

They will fight, even if it's for control of a garden patch, it's their nature, and the strong gain that territory.

As I said, the Beast is a wuss, and if we hear him in a cat fight, we will intervene, and shoo another cat off. He loves being outdoors doing his cat stuff, but we can't be there 24/7.

Cats will be cats, one makes the choice to either make them a house cat or let them roam and accept they will have 'enemies' and get into fights now and then.

For me, I accept that, and just ensure that the Beast, when he loses another cat argument has somewhere to batter into and is loved unconditionally.

I had a similar experience several years ago, with a local cat bullying our two & yes, it used to come to the cat flap, just to have a go at them, or just hang around the garden, to intimidate. We did get rid of it though.

Get some water balloons, or, even better, condoms. Do you have an upstairs, with a window directly above the door with the cat flap? If so, then wait until the little sod's right outside & water bomb the f*cker. Trust me, it works

I found one of those squirty water bottles are helpful. Harmless to the cat, but after you squirt it with water a few times whenever you see it, it will get the point that you'll keep doing it if it comes back. I've done this a few times when these big cats keep coming to my garden to have a go at my much smaller cat. Rarely see them around my garden now. They normally just walk across my wall and continue on their journey.

I love your 'tails' about your adorable Beast

I wholeheartedly agree , I love thet beast, and his owners anecdotes of hs antics !! I had a similar occasion of mid sleep interlopers getting themselves stuck inside, as our flap is switched to in, but not out to accommodate our new resident who is getting used to being indoors ! ( interloper agreed to leave while all three resident felines were studiously as asleep as a cat can be ...)

Re the OP , new resident used to do the same, perhaps he's lonely and wants to belong to you're house ? NR spend hours outside the cat flap just being near the living beings inside the house, he's a lonely little thing & loves a chat and a tickle behinfpd his ear ...

I wholeheartedly agree , I love the beast, and his owners anecdotes of hs antics !! I had a similar occasion of an interloper getting themselves stuck inside, as our flap is switched to in, but not out to accommodate our new resident who is getting used to being indoors ! ( interloper agreed to leave while all three resident felines were studiously as asleep as a cat can be ...)

Re the OP , new resident used to do the same, perhaps he's lonely and wants to belong to you're house ? NR spent hours outside the cat flap just being near the living beings inside the house, he's a lonely little thing & loves a chat and a tickle behinfpd his ear ...

I agree!

Sorry OP, no advice to add (other than leave them to it)! One of my rescues, Archie, has an arch nemesis, Buttons (), across the road. They started off as best friends and now (for no apparent reason) HATE each other. Witnessing them 'arguing' is worrying, but unless I keep him inside there is nothing I can do, if things get too feisty then myself or Buttons owner will intervene. Cats are territorial little swines and nothing us slaves can do will stop it!