Are Cats Really Unsociable?

Cats have evolved during their long association with humans. Only those cats which tolerated human company went on to rear kittens in close proximity to humans. Living close to humans means living close to other cats as well. Over hundred of generations, those cats best suited to living in feline colonies, have reproduced most successfully. Our present day domestic cats are descended from these socialized cats. Feral cats are descended from domestic cats and though they are not socialized with humans, they are still social with other cats.

Even co-operative hunting does sometimes occur with closely bonded cats. Littermates Bubble and Squeak were two such hunting partners. Between them, they quartered the field in front of my home, flushing out field mice for each other and often sharing the catch. 12 year old Scrapper regularly teamed up with unrelated 6 month old Aphrodite to hunt the birds that devastated my fruit bushes.

This was a beneficial partnership as Scrapper, who had no teeth, flushed birds towards Aphrodite who dispatched them, but didn't eat them! There was no doubt that Scrapper masterminded the operation as Aphrodite was not very bright!

In 1996, studies of cats in the Galapagos Islands indicated that some cats will hunt co-operatively to increase the likelihood of successful hunts. This observation was made when prey was difficult for a single cat to catch. At the cat shelter where I work, ferals Kim, Jade and Gem (littermates) did not hunt as a group but they frequently shared their kills.

Many cats, both feral and domestic, apparently enjoy each other's company for its own sake and not just because there is safety in numbers. Though unneutered tomcats are often hostile towards each other, there are exceptions where toms which have been reared together may remain companionable when mature - supply of food and females permitting.

Unrelated cats may gang together to defend themselves or their territory against intruders. On one occasion I was woken by Aphrodite (aged 8) and Sappho (aged 15); between them they had cornered an opportunistic cat which had come in through the cat flap. Aphrodite guarded one end of the long hallway, Sappho guarded the other end and they played 'ping-pong' with the youngster until I rescued - and evicted - him.

In our households, unrelated cats often form close attachments to each other and a recent survey by British behaviorist Claire Bessant found that a number of cats grieved or pined when a companion cat died, sometimes to the extent that force-feeding was needed or another kitten had to be acquired to provide companionship.