Crossing into a Cat's Personal Space

Taken from my book blog http://readonlymode.blogspot.com/

Page's premise is that cats are "obligate loners" and in some situations when forced they can learn to tolerate socialization. All other domestic animals were social in the wild, living in packs or herds. "Cat's are the only domestic animals that derive from loners in the wild. The notion of herding cats is a colorful way of describing anarchy." Page 148

As loners, their day to day experience is not about dominance like a dog who is used to a pack structure but instead about territory. Each cat has a series of boundaries around them which are related to safety and comfort. Home range is the whole space the cat considers its area, the widest boundary around a cat. Within that is a territory, which is "the area the cat will defend against encroachment by feline strangers." Within the territory is an area called "social distance and inside that is personal distance." Males have a wider territory and are considerably more territorial (more aggressive over a wider area).

Review of Do Cats Hear With Their Feet?
By Jake Page