Cat Territory Mapping 101: How Beds, Shelves & Hideouts Prevent Fights

<h1>📐 Cat Territory Mapping 101: How Beds, Shelves & Hideouts Prevent Fights</h1>

<p>Most cat fights don’t start over food. They start over <strong>space</strong>. Beds. Shelves. Corners. Windows. That sunny shelf near the kitchen? It’s prime real estate. 🐾</p>

<p>If you’re managing a multi-cat home or introducing a new cat, knowing how to map their territory — with the right <strong>beds, perches, and escape zones</strong> — can prevent conflict before it starts.</p>

<hr>

<h2>🐈 Why Cats Care So Much About Territory</h2>

<ul>
  <li>Cats are solitary hunters, not pack animals</li>
  <li>They rely on “safe zones” to eat, sleep, groom, and observe</li>
  <li>Overlapping zones = tension, guarding, stress</li>
</ul>

<p>💡 Cats don’t need more square footage. They need <strong>more control</strong over where they rest, observe, and retreat.</p>

<hr>

<h2>📍 Core Territory Zones to Create</h2>

<h3>1. Sleep Zones</h3>
<ul>
  <li>At least one per cat + 1 extra</li>
  <li>Different styles: cave, pad, open bed, shelf spot</li>
  <li>Spread out in different rooms or corners</li>
</ul>

<h3>2. Vertical Zones</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Window shelves, felt houses on benches, or stackable platforms</li>
  <li>Allows “peaceful coexistence” via height</li>
</ul>

<h3>3. Hideouts</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Felt caves, tunnel houses, behind furniture</li>
  <li>Used for decompression and escape during tension</li>
</ul>

<h3>4. Observation Zones</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Perches with visual access to people and windows</li>
  <li>Great for territorial security without confrontation</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<h2>🛏️ Purrz Products That Support Territory Mapping</h2>

<h3>🏠 <a href="https://purrz.com/collections/felt-houses" target="_blank">Felt Houses</a></h3>
<ul>
  <li>Structure + hiding + nap zone in one</li>
  <li>Great for placing near entryways or rooms cats like to watch</li>
</ul>

<h3>🔁 <a href="https://purrz.com/products/3-in-1-cat-cube-cave" target="_blank">3-in-1 Cube</a></h3>
<ul>
  <li>Use cube mode for a corner claim</li>
  <li>Flat pad mode under shelves or benches</li>
</ul>

<h3>🛋️ <a href="https://purrz.com/products/xl-felt-pad" target="_blank">XL Felt Pad</a></h3>
<ul>
  <li>Neutral territory bed = peaceful shared space</li>
  <li>Great for bonding or supervised nap sessions</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<h2>📏 Example: 2-Cat Layout</h2>

<ul>
  <li>Living Room: XL Pad on floor + Cube on shelf</li>
  <li>Bedroom: Felt House on dresser + Donut Bed in corner</li>
  <li>Office: Window perch with pad + tunnel near desk</li>
</ul>

<p>Result? 2 cats, 6 spots = <strong>no competition, no stress</strong>.</p>

<hr>

<h2>🧠 How to Know Your Map Is Working</h2>

<ul>
  <li>No blocking or staring during nap time</li>
  <li>Each cat uses their own spots without being followed</li>
  <li>Shared use happens <em>by choice</em>, not by pressure</li>
  <li>Less hissing, hiding, or sudden relocations</li>
</ul>

<p>✅ Every bed is a signal: “This is my space — and I feel safe here.”</p>

<hr>

<h2>💬 From Dr. Duncan Houston</h2>
<blockquote>
“Cat conflict is often invisible until it explodes. Territory mapping with beds, levels, and hideouts gives every cat a way to rest and reset — without competition.”
</blockquote>

<hr>

<h2>🛒 Design Your Territory Map With Purrz</h2>

<ul>
  <li>🏠 <a href="https://purrz.com/collections/felt-houses" target="_blank">Felt Houses</a></li>
  <li>🔁 <a href="https://purrz.com/products/3-in-1-cat-cube-cave" target="_blank">3-in-1 Cube</a></li>
  <li>🛋️ <a href="https://purrz.com/products/xl-felt-pad" target="_blank">XL Felt Pad</a></li>
</ul>

<p>📐 <strong><a href="https://purrz.com/collections/felt-caves" target="_blank">Shop all territory-safe beds and hideouts at Purrz</a></strong></p>

<hr>

<h2>📚 References</h2>
<ol>
  <li>International Cat Care. (2023). Mapping feline territory indoors. https://icatcare.org</li>
  <li>Buffington, C. A. T. (2011). Territory, scent, and stress in multi-cat homes. *Vet Clinics of North America*, 41(5), 1001–1015.</li>
</ol>