Changes

Claw, urine and facial/flank scent marks are generally deposited on vertical surfaces, often on objects that are close to an entry point to a particular space, so that other cats will notice them.  The function of this marking behaviour is to identify the significance of certain locations to the ‘sender’ and ‘receiver’ of the mark. Scent marks, therefore, act both as a memento of previous experience in a location as well as a signal to others. When a cat encounters facial and flank marks on inanimate objects in the [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Core Territory|core part of the territory]], they signify that this location has been safe in the past and when a cat leaves another face or flank mark, it is relabelling that place as safe based upon its current experience.  

Claw, urine and facial/flank scent marks are generally deposited on vertical surfaces, often on objects that are close to an entry point to a particular space, so that other cats will notice them.  The function of this marking behaviour is to identify the significance of certain locations to the ‘sender’ and ‘receiver’ of the mark. Scent marks, therefore, act both as a memento of previous experience in a location as well as a signal to others. When a cat encounters facial and flank marks on inanimate objects in the [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Core Territory|core part of the territory]], they signify that this location has been safe in the past and when a cat leaves another face or flank mark, it is relabelling that place as safe based upon its current experience.  

The odours that cats share when allogrooming and allorubbing help to identify the group so that these and the core territory odours are a memento of previous interactions.  

The odours that cats share when allogrooming and allorubbing help to identify the group so that these and the core territory chemical messages are a memento of previous interactions.  

Other odour marks are intended to enable cats to maintain distance from one another; both claw marks and urine spray marks contain pheromone chemical signals that are intended to signal to cats outside the social group that they are entering an area that is also occupied by other cats.  

Other odour marks are intended to enable cats to maintain distance from one another; both claw marks and urine spray marks contain pheromone chemical signals that are intended to signal to cats outside the social group that they are entering an area that is also occupied by other cats.