Rescue cat - fights with neighbours cats

Labsettings

Hi there,

We adopted our 2 year old cat from the Blue Cross about 6 months ago, she is a little timid, but happy around humans. We have a 'smart' catflap and started letting her out for lengthening periods of time 2-3 months back. We've been watching her with other cats and she likes to sneak up on them, but runs away before getting too close. Most of the other cats so far have seemed to ignore her behaviour and carried on licking themselves or whatever they were up to.

However, she's started coming back with scratches on her nose. Other cats come to look through the catflap or other windows and she hisses and launches herself at the window. I know she's trying to protect her property but I worry about her getting injured more than some scratches. I don't really know if it's her or the other cats that start it as nothing happens when I'm around (hidden or otherwise)

Is there any way to ensure that she stays as safe as poss without forcing her to stay inside?

Other info - Our house is a new development, so it is probably where other local cats used to hunt.
She's had all her shots so the scratches shouldn't be of any harm to her, other than some nose pain!
She's quite a smart cat - I've taught her to sit etc. (I've only ever had dogs before Phoebe so I like training my animals!)
I only let her out in the day as that seems to be the time when there are fewer other cats around.
Thanks in advance!

McKneff

Not a great deal you can do to be honest, before long, if she is like she is, other cats will stop coming into the garden. So the only fights she will have will be in other gardens.

Ours is exactly like this but 11 years old, since we got her about 3 years ago she has had many a scrap in the garden but for the last year or so, we havent seen another cat take a short cut or birds.
Before that there was loads of activity.
She actually hides behind the tyre of the car waiting for a cat passing and launches at them, weve seen some hilarious moments, but given her age she cant run as fast as some of the younger ones nowadays.

Labsettings

Thanks McKneff! I figured as such but as this is my first cat, wanted to make sure I'm not missing a trick. The fights I think are mainly on our property (from the noises I've heard) so I'm pretty sure Phoebe's just protecting her property. But nice to have some advice!

And I hope it's not our cats attacking each other! Ha.