Is there any way to promote neighbourly behaviour between cats?

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Or do you just have to leave the to figure it out amongst themselves?

I've just witnessed BiteyCat and next door's lovely puss have what I think may have been their first face to face encounter in the garden adjoining ours. There was no hissing or growling or arching of backs - in fact BiteyCat (bigger but more recent arrival to the territory, and on a lower wall because he'd been sneaked up on) was doing a lot of slow blinking to show he wasn't a threat, but he was also vocalising a lot (a low slow yowl) and when NextDoorCat finally retreated to her deck, he followed her and yowled outside her cat flap for a while when she went inside (it's microchipped, luckily, so he couldn't get to her.) I'm not sure if he was anxious or issuing threats.

They're both neutered, both feisty, but I'm keen to promote harmonious relations if possible, and definitely don't want him to become the neighbourhood bully. Is there anything at all I can do or do I just take my chances? I know if they were in the same house I could do scent swapping but I don't know if that would be advisable with them living next door to one another.

I've never found a way - with an outside-going cat that is. Sorry.

PS - the no hissing or growling sounds quite positive though.

Yes, I thought that was a positive Cozie - I'm not quite sure what he was trying to say but the blinking seemed a positive too. The following her up onto the deck and lying in wait outside less so though!

And less positively, he's just comeback in the cat flap, jumped beside me on the couch, and grabbed onto my arm with his paws and teeth - so definitely anxious I think (he's in the kitchen to calm down now).

When The Lodger first went out here, he strolled outside and practically set up a card school under the rowan tree. It was a matter of hours, anyway, before he had the NDN's cat following him around as a devoted wingman.

He's very clubbable though - and it didn't work on Seniorboy who detests and despises him and would give him no quarter.

I reckon you'll find out soon enough if they're going to get on.

He'll likely just need the reassurance that he has a safe place to come to if needed. Is your own flap a chip one?

No it's just a bog standard cat flap but he has free access to it and so far no enemy incursions.

That's one for consideration I reckon if he's an anxious type. (I'd probably do it on general principle if I were thinking about a flap.)

He seemed very confident but the yowling and redirected aggression suggests otherwise. Something to think about.

I love the picture of The Lodger's card school. I can just imagine his adoring coterie - and SeniorBoy's refusal to be impressed.

Here is a photo I took of my two gingers just after they started to go outside. I worried they would fight with my neighbour's cat but this is how I found them one morning. I would like to say I had a hand in it but I didn't. They were all young (mine were less than a year in the photo and neighbour's cat was just over 2) All three of them have very laid back personalities and just wanted to play so didn't show the slightest bit of aggression to each other. Put my two with the tiny little cat on the other side of us and it's all out war! I really think it's got a lot to do with the age and personality of the cats.

Here is a photo I took of my two gingers just after they started to go outside. I worried they would fight with my neighbour's cat but this is how I found them one morning. I would like to say I had a hand in it but I didn't. They were all young (mine were less than a year in the photo and neighbour's cat was just over 2) All three of them have very laid back personalities and just wanted to play so didn't show the slightest bit of aggression to each other. Put my two with the tiny little cat on the other side of us and it's all out war! I really think it's got a lot to do with the age and personality of the cats.