Cats and Space Conceptions

To understand our cat’s concept of territory, we also need to know what they are really saying when they manage their concept of personal space.

We often think the cat is “guarding their territory” when they hog one end of the couch or strive to maintain a distance. But any cat with such behavior is actually displaying a depth of trust, not firm geographical boundaries, when they imagine “territory.”

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A good friend finds a cat guards very little territory, while an intrusive being will get frozen out as they approach. When cats get along, with anyone, they will allow a lot of closeness.

What the cat is expressing is their personal territory.

Cats enforce this with subtle, or not so subtle, signals that say “I’m not in the mood.” But while we should respect their space, we can also adjust it to get closer to them. Push that flexible envelope around the cat by standing at the edge of it and being verbal, or calling them over to show them something interesting.

The cat will voluntarily adjust the space as more and more interesting things happen when they reduce the space they are requiring from other beings. Using curiosity and affection makes these spaces more dense and communicative.

Other creatures can be helped to understand what the cat is really saying. Dogs can be leashed and encouraged to “stay” while the cat explores this calmer side of them. Children pick up the right behavior when we show them how to act to make friends with a cat.

We can have a close relationship when we, inch by inch, demonstrate that only good things come from better proximity.

For more about how cats see territory, see Cats and Territory Templates.

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There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.