Cats are territorial.
Once upon a time my territory was huge, but I had constantly to defend it against invaders.
It was so big that instead of calling my name F made use of her ability to emit a very loud whistle and I quickly learned that F's whistle meant the humans were back, the doors open, meals served, someone has lit the fire (or spread a rug on the lawn - depending on season) and I could come back from whatever outpost of my territory I was inspecting. (This possibly also contributed to the impression formed by some humans that I was in some way 'like a dog'.) I also trained my humans that if I 'wiped my feet' on coming indoors, I wanted a decent back scratch and a treat.
A couple of years before we moved to Greece, I started to go deaf and as my world closed in, my confidence in my ability to detect invaders before they sprung a surprise on me diminished. I retreated to the work bench in the garage and watched my territory from the window. I still enjoyed the garden when in the company of my humans and still got to ride to the allotment in my HGV whenever F was at home, so I began to develop a different kind of view of territory; one in which my real estate is smaller but territory includes a few moveable items guided by or attached to one or other of my humans.
The house and garage (and the garden if the humans were about to detect and repel invading cats, marauding gulls, or vicious blackbirds) were supplemented by my HGV (which gave access to the allotment, and my special viewing bunk in window of the shed there) and motor vehicles (which could take me to other more distant safe places with no resident cats or K9s).
This apartment is an even smaller piece of real estate (and I'm still not 100% sure those cats out on the back wall won't get in one day). My HGV got left in England but at least the Furrari (aka Donkey) came with us and was joined soon after by my backpack. Mr B also bought me a new bigger and better equipped van (which is also by extension my territory) but he takes it away for half of every year.
They are all TERRITORY - my territory, the place I control and feel safe in.
So why would I run away from that? What would I run to? And if I left my human behind, who would be on the dog-watch? (Or open the cat-food cans and keep my food-bowl clean?)
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| At the park (στο παρκο) |
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteWell said, that cat!!! No argument here. Once a world traveller, I now stick to the Hutch and rarely beyond it. It's all one needs, right? Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
Well I'm still interested in looking at the world from my Donkey or backpack. Just today at lunch time we went on a little shopping excursion so that F could get a plant for the office. I discovered there are oases of green in this city where plants are all over the ground, stacked on shelves, hanging off beams, and the place smells like a garden. Now I want to know why we couldn't have moved to some real estate like that. I rather fancy summer sprawled under a jungle of that much greenery. We made a lot of people laugh returning to the office with me hugging the plant. Apparently it is called a Peace Lily. I supervised its repotting when we got back.
DeleteRunning away sounds far too energetic. Probably best to direct operations from a comfortable lazing oosition.
ReplyDeleteMy thinking precisely. Now, where's my gin....
DeleteYour a very clever kitty. My cats are the same. They so wanted to go out and kept escaping to the garden so I eventually put in a doggie door so they could come and go. And save my fly screens!
ReplyDeleteI was so worried they would run away but like you they know where their food and comforts lie so they stay very close to home enjoying the best of both worlds
I am so glad that you shared this with us because every time I saw you out laying in the grass I thought what is Tigger runs away and they can't find him. This makes perfect sense. And I shouldn't worry because I know how much your mama loves you and would never put you in danger
ReplyDeleteF would have let me do more exploring at the beach but seeing as I haven't heard her whistle in a year or two I might not remember where I left her and we wouldn't find each other again. I have got very good a lip reading though so we still have long chats while we mosey about together.
DeleteHe's got it good has Tigger, has he got some good hiding places too? Today Bruno is enjoying the Winter sunshine.
ReplyDeleteSome excellent hiding places. F seems to ha e sussed them all now but Ive given her a few scares since we've been here by finding new and unexpected ones. To begin with she would think I had jumped (or fallen - i used to balance on the balcony rail) off the balcony. At the front, an agile cat, such as I was in my youth, might easily jump to the next building! Greetings to Bruno. xxx Mr T
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