Rescue cat help please

[lechie]

Hi, I posted a couple of weeks ago as we took on an 8 year old rescue cat. She was being rehomed due to her fighting with other cats, so she they moved her to a home with a low cat population.

The cat settled in brilliantly, and has been happy as Larry with my two daughters, who both adore her. I've been home the past couple of weeks for half term, so thought now might be a good time to start letting her explore outside whilst I'm around to check she is okay. We did this particularly as she has been stood by the back door asking To go out for days now.

So yesterday morning we let her explore the back garden. She had a sniff around, was happy and came back when asked. We did the same out the front yesterday evening. This morning, we let her out supervised and again no problems.

So this afternoon, I was out in the back garden and she came out and joined me. Fine I thought, then she went to explore next door's garden. There, she had a huge fight with a Tom cat who lives 15 houses away (I told the rescue about him and all the other cats in the area). But as she wasn't in our garden, I couldn't do anything about it. I eventually managed to rescue her from the top of a very prickly tree, covered in excrement and a few scratch marks. I've cleaned her up, and she is now sat at the top of her cat tree feeling very sorry for herself. She has some scratches, but they look superficial.

Now, she is not a jumper, so if we replaced the fences (need doing anyway), I can keep her in our garden - but how can I keep the other cats out of ours? Or how do I stop her fighting with other cats...?
Thanks

I don't think you can do much about changing her behavior with other cats, some get along with other felines and some not at all.
If I were you, I'd change the fence and let her out when I'm there to supervise.

Keeping other cats out is not impossible but since barbed wire is dangerous and I hope illegal, I'd give up trying.

Or keep her indoors.

Thanks, I think we're going for a she only goes outside with us approach.

She's feeling very sorry for herself tonight, I've bathed her scratches on salt water, when would you take the cat to the vet..? Is it normal, or do they normally sort themselves out after a few days...?

sorry I had left the computer.
Did you bring her to the vet?

I'd wait a few days but watch her like a hawk for signs of infection. Best not to let her out while she is healing.

If you can keep her in your garden it will become her territory. Mine is happy to socialise and share the door mat with several cats who live on the street, but only at the front of houses, the back garden is hers and the same cats cross it at their peril.

Is the tom cat out all the time? Cats do a sort of timeshare of their territory so if he is around in the evening let yours out in the morning.

We took her to the vets, and she had a temperature and was clearly uncomfortable. Two injections, a course of antibiotics and £100 later, she is now happy and back to her normal happy self.

We've decided to replace the fence completely and will keep her indoors until then. We're only going to let her out in the back garden from then onwards (initially only with us, until we're certain she can't get out of the garden) and the vet has advised we get some loaded water pistols to keep the other two cats away from the garden. Thinking of also getting this stuff to go on top of the fence, but not sure if it is any good...? It says it keeps cats out, but doesn't harm other wildlife (not that we get any, live on an estate in the village - so wildlife tends to stay in the countryside).

www.amazon.co.uk/Defenders-Prickle-Strip-Fence-Topper/dp/B00B33XP1O

However, she will be fine, and hopefully we can contain her in our garden.

Duh, forgot to say thanks for the help and advice .

Glad she is doing better!:)