How Territory Can Impact Cat Behavior
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Cats can be Very Territorial. They Need Enough of the Right Kind of Territory to Help Prevent Unwanted Behavior.
The ‘right” kind of territory and “enough” of it are the keys. The real tricky part of those two requirements is that they can vary greatly from cat to cat. Some cats are fine in a room or a couple of rooms, others may need more space and wander most or all of the house. Some cats will spend most of their time in a couple of spots napping, bathing, and relaxing.
Some of the smallest little details can make a big difference when your cats are selecting and claiming their spots. Some items to consider for this would be: boxes, paper bags, towels, blankets, pillow cases, small rugs, toys, furniture, cat furniture, shelves and room layouts. The time of day also can play a roll. Certain cats may hang out in particular areas during the middle of the day, but choose other areas in the evening or at night.
Mango often likes to include the dining table for some napping options during the day.
Dexter often enjoys the exact same spot early in the morning and later afternoon when I am getting ready for work or just getting home for work. This way he knows we will have some interaction since I can’t resist his charms.
I never see them both their together. There are no squabbles. It’s like they are on a schedule of some sort. There are rarely any squabbles with Dexter since all the other cats will usually avoid encroaching on Dexter’s space.
One of the techniques we use for a multiple cat household is to make sure there are plenty of options for everyone to claim. You can have two or more cats in close proximity, but since there are clear cut “boundaries” of some sort things are usually pretty smooth.
Cat towers are a great way to provide numerous spaces for cats to hang out and still be comfortable when in close quarters.
These are three semi-feral cats sharing a tower and a blanket on the desk in front of the window. Windows are a huge draw for cats. We try to utilize nearly every window with a tower, table, desk, dresser etc. We make the spot inviting by adding towels, blankets, cat beds, or sheets. Here is an example.
These are two dressers next to each other right in front of a window. Each dresser has a cat bed and a sheet or blanket on them. These two cats aren’t really buddies, but they each feel like they have their own space to call “mine”, so close proximity is no problem. This spot always has at least one cat, often two or more.
If you don’t have room or the money for a big huge tower, then even this shorter smaller tower can work for your cats.
Oliver is so comfortable on the table with a blanket and a towel layered on there.
Do you think he would enjoy this as much if it was just a plain table with nothing on it? Probably not. It is great for everyone if Oliver is happy, content, and sacked out in the same spot for awhile. Yes, this is our dining room table. Don’t worry, when we eat I move him over to the far end of the table first. We are not barbarians after all.
Our cats like to lay on our bed. We usually have at least a blanket or comforter on the bed. I will take a moment to create hills and valleys in the comforter so that a number of cats have their own little area to lounge in.
The take away is that you can help your cat behave better and be more happy if you plan out some areas they might like. Not everything you try will work with every cat. Some attempts may not be popular at all. Trial and error is the name of the game with the emphasis on try. Cats are unique and can be kind of odd at times. You really never know what will click with them until you give it a try. Most options are fairly inexpensive or free and often include more vertical approaches which helps to accommodate space limitations you might have.
See you next time!
