Are cats really as
unsociable as we think? Recent studies suggest
that cats develop complex and fluid matriarchal
hierarchies.
For years,
'experts' have told cat owners that domestic cats
are solitary creatures who dislike the company of
other cats. No doubt cat owners have viewed the
communal sleep heap on the armchair with
puzzlement, wondering whether it is the cats or
the experts who have their facts wrong. While the ancestors
of our domestic cats may have been solitary
hunters in the forests of Europe and Africa,
domestic cats frequently live in harmonious
groups; playing, sleeping and even hunting
together. Many form close attachments to other
cats and even to other domestic animals.
It has been
suggested that keeping several cats in one
household forced them to become more sociable due
to the unnatural conditions. Certainly, some cats
are solitary by nature (just as some humans prefer
their own company) and show signs of stress when
there are too many cats in a too-small area.
Other
cats simply tolerate their fellow lodgers and work
individual territories within the household. A
good domestic cats actually thrive on feline
companionship though they do like to be able to
retreat to a private area at times (just as humans
need moments of solitude). Studies on feral
colonies have shown that domestic cats, like
lions, are rather sociable creatures and even
battle-scarred tomcats will return from walking
alone to relax with the family.
Cats in captive
colonies at animal shelters, often form close
friendships which last for many years. Eagle
shared an enclosure with 11 other 'unhomeable'
cats. The other cats frequently rubbed against
Eagle and chose to sit close to him. When Eagle
died, the relationship between the other cats
broke down and the colony fragmented into several
small groups.
The super-sociable Eagle had been the glue
that held them together. Cats rub against their
companions to mingle their scents and reinforce
the bond. Biologists studying farmyard colonies
noticed that lower ranking cats often rubbed
against higher ranking cats. Rubbing also has a
hierarchical function and a cat's social standing
can be measured by the number of times other cats
rub against it. When our cats wind round our
ankles it is more than an affectionate greeting;
they are letting us know that we rank higher than
them. Maybe it's time to worry when Puss DOESN't
rub round our ankles.
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