Cats are territorial animals — there’s no way around it!
In the wild, a cat establishes a territory where she eats and sleeps (a sort of home base) and where she hunts and mates (a home range). The size of a wild cat’s territory is generally determined by the availability of food. When food is plentiful, the cat needs a smaller home range. When food is scarce, the cat needs to range farther.
A cat’s territory is marked in several ways. Scratching leaves both visual and scent marks on trees (or furniture). Rubbing also leaves scent marks. Urine spraying and waste deposits serve a double purpose: they mark territory and give other cats information about the individual. Remember, urine and feces work as a sort of message system, telling all sorts of things about the animal that left the droppings.
Territory marking doesn’t keep other cats out of the area, but it does allow for some time-sharing. The cat patrols her territory regularly — and on a relatively regular schedule. In general, the cats don’t want to encounter other cats on their turf. One cat may use a part of the home range in the morning, while another uses the same area for hunting in the afternoon. They may never encounter each other.
That’s a good thing — chance encounters can lead to fighting and injury. An injured cat can’t hunt… and that means they can’t eat. Avoiding other cats means avoiding fights!
Domesticated cats establish their territories just like wild cats do! You might notice your cats spending different parts of the day in different areas of the house. Keep an eye on them for a few days and see if you can figure out the pattern. In multi-cat households, studies have shown that cats will tend to share their spots with cats of the same gender.