New neighbor with cat moved in, will my cat get anxious?

[smosmosmo]

My cat's very temperamental and hates/is afraid of other cats, after a couple months of having been dumped outdoors by her previous owner and having gotten into numerous cat fights. A couple times a year we'll have strays coming up to our door, and she'll either scream at them or get really defensive.

We recently had a new neighbor move in who also owns a cat, who seems much less aggressive than mine. Still, we're in very close quarters and our bedrooms are separated by a tiny hallway - you can hear everything that goes on in the neighbor's bedroom, so I'd imagine the cats can smell/hear each other well. There's literally about ten feet or less of space separating our doors.

Will my cat get stressed by the cat next door? She doesn't have a lot of space to roam, and usually spends her time in the bedroom with me and sleeps on me at night. She doesn't have far to go if she wants to get away from the bedroom. I've never owned a cat before her, and in the few years' I've had her (we've lived here the entire time) we haven't had other pets to deal with. I'm kind of nervous that she'll get anxious or feel another cat's invaded "her" space - am I overreacting here?

 

[di and bob]

She may at first, but as time goes by and she sees that nothing more is happening, she will be fine. It may take weeks or months though, some cats are more sensitive than others. Screaming, growling, getting defensive is really very normal with females. they are the limit setters, the manners teachers and absolutely hate to give up any of their domain. do not try to get too close to her during these times, they can be SO upset they turn on whoever is closest, including us. Just talk soothingly to her and try to distract her with treats or food.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

When I moved from my upstairs apartment to my downstairs apartment, my own temperamental girl went berserk at all the ferals in the area. My back door is wood-framed glass, so she could see them on full display. The first 6 weeks, she would run to the back door puffed out like a dandelion and hissing like a dragon in a tantrum. Within 2-3 months, she was just sitting there, observing. And this is with the cats fully visible to her. It will take time, but your girl will realize that the other cat will not be invading her territory. In the meantime, di and bob has given you excellent ways to help her cope.