social Behavior of the cat

The social behavior of the cats not only has been reason for discussion between the specialists in behavior animal but also for between these and the proprietors of these animals of company.
Between the first opinions they include/understand a limited rank from which they think that the cats are a asocial species until which they maintain that this type of felines belongs to a partially social species.
On the contrary the owners of the cats do not doubt in affirming that these opinions are totally incorrect and that their animals are highly sociable.
These different points of view in fact leave from the error to take like synonymous two terms, social behavior and sociable behavior.

The social term also talks about not only to the property to a group or society but to the necessity that has their members to interact to each other to survive in certain surroundings and to the important influence that the behavior exerts of on the others.
However the sociable term is restricted solely to the disposition or inclination of the individuals towards other beings of its same one or another species, although they do not have the necessity to interact with them for its subsistence nor that its behavior is influenced of showy way by such. In this way it is possible to infer that all the animals pertaining to a social species are sociable but that all those that is sociable do not belong to a social species.

With regard to the social behavior, to clarify better east concept, it turns out from utility to resort to a comparative analysis of the social behavior of two species animals that at the present time coexist in close contact with the human beings: the dogs and the cats.
First they highly conform a social species in which the individuals that conform a property group depend on others, not only to manage the subsistence but also to have a good quality of life. In this case it is worth the trouble to mention that a certain group can be in favor exclusively conformed by same types or a dog and a human family.
On the contrary, the cats do not depend on the others for their subsistence and therefore many consider a species asocial. Despite it, due to diverse observations made in situations in which several cats coexist in a same habitat, many specialists consider to this species like partially social. When a species animal is fed on which hunts must necessarily use a strategy that is efficient and effective to be able to obtain their assignment, that is to say, to catch its prey.

The African wild cat (Felis libyca), the predecessor of the domestic cat (Felis catus), hunts in solitary form since this usually brings good results as much to him if the prey is of so large minor that he like, even, if they are of equal size.
On the contrary the wolves (Canis lupus), the predecessors wild of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), that habitually hunts prey greater than they, use in most of the cases the hunting in group since the same one is simpler and less risky than the individual hunting. This benefit, due to the hierarchic social system of this species, fully surpasses to the fact to have to share the food. It is so the wolf, whose cortical lobes much more are developed that those of the cat, usually conforms a group unit, the herd, which travels, it hunts, it is fed and it rested, in a narrow unit between all the members of the group. This same social behavior and cerebral conformation are present in the dog.
However the brain of the cat widely is specialized to allow that the individuals of this species survive like solitary hunters from very early age. Another ilustrativo data is that in the highly social species, as they are the wolves and dogs, a factor of extreme importance exists so that those societies can work harmonically and suitably and, therefore, to be viable throughout the time: a strict system of order. On the contrary in the species of solitary habits whose individuals do not need nor depend on a social group for their subsistence, as it is the case of the cats, each animal decides what does in its life of independence.
It is so when one observes a pack surely will notice that an individual will go to the front of the same one, making the initiatives and the decisions, whereas the other members occupy different hierarchic positions; in addition the members of the group will remain together most of the time. However when one observes a group of cats that momentarily are reunited will notice easily that it is individuals that act independently of the others in a situation of social tolerance. These ?encounter of neighbors? usually take place in a neutral land, most frequently to the dusk.
In these meetings cats of both sexes, more or less next are observed generally an a the others, forming a circle. This situation can last several hours before the participants return to their homes.
Although by just enunciated the cat a being is considered individualistic and independent, these characteristics can vary when several cats are forced to coexist in group, as it happens in many homes whose proprietors decide to have several cats. In these cases usually they exist social interactions that respond to a scheme of hierarchic type. The establishment is habitual from rules, although rigorous and much less strict that the existing ones in a pack of dogs. These rules allow to the differentiation between individuals of greater social rank and those that are relegated to inferior ranks. In general the groups of cats are commanded by a head who has absolute authority on all the other members of the clan, reason why is denominated it tyrant. The mentioned authority does not depend on physical characteristics but that settle down on the basis of the character. The tyrant cat absolutely is respected by all the members of the group. Below this one are cats of intermediate rank that usually they do not establish hierarchic differences to each other. By such reason in the coexistence between such a cordiality relation reigns. Finally they are or individuo/s of lower rank, the denominated cats pariahs.
These unfortunate individuals usually are the most timid cats and usually they are persecuted and mistreated by the others. So it is so it is accustomed to vérselos refugees in a corner or upon a furniture and to expand the pupils and to gruñir in afraid attitude before the approach of another cat. The cats pariahs live in a permanent condition of fear since habitually they are the target of the relief of the aggressiveness of the other members of the group.
In the life of these felines also situations exist in which they can act like a truely social species, demonstrating not only tolerance but also mutual aid and cooperation. This is particularly thus when a female has kittens. It has been observed other females to bring food to the new mother and to help to raise to the puppies. Some times, in these circumstances, the males also can behave in cooperative form. However, it is necessary to clarify that no of these activities usually is very habitual in the members this species. According to the exposed thing it is possible to conclude that although the cats usually are of independent habits and they do not need the life in group for his subsistence, exist certain conditions of life in which they can adapt to, or even for needing, the coexistence in group establishing social interactions between the members of he himself.
It is for that reason that, according to the circumstances, the cats can act like a asocial species, partially social or even social. With regard to the sociable behavior, that is to say, the single disposition or inclination of the cats towards other beings of its same one or another species, this particularly is elevated not only between same types but specially between the cats and the human beings.

