outdoor territory problem perhaps?

[2kittyboys]

Hello,
I would appreciate your advice on this, please. I have two outdoor NEUTERED boy cats (litter mates) about 4 years old.

Background: Former neighbor encouraged multiplication of cats without actually providing care. (Irresponsibly they let their children have oodles of kittens, because kittens make children happy, but then taught children that cats fend for themselves and find their own food. Yeesh!) This is a somewhat rural setting. Inevitably, the over-run of cats would look for food or shelter elsewhere - and I was nearest. I took care of a lot of cats. It took years of effort, from me, but I finally stopped it all. (Annoyed the neighbors - I'm sure they don't like me at all.) My two boy kitties were in the last litter. They are 4 now. (Last mama cat got a new home and spaying. Kittens spayed / neutered too.) I can not bring them into the house - so please don't hate on me for that. It isn't an option.

The two boys have been happy together on this property. Until this year, I think. I started noticing that one would disappear at a time. When it would return, the other would disappear. Being a little slow on the uptake, I finally realized there must be a territory problem here - that they are no longer happy sharing the property. They act civil toward each other. They share some sitting locations together. They greet each other touching noses when one returns. Yet ... there's some tension sometimes - a look mostly.

The straw that broke the camel's back was today. The dominant one was gone for 2 weeks! A family member saw him ONCE ... so I knew he was still alive ... yet he wasn't coming home. (They would never let a stranger touch them - they do not trust strangers at all.) Today after much calling - loudly - around the property - he finally came home. And ... the less dominant boy looked at me like, "are you kidding? Why did you want him? You've got me!" They greeted each other. They acted civil. Yet - 10 minutes later ... the less dominant boy is gone. He's still gone tonight.

What do I do to make them both feel they can live here again?

Formerly they shared a winter house. They share a porch swing. They share dishes and bowls. They even will eat out of the same dish sometimes - together - just because they did so when they were tiny kittens - even if they have their own bowls. They seem happy to eat next to each other. The dominant one is annoying to his brother sometimes - he wrestles a little too hard - is bigger and stronger. They never actually hiss or do a real fight however. They will both work together to intimidate a strange cat that ventures in.

I just don't know what to make of this. How do I handle it?

Thank you!

[Mollycat]

It sounds like you're maybe in the US? Anyway - in the UK where a lot of members are, most cats are in densely populated urban areas and are in and out door. Cat population is very high density and high tension, and the good old adaptable cat has found their own ways of dealing with it, and one of those ways is timeshare territories. Some cats deliberately time their territory patrols to avoid meeting, and communicate entirely by scent marks. This allows cats to share resources without coming into conflict, when resources are scarce. Other methods include neutral zones, as the street cats of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean so - large neutral areas around good plentiful food sources where cats don't fight.

Sounds to me like your boys are doing their own version of this. Although their space is much larger and they are neutered, the instinct to own a territory and the need to both access you and the food and shelter you provide are high, and it seems like they have worked it out for themselves without anyone having to leave home. If there was a problem, they might have it resolved without your help.

Can you provide two of everything, spaced a distance apart? If there is a good choice of shelters they might both be able to use them when needed.

[2kittyboys]

Thank you so much, Mollycat.

Yes, you guessed correctly, I'm in the US. Your answer was very helpful. It's actually quite fascinating!

The only thing I don't have two of is a kitty house. The one I have now is on the open front porch of the house, so it shares the house roof. The kitty house is wedged behind a porch glider/swing. It's probably the best spot on the property from the standpoint of keeping the rain or snow off / out of their house and keeping it warm, while remaining very close to the front door so they see when I come out. However, I will do some thinking about where I can put a second winter house. They use it year round - but the crucial time is winter - long, cold, and snowy. The dominant boy is semi-long haired and doesn't even seem to notice when we go through record breaking cold - he will play in the snow like he's made for it even when its literally arctic weather. The other boy is a typical short-hair and so I put heat packs in the house on the coldest days for him because he seems to need it then.

The winter water bowl is heated - and I think they can continue to share that. It seems it might be a neutral zone. I hope it is - because I don't have other places to plug more in during winter. (It is away from all of their other stuff - but they know the location. It's actually next to the heated bird bath but the birds haven't been impacted by that as far as I can see.

Will have to really think on this. Thank you so very much.