I have indoor 5 cats, and...

Question
I have indoor 5 cats, and  for over a year now one of them has been meowing to get outside, because there is some other cat she sees outside. she is spayed,  she's 3 1/2 yrs old and was spayed from age 6 months when I got her. this outside cat , everyday, pees on my front screen door, and everyday I wash it off but  my cat sees this cat , and that seems to have made her want out.  could you tell me why does she want out? and , do you have any ideas on what to do to make the peeing cat stay away or stop peeing on the door?
thanks.

Answer
Hi Mary.  It would be my guess that your cat wants to get outside because of curiosity about the intruding cat, and also to defend her territory.  It may be a little more difficult to make sure she doesn't get outside, now, but it's all the more important.  A fight could occur between the two of them if she does get outside.

Keeping neighborhood cats away from your property can be difficult.  There are spray repellents that may help (see http://www.liquidfence.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=203 for an example).  There are similar products available at pet stores and lawn and garden shops.  Some people recommend mulching around the property with cedar.  Cats don't like the scent.  Others have found that setting up a sprinkler to come on several times a day will keep a cat off their property.

Ultimately, the best solution would be to have the cat neutered if he isn't. Unneutered males are by far the biggest offenders when it comes to spraying.  I know it isn't your responsibility, but it might be worth it to you to bring him in yourself, as neutering drastically reduces the frequency of spraying.  There are some low-cost spay and neuter clinics that will do it very inexpensively.  See http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html#states for a list of clinics.