Mary Allen
It is generally assumed that cats mark their territory by excreting feces and urine. Therefore one also speaks of marking behavior. American scientists disagree.
Observations of cats living in the wild revealed that they only bury their droppings within their residential area. Outside they left the excrement uncovered. However, if the animals needed the feces to determine their territory, they would have to behave in the opposite way. The scientists, therefore, assume that the cats bury the droppings within their territory for hygienic reasons. Outside of their habitat, on the other hand, they do not take any hygienic measures. As long as their legacies can’t bother them, they don’t seem to care.
Strangers Are Accepted In Cat Colonies
Marking with urine also seems to serve to spread news rather than demarcate borders. In this way, the velvet paws can tell their conspecifics whether they are angry or ready to reproduce. Since reproduction no longer plays a role in neutered cats and tomcats, they usually do not mark. If that were different and the urine splash served to mark the boundary, castrates would also have to mark much more often. In fact, scientists are increasingly deviating from the characterization of the house tiger as an extremely territorial animal. Observations in colonies showed that the animals do not fiercely defend their territory. Most cats are willing to accept strangers if enough food and resting places are available