Nearly all animals are territorial. From years of war between humans to expand territories, to ants killing each other for territory, territorial awareness controls many microscopic worlds that we cannot see. Even cats can inadvertently leave a mark on their territory. Cats’ territory is not a borderline like ours. The way cats occupy the territory is very strange. This is a way that only cats can sense and does not restrict other animals.

1. What is a cat’s territory

A cat’s living space can be divided into two categories: private areas and activity areas. The activity area consists of eating area, hunting area, social area, breeding area and excretion area. The private area consists of a resting area, a grooming area, and a kitten feeding area. These areas are connected by fixed pathways that every cat in the group adheres to.

Cats have very keen observation skills and can easily tell whether other animals are hostile and aggressive, and make quick decisions whether to continue interacting with other animals or to refuse contact. It is a cat's nature to establish its territory and it is also one of the ways of communication. Cats establish their territory through scent, hormonal secretions or scratches.

2. How cats determine their territory

1. Urine: The most common method used by cats to establish their territory is through urine stains or uncovered feces. In comparison, male cats are more inclined to adopt this method. Cats try to scare off intruders this way. They often like to leave their urine stains on tree trunks, corners, and sofas.

2. Hormone secretions: special hormones, also called pheromones. By rubbing your own scent on other objects or animals (cats or dogs), you can share a common territory. This action shows that the cat has accepted you. It will only do this if it feels completely safe.

3. Claw grinding: I believe you don’t like cat scratches on furniture, wallpaper or sofa. And cats often leave urine stains next to them to confirm that this is their territory. You can change its bad habits, such as keeping it away from the places where it is used to rubbing its paws, or giving it a small punishment with a water gun.

4. Fighting behavior: Sometimes there will be an unwanted but unavoidable fight between cats. Cats often adopt a bluffing strategy: crying, screaming, showing their teeth, and using their front paws to violently fight. Hit...Owners, you should pay attention to the teeth marks and scratches on the cat's body, as these wounds can lead to infection. Neutering cats that do not require breeding is an effective way to reduce fighting between cats.

3. Cat’s sense of security

Cats love the sense of security that a home brings them, whether they live outdoors in an open space or in a small urban park.Apartment. Although we shouldn't move a cat that's accustomed to living outdoors into an apartment, cats can easily adapt to the situation. However, cats are territorial animals and they like to divide their territory with other cats outside. This is especially true for male cats than for female cats - a male cat's territory may be ten times the size of a female cat's territory.

Cats' territorial division is related to their natural instincts. For a wild cat, the larger the territory it occupies, the wider the range for foraging, and the greater the possibility of its survival. Although domestic cats no longer have to do this, they still have this natural instinct to occupy territory. If your cat is well cared for and happy, this instinct shouldn't cause much trouble.

If there are two cats in the same house, they will also divide their territories. They occupy different territories in the room, but share important areas, such as where they eat. They also compete for territory. If you adopt a new cat, you should let it become familiar with its surroundings before introducing it to the original cat. This way it won't feel like it's at a disadvantage in an unfamiliar environment.

If the smell of some objects in the cat's territory changes, or the smell of the object itself cannot be concealed, the cat will feel extremely uneasy and imagine that other cats are invading the territory. At this time, more drastic measures are needed. Once you have determined your territory, do you keep rubbing with your neck? You may twist your neck. Cats are not that stupid. The easiest way is to give it a few drops of urine, which is the so-called spray urine.

Each cat’s urine smell is different. Cats can use this method to confirm their territory and fill the object and environment with their own urine smell, making themselves more at ease. As for the poor cat slave? He has to clean it hard. Bed sheets, quilts, foot mats, etc. that have been sprayed with urine, but once the cat discovers that the smell of urine has been cleaned, it will definitely panic, as if the home has been invaded by gangsters again, and the destroyed defense lines will of course have to be re-opened. Construction, then the cat will spray urine unceremoniously, and the story will continue to cycle like this until the cat slave gives up or the cat is satisfied...

4. Cat hierarchy

Uncastrated male cats will spray their own urine to mark their territory, which can cause a very unpleasant odor. Other cats also squirt but not as frequently and the smell is not as bad. Most people can't stand a cat squirting urine in the house, but this can sometimes happen when there are multiple cats in the house and they are trying to establish their own social hierarchy, or when there is a new cat (or other animal) nearby. has happened.

There is a hierarchy among cats, even among cats that are related and get along well. Dominant cats will lick other cats and occasionally attack other cats. This dominance, like territory, is not fixed. Observe how dominant a cat isIt was interesting to see how Ho was replaced by another, stronger cat.

Occupying territory is also a game between cats, and the changes will be very subtle. Although cats and dogs occupy territory in different ways, on the surface, there is no conflict of interest between cats and dogs. , but why can’t cats and dogs always coexist? Maybe it’s because cats always want to dominate everything around them.