I got Circe at the pound when she was about 12 weeks old. They called her "Houdini" because she would break out of just about any cage they put her in. Even as a kitten, she liked her freedom.
She has always been a dominant cat, one who likes people (as long as they don't try to restrain her!), but hates other cats. She has a rather large territory, and tends to do her "rounds" every day overseeing all of it. She sprays her territory, too, but luckily she's never sprayed indoors. She will also follow us on walks for quite a distance from home.
I'm sort of used to getting calls about Circe asking if she's a lost cat. This is mostly due to her tendency to cover the same ground every day, and her apparent lack of concern for human-style barriers (she'll go into people's houses through open doors and windows). I know that she is cared for at home, and she seems pretty happy with the current situation and with us- she returns home at least daily, sleeps here, eats here, and responds to us when we call her, pet her, take walks with her, etc. Also, I know that she tends to wander longer during the dry summer months, and that during the winter she is here most of the time. I've had a dominant-type cat in the past, so I've sort of accepted that about her. Our other (current) cat never leaves the property. They are opposites in a lot of ways, actually.
But, I've received two calls and had a conversation with a third person about Circe just in the past week- apparently she has taken over an entire apartment building as her own! I'm not sure how to take this.
The apartment building is about two blocks from our current house. It's only a block from our former house- where we lived until a year ago. From our old house, she could get to the building without crossing a street- she could go directly through yards to get there. She has always spent a lot of time on that block, but I've never seen her actually take over a residence.
After we moved, she kept the territory at our old house. The new tenants didn't have pets, so she would come and hang out in the yard, even though they didn't let her in the house (but she would try to get in). This month, some new people moved in, and they have 6 cats! So, that territory is no longer "hers". Her takeover of the apartment seems to coincide with the cats moving into our old house.
I was over at the apartment tonight and she was acting very much in charge of the place- lying in the doorway, etc. Of course, she also seemed very happy to see us and followed us home willingly. The people I talked to tonight have a toddler who just loves her, and they're happy to have her around. Not everybody is a cat person, though.
So, I wonder if I should do anything (or if I can do anything). My first impulse is to tell people that if they don't let her into their apartment, she will get the hint and will leave them alone. If they don't have screens small enough to keep cats out, I really hate to think of how many flies and bugs they are letting in. It's not like she's going to bust down the door. She will meow at people to let her in if they've let her in before, but she will give up on lost causes (unlike our other cat, hehe).
Keeping her indoors is not an option. It makes her miserable. I tried this with her when she was a kitten, but, just like when she was at the shelter, she would escape frequently. I also tried this after we moved, with similar results. She does not have an indoor cat temperament.
I wonder if one of the residents over there is feeding her. She can be quite vocal, and somebody might have mistaken that for hunger. If she's been fed there once, she *will* go back and demand to be fed again.
So, should I do anything? Should I just tell the apartment dwellers to deal with it and buy window screens? I did buy her a more distinct tag for her collar- one person commented that he had trouble reading it. I also reassured them that she is well fed and that she has been spayed.
Thoughts?
She has always been a dominant cat, one who likes people (as long as they don't try to restrain her!), but hates other cats. She has a rather large territory, and tends to do her "rounds" every day overseeing all of it. She sprays her territory, too, but luckily she's never sprayed indoors. She will also follow us on walks for quite a distance from home.
I'm sort of used to getting calls about Circe asking if she's a lost cat. This is mostly due to her tendency to cover the same ground every day, and her apparent lack of concern for human-style barriers (she'll go into people's houses through open doors and windows). I know that she is cared for at home, and she seems pretty happy with the current situation and with us- she returns home at least daily, sleeps here, eats here, and responds to us when we call her, pet her, take walks with her, etc. Also, I know that she tends to wander longer during the dry summer months, and that during the winter she is here most of the time. I've had a dominant-type cat in the past, so I've sort of accepted that about her. Our other (current) cat never leaves the property. They are opposites in a lot of ways, actually.
But, I've received two calls and had a conversation with a third person about Circe just in the past week- apparently she has taken over an entire apartment building as her own! I'm not sure how to take this.
The apartment building is about two blocks from our current house. It's only a block from our former house- where we lived until a year ago. From our old house, she could get to the building without crossing a street- she could go directly through yards to get there. She has always spent a lot of time on that block, but I've never seen her actually take over a residence.
After we moved, she kept the territory at our old house. The new tenants didn't have pets, so she would come and hang out in the yard, even though they didn't let her in the house (but she would try to get in). This month, some new people moved in, and they have 6 cats! So, that territory is no longer "hers". Her takeover of the apartment seems to coincide with the cats moving into our old house.
I was over at the apartment tonight and she was acting very much in charge of the place- lying in the doorway, etc. Of course, she also seemed very happy to see us and followed us home willingly. The people I talked to tonight have a toddler who just loves her, and they're happy to have her around. Not everybody is a cat person, though.
So, I wonder if I should do anything (or if I can do anything). My first impulse is to tell people that if they don't let her into their apartment, she will get the hint and will leave them alone. If they don't have screens small enough to keep cats out, I really hate to think of how many flies and bugs they are letting in. It's not like she's going to bust down the door. She will meow at people to let her in if they've let her in before, but she will give up on lost causes (unlike our other cat, hehe).
Keeping her indoors is not an option. It makes her miserable. I tried this with her when she was a kitten, but, just like when she was at the shelter, she would escape frequently. I also tried this after we moved, with similar results. She does not have an indoor cat temperament.
I wonder if one of the residents over there is feeding her. She can be quite vocal, and somebody might have mistaken that for hunger. If she's been fed there once, she *will* go back and demand to be fed again.
So, should I do anything? Should I just tell the apartment dwellers to deal with it and buy window screens? I did buy her a more distinct tag for her collar- one person commented that he had trouble reading it. I also reassured them that she is well fed and that she has been spayed.
Thoughts?
I would think it would be good to have a window screen that could block animals, not just for your cat, but also for stray dogs/cats, and maybe the occasional racoon. Are the calls out of concern or complaints? From your post, it doesn't sound as if the apartment dwellers are mad, just concerned for her wel being.
