Territorial animals are those with a strong instinct to live within fixed land or aquatic boundaries. As small, solitary predators, cats have evolved to live within a fixed land space that is large enough to support them in terms of prey but modest enough for them to defend. In the wild, this territory is within a jungle, forest, rural or desert habitat. In these environments, wild males will compete with each other and attempt to mate aggressively with any sexually mature female cat that stays into their chosen territory.
Cat territories overlap and several males may consider the same area to belong to them. At the point of encounter, the strongest of the two will successfully challenge for the ‘territorial rights’ and eventually chase off the rival. The smaller the area he has to defend, the better the chance of the cat being successful.
House cats consider their home, yard, and garden and surrounding boundary markers such as fences, walls, trees and any freestanding structures to be part of their territory. In some instances, this may extend to surrounding streets or lanes. Research has suggested that house cats may operate a ‘time-sharing’ form of understanding, but a strong-willed, physically fit individual will usually roam unopposed across territories. When other cats ‘invade’ a perceived territory, a house cat is often able to retreat into what is usually the most secure part of its territory – the home.
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