Cat behaviour

Question 1

how many species of cats are there

Answer 1

37
solitary and strongly territorial

Question 2

what is cool about cheetas

Answer 2

litters remain together until they become 6 months old
females disperse
male siblings remain together

Question 3

whats cool about African lions

Answer 3

females live in kinships (pride)
there is no dominance chain - highly cooperative
cubs are kept hidden for 6 weeks before getting introduced into the bride
male siblings remain in groups and compete for females
pride changes ownership regularly - infanticide - ekill the young to stop genes from moving on
males eat first

Question 4

whats cool about the felis silvestris wildcat

Answer 4

no group living besides mother and offspring
strongly territorial but not asocial
communication with neighbouring territories due to scent
do not adapt group livign even if resources are available

Question 5

what is the history of cat domestication

Answer 5

socialization might have started with the man made grain stores - prey expansion
introduction of cats into urba areas to control mouse populations
reproduction isolation from its wild counterparts
secure resources

Question 6

what type of groups do cats live in

Answer 6

exclusively matriarchal
remarkable degree of flexibility in their social arrangements
free living females build colonies with siblings and thei kittens depend on

Question 7

is there a dominance hierarchy

Answer 7

adults are both breeders and helpers
mother recognize their offspring but also take care of unrelated kittens
feeding priority is given to juveniles under 1 year old

Question 8

what is the benefit to group living in females

Answer 8

reduce competition with other females
protection from males
protection from predators
defence of good territories (food and shelter)
better use of resources
shared information

Question 9

what are the disadvanteges

Answer 9

draw more attention to themselces
disease spread (transmission of viruses)

Question 10

how do males live

Answer 10

free living males older than 1 year become solitary
no coalitions are formed (unlike cheetas or lions)
fight for mates
no infanticides - they dont know which ones are theres and theres a group of females

Question 11

what does communication do

Answer 11

mother kitten relationship
mating
agression - agonistic and affiliative

Question 12

how is agonistic behaviour meaured

Answer 12

in threats
staring
horzontal tail, lashing of the tail
assuming threatening postures to maximize body appearance
ritualized vocal duels
baring canines
striking a paw
biting
non sexual mount
chasing

Question 13

what are submissive signals

Answer 13

avoidance, elevation, crouching, retreat and rolling

Question 14

what affiliative behaviours

Answer 14

tail up postures
allorub - exchange of odour
allogroom
social sniff

Question 15

what are mating behaviours

Answer 15

calling to attract males
rolling around on the belly and back
holding her tail to the side to expose genitalia
excessive affection
excessive rubbing against inaimate objects

Question 16

other kitten relationship

Answer 16

ontogeny of behaviour
prenatal phase - kittens preference for food that the moter ate during pregnancy
0-2 weeks : early stage (touch taste and smell)
3-9 weeks : mobility and some independence critical period for socialization
mothers clean their kittens
kittens - call to mothers, tail goes up when kittens see their mother, head rubbing

Question 17

what is the purpose of play behaviour

Answer 17

primarily juvenile activity
social play increases from week 4 to 12 after birth and then decreases
in the absence of littermates a kitten will try to play with its mother
isolated kittend might not learn how to play, hindering their social communication skills

Question 18

what visual cues do companion cats show

Answer 18

tail up posture
no eye contact ‘position of the external ears
subtle tail movements
jumping up, swiping with a paw
tactile - rubbing licking and kneading
auditory - meowing and purring

Question 19

what are implications for cat welfare

Answer 19

cohabiting indoor cats tend to be aggressive with each other
obligated proximity with other cats

Question 20

what signals of stress are there

Answer 20

displacement (blocking resources)
grooming
scratches
exaggerated swallowing
head shaking
excessive soiling