Yes, sometimes cats decide they own something. Which simply means we should give them things to own.

They get something fun and special, we get credit for being nice… and exerting some influence over what the cats decide they own.

It’s a win-win.

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Cats will find spots, rituals, and objects they feel they own. This means they supervise its care, check on it often, and object when it is disrupted or missing. This is only natural.

A cat who knows their territory is a cat who is a successful hunter. So they can act proprietary over their toys, our toys, or favorite windowsills and furniture. But this doesn’t mean they can’t share.

When we find that a certain window, chair, or shelf is getting a lot of attention, we can try to discourage the cat from using it. But we should also consider… sharing it with the cat.

The cat does need furniture, after all. We can share a chair when it has a protective cover or when the cat is not harming it by their use. We can put up a cat shelf that will protect the window; and be more useful to the cat.

We should not feel that our cat should do all the accommodating. Is that any way to teach our cat it is wrong for them to feel that way?

This isn’t about territory; ours, or theirs. It is about ease and comfort and feeling at home.

For all of us.

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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.