# protecting territory?



## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Mr. Casper is a stray, not a feral, but he has been an outdoor-only cat for about 6 years (at the least), so his behavior often seems more like that of a feral than of a house cat. I brought him with me when I moved, less than 1000 feet from the old place. It took him less than a week to figure out how to get back to his old territory. 

He has a house with a heated bed in my screened porch, but he's gone by the time I get up (9 am at the earliest) and then he doesn't come back until dinnertime. It can be pouring rain in the morning, and he's gone. The day after we got 19" of snow last year, he wanted out. Stayed out all day. Very early Monday morning, it started to snow but when I got up at 9, he was gone. 

At the old place, there were several indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood, so I understand protecting territory. But I was there for 4 years, and I know those cats aren't out in the winter, and there is no feral or stray problem.

Is it normal to protect territory in this way? I swear sometimes I think he's got a lady cat friend somewhere  (he's fixed).


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

LOL! A 1000 ft is nothing to a cat! They can 'patrol' an area up to two square miles!
Wouldn't it be something to have one of those little collar cameras, so you could see what his typical day is like?!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

But I mean really. In this weather? What does he think he's protecting his territory against? There's nothing out there. 

Except maybe a skunk. I saw it in my backyard the other night. I was making as much noise as I could at 3 am. to try to convince it to move on, but that thing was not afraid.


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## Mochas Mommy (Dec 9, 2013)

When you can let stink fly like that....not much scares you!

Mr. Casper is probably marking the territory as his to warn other cats, particularly males, to stay away....it is HIS human that he has trained to feed him and talk to him and let him in when it is cold and light heartedly complain about marking and lack of litterbox manners....


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Well I know cats love routine...so I don't know how you can get him to break his habit. I'd love to see him on a collar cam, too...it must be such fun to see where he goes and how he sees the world.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

LOL! But my point is that there are no other cats for him to warn, and there haven't been since probably early November. Gotta see if he's back. I don't know what he's doing out there - certainly hope he didn't go over to the old territory.

How long would it take a cat to cover 1000 feet?


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

1000 feet...hmmmm, I'm sure he's got shortcuts!


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