New territory for my cats

[DontCallMeBaby]

My poor cats ... just got home and heard ferocious yowling from the alleyway alongside the house, after which we went in, DH opened the back door to a slew of black cat hair drifting along ... Cat1 has come in, rather subdued, with his back end all scuffed up and at least one claw sheath embedded in it all. No blood that we can see. Cat2, I've just realised, is not only resisting the temptation to be a complete dick as per usual, but is curled up on the sofa about two inches away from his brother (they usually tolerate each other at best).

We moved a month ago, they've been in the house just over three weeks and allowed out for just over a week. There's a black cat which frequents the garden, and a black and white long haired one (ours are also b&w, but short haired). Previous owners had no pets of any kind (well, fish, but they don't count) so the garden is obviously someone else's territory.

Cats have also clearly forgotten the delights of al fresco toileting, so looks like litter trays for the foreseeable future. Yuck.

I just feel bad for them - cats have no concept of school catchment areas, extra bedrooms, and kitchens that one could swing a cat in were one so inclined!

[Fluffycloudland77]

It's just something they've got to go through to establish their territory.

It's rubbish though. Poor lad though.

[DontCallMeBaby]

His bum's all smoothed back down this morning, so he looks normal again, and both cats are behaving normally (ie sleeping in my wardrobe, and then chasing each other round like idiots)! I wish they'd work together to see off other cats, they'd have no trouble then, but they never cooperate.