Cat depressed after fight?

[ApplestheHare]

My (spayed, female) cat keeps getting into fights with other cats. These are during the day as we keep her in at night. Today my husband heard the cats going at it and then she ran in covered in mud and water like she'd been in a puddle, and with scratches on her face again. We think she's fighting our neighbours' cats but haven't seen them, only heard them. I've checked her all over and she seems fine apart from the scratches. I've dried her fur and brushed her but she's not cleaning herself like she normally would and seems down. Can cats be traumatised by fights?

Yes, mine was like that. They get over it.

I'd suspect she is injured. Our cat was like this and had an injury in her mouth that I couldn't see. Another time, she had a bite that we didn't find till it came up in an abscess. Suggest you get the vet to check her over.

If this is happening all the time maybe she should be kept in more? I'm not usually an advocate for keeping cats indoors but this sounds miserable for her.

Beamur she goes bonkers if kept in all the time. Runs around leaping at the windows, knocking over plants, climbing up us meowing, refuses to use her litter tray and protest wees on our bed. I think I'll have to send the dog out with her more, though yesterday's fight was just beyond our boundary so he wouldn't have been any good.

SalitaeDiscesa that's a good idea actually. I checked her all over yesterday but an injury could explain it.

Fair enough.
I'd get her checked for an unseen injury if she's still quiet though.
at sending her out with a canine bodyguard.

Good idea re sending out the guard dog to protect her!

He's an old dog who doesn't want any cats coming onto our land. I've seen them go out together and her stand around near the gate while he goes off to get rid of other visiting cats They're best friends.

Another time, she had a bite that we didn't find till it came up in an abscess
This was exactly what happened to my DFs cat. DF checked him over more than once but couldn’t find anything wrong but the cat was acting ‘depressed’. Eventually the injury became apparent as an infected abscess appeared on his belly. Good news is he was fine after being treated by the vet, though the ‘depression’ did last for a while whilst he was poorly. Hope your cat is ok