Some ponderings on cat pee
Jun. 11th, 2011 03:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stephbgI was just outside (yay!) hanging some washing when I noticed signs of territorial cat wee near the back door. My three are all indoors cats these day (like me) so this wee belongs to a neighbourhood cat.
For a while after Cally was first confined to quarters there was a lot of biffo about the place as neighbouring cats fought over her territory (i.e. Sector 7 and surrounds). It's been quiet of late so I assumed that a victor had emerged from the ashes of the mighty combat. The new owner has established a regular patrol route and doesn't seem to feel the need to spray enough to come to my attention. I figured that the cessation of combat and the lack of sabre-rattling (peeing) means that the dominant cat was very dominant indeed. So what am I going to do about the now visible pee?
Nothing.
If my hypothesis--a very dominant cat in confident control of its territory--is correct, than any attempt to interfere with, remove or mask their scent would be met by an aggressive campaign of respraying often and generously. Because I am not a cat (honest) and therefore not available for other types of posturing, the local top cat will have no options for defiance but pee, and possible loud yowling. However, the removal of the mark might encourage other cats to have a go at the territory. Result: Noise, fighting and large quantities of I'm-making-a-point pee, possibly in combat with I-say-I'm-in-charge-now pee. Followed by not-on-your-life-I'm-going-to-tear-you-a-new-one pee. I'm pretty sure that kind of aggressive conversational pee would smell bad to start with and only get worse as hostilities escalate.
If I do nothing about the small and frankly inoffensive current I'm-just-checking-in-here pee, it will occasionally be refreshed with a bit more mellow it's-still-me-and-I-can-take-you-on-but-right-now-I'm-in-charge-and-not-feeling-threatened pee. That I can live with.
What do you think peeps? Have I been watching too many documentaries about lions? Am I in tune with the language of pee?
For a while after Cally was first confined to quarters there was a lot of biffo about the place as neighbouring cats fought over her territory (i.e. Sector 7 and surrounds). It's been quiet of late so I assumed that a victor had emerged from the ashes of the mighty combat. The new owner has established a regular patrol route and doesn't seem to feel the need to spray enough to come to my attention. I figured that the cessation of combat and the lack of sabre-rattling (peeing) means that the dominant cat was very dominant indeed. So what am I going to do about the now visible pee?
Nothing.
If my hypothesis--a very dominant cat in confident control of its territory--is correct, than any attempt to interfere with, remove or mask their scent would be met by an aggressive campaign of respraying often and generously. Because I am not a cat (honest) and therefore not available for other types of posturing, the local top cat will have no options for defiance but pee, and possible loud yowling. However, the removal of the mark might encourage other cats to have a go at the territory. Result: Noise, fighting and large quantities of I'm-making-a-point pee, possibly in combat with I-say-I'm-in-charge-now pee. Followed by not-on-your-life-I'm-going-to-tear-you-a-new-one pee. I'm pretty sure that kind of aggressive conversational pee would smell bad to start with and only get worse as hostilities escalate.
If I do nothing about the small and frankly inoffensive current I'm-just-checking-in-here pee, it will occasionally be refreshed with a bit more mellow it's-still-me-and-I-can-take-you-on-but-right-now-I'm-in-charge-and-not-feeling-threatened pee. That I can live with.
What do you think peeps? Have I been watching too many documentaries about lions? Am I in tune with the language of pee?
