My old barn cat taught me a new trick after 14 years

My family's barn cat in rural Ohio never once came near the house until last fall when a stray showed up and claimed the porch. Suddenly that old tom started sleeping in a cardboard box by the back door, like he was jealous of the newcomer's setup. Has anyone else had a cat suddenly change its whole routine after another cat moved in?

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skyler_baker17d ago

The whole "jealous of the newcomer" angle feels off to me. That old cat had 14 years of choosing the barn, and that's a long time for a routine to be about anything but comfort. More likely the stray just proved the porch was a safe spot, and the old tom finally realized he was missing out on better digs. Cats don't get jealous the way we do. They get territorial, sure, but claiming a box by the door sounds more like he saw a good spot and took it once another cat showed him it was available. I'd bet he'd have moved in eventually anyway, the stray just sped up the timeline.

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