What are typical behaviors expressed by a dominant cat? Apparently "territory" and "dominance" are two different things, but in some cases I'm having a hard time understanding which they are.
Red Cat will eat out of Purdy's bowl, (which is about five feet away) especially if Purdy has anything left that he thinks is better than in his own, like tartar control food. But he adamantly refuses to drink out of a bowl that Purdy has been drinking out of. And that bowl is on Red Cat's tray! I've given up on putting a water bowl on Purdy's tray, as he just drinks off the one on Red Cat's tray anyway. Red Cat did drink off the one on his tray until I got Purdy three or four years ago. Red Cat also has a water dish in the bathtub upstairs, and that is the only one he uses now. Occasionally Purdy will use that one, too, but that doesn't stop Red Cat from using it afterward. Occasionally after I finish bathing, I forget to refill his water bowl and put it back in the tub. In that case if I am downstairs, he will jump up on the bathroom counter and demand a drink out of the faucet. If I fill "Purdy's" bowl (on Red Cat's placemat) with fresh water and offer it to him, he smells the bowl and refuses. So does this have anything to do with dominant behavior? Or somehow with territory? Or just individual quirks?
Any other insight into dominant or territorial behaviors would be appreciated.
Red Cat will eat out of Purdy's bowl, (which is about five feet away) especially if Purdy has anything left that he thinks is better than in his own, like tartar control food. But he adamantly refuses to drink out of a bowl that Purdy has been drinking out of. And that bowl is on Red Cat's tray! I've given up on putting a water bowl on Purdy's tray, as he just drinks off the one on Red Cat's tray anyway. Red Cat did drink off the one on his tray until I got Purdy three or four years ago. Red Cat also has a water dish in the bathtub upstairs, and that is the only one he uses now. Occasionally Purdy will use that one, too, but that doesn't stop Red Cat from using it afterward. Occasionally after I finish bathing, I forget to refill his water bowl and put it back in the tub. In that case if I am downstairs, he will jump up on the bathroom counter and demand a drink out of the faucet. If I fill "Purdy's" bowl (on Red Cat's placemat) with fresh water and offer it to him, he smells the bowl and refuses. So does this have anything to do with dominant behavior? Or somehow with territory? Or just individual quirks?
Any other insight into dominant or territorial behaviors would be appreciated.
