Male cat attacking female

Question
Hi! i got a 2 year old female cat in october, she has been going outside since November and since then she has been being attacked by a tom cat.  She is neutered and get on really well with my other cat (who is a tom) but when she goes out she comes home bleeding and cut. is there any way i can make her unappealing to the other tom to stop her getting hurt because vet bill are so expensive and i cant afford much more of it. please help!

Answer
Sophie,

Unfortunately there's no way to stop the tom or other cats from picking on your female kitty short of keeping her indoors. It's important to realize that indoor only cats tend to live longer and healthier lives than indoor/outdoor or outdoor only cats because they're not subjected to some of the common risks that go along with going outside unsupervised such as being hit by a car, attacked by other cats, off leash dogs, wildlife, being accidentally or intentionally poisoned or being hurt or killed deliberately through an act of animal cruelty (these are just the more common risks that cats who go outside unsupervised are exposed to). I have three desexed mixed breed cats who live perfectly happy, healthy lives indoors - we make sure that they get plenty of cat friendly stimulation (a bird feeder outside the window will make most cats pretty happy!) and provided that your kitty isn't overfed or allowed to become a couch potato (which can lead to obesity which brings a whole other set of potential issues) you shouldn't have an overweight kitty. A general rule of thumb with most commercially produced cat foods is that the label instructions actually recommend overfeeding the cat by at least 10-12%, often even more so I would recommend feeding the minimum amount recommended on your kitty's pet food label and adjusting the amount based on weight gain/loss, activity levels and general health status. If you're interested I'd be happy to provide you with additional suggestions about how to entertain an indoor only kitty or one that goes out only under supervision on a harness/leash. If you really prefer not to have an indoor kitty then you might want to consider building a special outdoor enclosure for your kitty to protect her from the bigger, stronger or more dominant kitties in your neighborhood. If you have any further cat related questions or concerns I'd be more than happy to help you out to the best of my ability so please don't hesitate to contact me again.