Sunday, August 29, 2010

Understand her territorial


I think all of you know well about why your cats love to go outside. But for me, first of all, I think she want the fresh air, see other cats , see the birds or visit some house but I got no ideas about her territory. And then I start to notice her she have to go outside like a mission. Right on time everyday and night. 5.40-6.00 am. and 6.00-9.00 pm. That is her time to go out, no matter what ( rain or windy ). So I start to find out why she has to be so serious to go out even the rainy day. Then I found out so many informations. It's all about her territorial !

I want to keep this informations for myself and I would like to share for who is interested. If you are already knew please skip.

It’s your neighbourhood moggie.
Yes, for every backyard in Australia, you can guarantee there is a battle royale going on to secure it. And unfortunately our furniture, plants, sleep patterns and even our own pets often become the innocent victims.
But there is a way to bring peace to these neighbourhood battlefields.

First of all we need to understand the cause of the conflict.

So why are cats so territorial?
Well that strong desire to patrol and protect their ‘patch’ is highly instinctive. A cat intuitively knows that the more territory they own, the greater their access to food will be. Add to that a greater chance of landing encounters of the ‘flirtatious’ and ‘frisky’ kind and you can see why those fists all too easily start flying. But is this feline phenomenon totally foreign to us humans? After all, it’s fair to say a large proportion of people share an equally strong desire to accumulate property as a way of ensuring financial security and in some cases, even sex appeal! So maybe while cats clash after midnight, two legged territorial aggression is reserved for Saturday morning real estate inspections!

Feline Fortress: How cat’s lay claim to their patch
Fighting is often the last resort for felines looking to defend their turf from ‘intruders’. The area under dispute will most likely be littered with all manner of messages. Some will be seen, some will be smelt, some will be heard. But all point to trouble if ignored. Use of the senses (especially smell) is crucial in the feline world of messaging. The fact their sense of smell is up to 10,000 times stronger than ours makes the Smell Messaging Service, truly their equivalent of our modern day SMS! These are the most commonly used signals and signs that trouble is brewing… 
• Scratched wooden posts or bases of trees. SIGHT.
• Urine sprays against fences, gates and doorways. SIGHT AND SMELL.
• Rubbing of cheeks against plants or posts. SMELL. (from pheromones released from glands in the cheeks)
• Placement of faeces in the garden. SIGHT AND SMELL.
• Meowing and Howling. SOUND.
• Physical force. SIGHT, SOUND, SMELL and TOUCH.

Fast Facts on Territorial Aggression
• Shown to other animals and even people
• Begins when cats reach ‘social maturity’ at between 1 and 2 years of age
• Most commonly seen as fighting but may also involve stalking, chasing, hissing and marking.
• Most encounters occur at night because of a strong desire to hunt and roam in darkness. However, daytime bouts can certainly occur.
Read more in this link : Territorial Cats by Dr Chris Brown



The territory of outdoor cats




The home range is the area that the cat lives in, and the territory is the area which she defends.



The territory is normally smaller than the home range. House cats which are allowed outside will establish their home ranges and territories, although the home range for female house cats is only about 0.05 acre which is approximately 200 m2 (her own garden and adjoining gardens).



Interestingly house cats never create colonies with neighboring cats, if they meet it is more to assert their territorial rights.

- Home range size varies with the habitat and the availability of the food but there are some defining features.
- Male cats have a home range about 10 times larger then that of a female cat.
- Female cat's ranges clump together, normally around a building or other place of shelter and often overlap.
- A male may include the ranges of a number of queens in 'his' range. The male normally moves on the outer parts of his home range.
- The greater the size of available food the smaller the home ranges.

Read more please visit  : The territory of outdoor cats

Female cats are actually more territorial than males. Male territories overlap, while females guard their territories from both sexes to preserve their hunting for the sake of present and future kittens.


What did Puddy do when she met the intruder cat ? 
Nothing actually, She just came closer to the intruder cat, sit down and watch them. But the one , she enjoy to see is the next door cat ( see picture below ). A lots of time, I saw they get so close to each other and never fight. Look like they are good friend. 


Who else is the intruder cat ?
Ginger Tabby cat , Brown tabby cat, White fluffy long hair cat and Old skinny tabby cat. But I just got the photo of Ginger tabby and the brown one. The rest ran away when they saw me.




And this is all beautiful neighbours






The last photo is my friend's cat and we are neighbours. His name is " Nicholas "

4 comments:

Jacqueline said...

A great post with lots of information and lovely photos of your beautiful neighborhood kitties!...It's great Puddy and the next door neighbor kitty are friends :)...Happy day, kisses...Calle, Halle, Sukki

Katnip Lounge said...

This was really interesting! Many of the neighbor cats look a LOT like Puddy...I wonder if they're related? Littermates or the same Mama or Papa?

The Chair Speaks said...

The cats are lovely.

Boom Nisanart said...

Thank you for all your kind comments : )

Katnip Lounge, You are right ! they all look a lot like Puddy. But they are not related. Might be same breed, I guess. But I always know which one it's her. She is my baby : )

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