英語(yǔ)聽(tīng)力文摘 徘徊的小貓

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https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/0007/7643/262.mp3

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貓是一種地盤性的動(dòng)物，它們喜歡在外面與別的貓劃分領(lǐng)地。公貓比母貓尤為如此——公貓的領(lǐng)地可能會(huì)是母貓領(lǐng)地的十倍。貓劃份地盤是與其自然天性有關(guān)的。對(duì)于一只野貓來(lái)說(shuō)，占領(lǐng)的地盤越大，覓食的范圍就越廣，它生存的可能性就越大。雖然家養(yǎng)的貓已沒(méi)有必要這樣做了，但它們?nèi)跃哂羞@種占領(lǐng)地盤的自然本能。如果你的貓受到了良好照顧并且生活的很快樂(lè)，那么這種本能就不會(huì)帶來(lái)太大的麻煩。家貓會(huì)在自己的住處周圍占領(lǐng)地盤，并用氣味、聲音、劃痕等標(biāo)記。它們并不是嚴(yán)格按主人房產(chǎn)的邊界劃分領(lǐng)地的。領(lǐng)地之間有可能重疊，還會(huì)有貓聚會(huì)的公共場(chǎng)所。只要貓?jiān)谄漕I(lǐng)地上占統(tǒng)治地位，它的領(lǐng)土范圍就不會(huì)變化。如果一只更強(qiáng)壯的貓來(lái)到了它的領(lǐng)地，經(jīng)過(guò)一番對(duì)抗后，領(lǐng)地被重新劃分。如果同一個(gè)房子中有兩只貓，它們也會(huì)劃分領(lǐng)地。它們會(huì)在房間中占領(lǐng)不同的領(lǐng)地，而共同使用一些重要的地方，例如它們吃飯的地方。同樣它們也會(huì)爭(zhēng)奪領(lǐng)地。如果新領(lǐng)養(yǎng)一只貓，應(yīng)讓它對(duì)周圍環(huán)境熟悉后再將它介紹給原有的貓。這樣它就不會(huì)因在一個(gè)陌生的環(huán)境中而感到自己處于劣勢(shì)。未去勢(shì)的公貓會(huì)噴射自己的尿液來(lái)標(biāo)記領(lǐng)地，這會(huì)造成非常難聞的氣味。其他貓也會(huì)噴射尿液但不會(huì)那么頻繁，而且氣味也沒(méi)那么難聞。大多數(shù)人無(wú)法忍受貓?jiān)谖輧?nèi)噴射尿液，但當(dāng)屋內(nèi)養(yǎng)有多只貓并且它們要建立自己的社會(huì)等級(jí)時(shí)，或附近有一只新來(lái)的貓(或其他動(dòng)物)時(shí)，這種情況也時(shí)有發(fā)生。

If you have an indoor cat, you may have noticed it doing an unusual thing. Just about the time you settle down for the night the cat will get up and leave the room. A little later it will walk back into the room, make its way around the walls, and go back out again. A little later, one more time around. What’s going on here?

Cats are very territorial animals. This is one reason why pet owners have their cats spayed: if they are not, they will mark up the house with a strong-smelling spray that lets other cats know “somebody lives here.” But even if you’re a cat who doesn’t spray, it’s still a good idea to take a walk around your territory and make sure no one else is moving in.

This is exactly what your cat is doing during these nightly round-the-house tours. Try following it, quietly, some time. Often you will find the cat walks through every room in the house, staying close to the walls, as if drawing a line around the outer perimeter of its domain. In the wild, the area inside this boundary would be hunted by this cat alone, unless someone else wanted to present a challenge for part of it.

Of course, if you have an outdoor cat you won’t see this activity, because its personal domain extends far out into the neighborhood. But you can be sure that about once a day, your cat walks all the way around its territory, doing battle with any invaders and generally keeping stock of things. It’s good to be king.