Dog Crate Is 'Ground Zero' in Hilarious Turf War Between Mini Aussie Shepherd and House Cat
Sharing a space with another means patience and understanding. It means waiting your turn and allowing a give and take. These rules apply for siblings, roommates, partners, and humans as well as animals. In fact, learning how to negotiate living with another animal is especially important for household pets, because many of them are naturally territorial, like cats and some breeds of dogs. For them, their home and territory is a space to be protected. Of course these animals can learn to view others—even of another species, as part of their family group, pack, or colony, but that doesn’t mean they don’t all appreciate their own space, and make rules for those spaces that the humans around them may not entirely understand.
For instance, my cats, who are mother and daughter, have negotiated their own pecking order in various areas of the house. The mama cat has claimed my daughter as her “person” and the other one will never venture onto her bed or into that space. However, this same cat has no compunction about claiming other beds in the house as well, and if she’s up there, the daughter won’t go. On the flip side, the daughter always eats first. I’ve given up trying to understand their complicated rules of hierarchy.
In this video, we see the ongoing turf war between the four cats and one dog—a Mini Aussie Shepherd—as regards ownership of the dog kennel. In the clip, a tuxedo cat is seen chilling in the kennel when a small Aussie tentatively crawls in, displacing the cat.
Hey, at least they are nicely taking turns.
Why Animals Like “Dens”
Anyone with pets may have noticed their propensity for crawling into and resting in small, dark spaces. Cats like boxes. Dogs choose to snooze under tables. More fearful dogs and cats may hide under furniture or beds. The fact is that both cats and dogs are “den” animals who feel safest when they can let their guard down in small, enclosed spaces. Their primal ancestors made their home in the hollows and roots of trees, in caves and under bushes or brush. Finding shelter in such places was a good way to avoid predators and to keep out of the elements. The descendants of these wild animals still like small enclosed spaces to feel safe and comfortable, and savvy pet owners will supply them with such places to hide away from the world, whether that’s a box, a doghouse, or a kennel.
The good news is, you can use an animal’s natural predilection for such spaces to your advantage in training.
Benefits of Crate Training
There are many reasons it’s worthwhile to train a dog or cat to go willingly, even eagerly, into their crate. Crate training a dog or cat is not a cruel and unusual punishment. In fact, a crate can be a place of refuge for your animal, even a place they take turns to use.
Since animals may need to be placed in crates for transport or to keep them secure, it’s good to get your animal used to the idea of being in a crate. Crates should be made pleasant places, with soft bedding, toys and treats. A simple blanket draped over the top of a wire crate, as seen here, can make it a satisfying, den-like space.
The crate in this video is clearly one that is very welcoming to the animals of the house.
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