Charlie's first cat fight

My partner and I keep our kitty indoors. Even thou she was raised outside, she’s pretty much lived inside since my partner brought her home. Lately, we’ve been allowing her to go outside because the weather has been great. Usually we leave the back screen door open, and just let her have her fun outside. My partner and I were in the lounge, and all of a sudden, we heard a bunch of cat screaming noises. We rushed to the backyard, and my partner was able to get there before me. She scrammed the kitty away, but Charlie flew past her and to another part of the backyard. We tried to coax her to coming toward us, but she just ran. Luckily she ran straight thru the doors and back into the house. Charlie was pretty shaken for awhile. She wouldn’t go near us, and when we’d try to calm her down she’d only hiss at us. Charlie is a long haired kitty, so the cat fight she was in, she had some of her hair coming out of her leg area. She didn’t look like she had any cuts, but I think she was pretty scared about what had happened.

Charlie always meows at other cats thru the window, but she’s never been face to face with one. Earlier this week, there was a cat in the back yard, but Charlie didn’t see her. We have a lot of cats in our neighborhood. I think the new people who moved in next door to us have 2 cats. My partner went outside afterward, and there were two cats in the back corner area. She wasn’t very happy and she scared them away. She was pretty worried that something had happened to Charlie. But I think Charlie is okay now. She went back outside, but we sat out there with her, to make sure no more cats came around.

But with what happened, my partner is hesitant about buying another cat. When I moved here, I left my kitty Toby back in the states. I told my partner that as much as I loved Charlie, I wanted to have a cat of my own. She said that once I was made a resident, we’d look for another kitty, just because she didn’t want to be left to raise 2 cats if I had to go back to the states. But now we’re both not sure how Charlie will react if a kitten is brought home.

I remember when Toby was brought home, Buttons the other cat stayed clear away from Toby. Toby wanted to play, but Buttons wouldn’t have anything to do with Toby. But Toby gets along great with other dogs, and it turned out okay. But I don’t know if Charlie will attack the new kitten, or what will happen. We don’t have a big space, there’s plenty of room, but I just don’t know how Charlie will react. I wonder if there is anything we as parents can do, to help prepare Charlie for the new arrival, when it does happen. I’m sure they’ll hiss at each other, but I hope that they’ll learn to get along.

-current mood-ANTSY