Cat Info Center

Cats Are Territorial

Cats are territorial in nature but the domesticated cats consider this differently to that of the wildcat. There are reasons why a cat is territorial.

The first reason is to ensure that it will have enough food and shelter for its requirements. As the domesticated cat gets that food and shelter from its owner it does not need to concern itself with becoming territorial for that reason.

The second reason why cats are territorial is because in the wild they will be vying for the female when they are in season. Once again this is eliminated in most cases as the domesticated household cat has been neutered and a desire to be territorial for this reason is no longer present.

In addition to this, the fact that the domesticated cat generally lives in areas where there are many more cats in close proximity to one another, thereby reducing the reality of any cats having the ability to dominate any area much greater than their own backyard, this is no longer a realistic concern.

This has often led to a somewhat more social behavior with domesticated cats where they can sometimes welcome neighbor’s cats or at the very least put up with the fact that other cats will sometimes wander through their territory.

The fact that they are comfortable with the property, and realize that the security, food and shelter requirements are being met without any action required on their part means they no longer feel the need to be territorial.

Fortunately this makes life a lot easier for cat owners living close to one another, as it reduces the incidence of cat fights and also the unwanted habit of cats leaving their scent on other people’s properties. It certainly makes for a lot happier environment than if our cats still possessed the behavior that is natural to them in the wild.

Litter Cleaning For Cats

Almost everyone, adults and kids alike have a natural fondness for cats.  They are loving, quiet, and very playful pets that can provide you with years of entertainment.  Although most of us have a fondness for cats, that fondness can rapidly diminish when it comes to the litter box.  Even the most hardened cat lover may get tired of litter box duty, especially when it comes down to scooping “you know what” from the litter box.

Cats are very intelligent, instinctively knowing how they should use the litter box.  After the cat has finished using the litter box, someone in the family will need to scoop the waste from the litter box.  This can be a very dirty and somewhat smelly job, one that is often overlooked during the day when the workload gets heavy. Cleaning up the litter box doesn’t take but a few minutes, although most would prefer not to do it at all.  Although the litter box will need to be scooped out daily, it will also need to be changed once a week as well, by throwing the current bag out and replacing the box with a new bag and fresh litter.

Those who don’t like to scoop out the litter box should invest in one of the best inventions ever – the self cleaning litter box.  These litter boxes are easy to use, and will keep the area clean.  After the cat has used it, the self cleaning litter box will automatically clean the litter either by sifting or using a device that resembles a rake.

Self cleaning boxes that use shifting will often times have a round design.  Once the cat leaves the covered box, the dome on top will revolve for the box to clean.  The litter in the box will be shifted with the waste being put below the litter where it is discarded.  Once the waste is properly disposed of, the litter will be returned to its normal position in the box for the cat to use again.

Boxes that have raking systems will often times sport a rectangular design.  Once the cat leaves the box, the rake will automatically come out and clean the litter.  The rake will clean all of the litter in the box, including the clumps of waste as well.  Rakes are popular, although the shifting litter boxes are by far more popular and more common.

Those who are often times away from home could greatly benefit from a self cleaning litter box.  They are great to have for cats that spend a lot of time by themselves, as they virtually eliminate any scooping of litter on your part.  You can find them at your local pet or department store, even online as well.  They are very affordable – and ideal for anyone who doesn’t like scooping waste from their litter box.

The Nature of Cats

While cats can’t talk they are extremely good at communicating with us.

They purr to let us know that they are happy. There are other reasons why cats will purr. A mother will know that her kittens are in good health by their purring. Kittens also purr when they want adult cats to play with them. There are other times when cats will purr such as when a superior cat is trying to approach another cat in a friendly manner.

Cats are very clean animals and even those that are strays, will regularly groom themselves by licking their fur. Male cats will also lick female cats when courting, and another cat will lick its kittens to help stimulate excretion.

Cats also like to mark their territory so that other cats know whose property they are on. They will generally do this by backing up to an object, tree or plant, where they believe another cat has been, and spray urine that will leave a pungent scent that other cats will notice. Cats will also mark their territory by rubbing the corners of their mouths and their temples against objects as these areas have scent glands.

Sometimes cats might even do this when they feel threatened and this can happen where there is more than one cat in the family and one of those cats is trying to assert itself. In circumstances such as this you can have a problem where the cats might spray inside the house. Unfortunately this becomes a difficult situation sometimes, as you feel like reprimanding the cat, whereas in reality, assuring the cat has your support might be the fastest solution to stop this from happening.

Most cats are quite happy to be on their own and often prefer the company of humans to that of other cats. They can in fact get quite jealous if they think another cat is getting their share of the attention.