The sociability of the cat towards these last ones has its origin in the predecessor of the domestic cat, already mentioned African wild cat. This feline, unlike other species of wild cats, demonstrated from its first contact with human colonies an inclination to remain near the same ones without reacting as opposed to the presence of the man.
This characteristic surely offered to these cats benefits about the operation of the greater concentrations of rodents than they lived around the farms. The proximity of the man surely as well caused a smaller density of pregivers which probably increased the possibilities of success in the procreation and the survival of the individuals. This is the most probable cause for the explanation from because the domestic cats correctly socialized with the human beings not only they do not flee from such but also that look for his company. The domestic cat becomes accustomed itself easy and the human presence quickly, although it conserves an ample margin of autonomy that allows him to establish its own norms of coexistence. So it is so usually it is the cat that decides the opportunity of the approach, being he who elije to look for or to accept the caresses, to play or to remain to certain distance of the members of the human family. Nevertheless, it is worth the trouble to clarify that with the selective processes that produce the appearance in scene of different races from cats the social and sociable behavior of the members of this species is undergoing some changes that generally take to increase their dependency with the man. Despite it, these changes are not sufficient, at least until the present time, like altering to the nature or the intensity of most of the comportamentales answers of the cats.

In synthesis the domestic cat is a sociable animal that according to the circumstances can act like a asocial, partially social or even social species, that has freely chosen the coexistence with the human beings and that still conserves little altered, in comparison with the dog, as much the physical characteristics as the comportamentales of its wild predecessor.

Author: Dr Claudius Gerzovich Lily
Specialist in behavior animal

In order to extend this information we invited it to communicate with:
M.V. Claudius Gerzovich Lily
Specialist in omportamiento animal
Attention at home
Buenos Aires - Argentina
Tel: 54 - 011 - 4659 - 1958
54 - 011 - 15 - 4140 - 7605
Fax: 54 -011 - 4659 - 1958
to gerzovichl@infovia.com.ar
www.comportamientoanimal.com

Beaver, B. behavior Veternary aspects of feline. The C.V. Mosby Company. St. Louis. Missouri. The USA. 1980.
Beaver, B. The vetrinarian `s encyclopedia of behavior animal. Iowa State University Press. Love. Iowa. The USA. 1994.
Gerzovich Lily, C. Our dog: one more of the family. Planet. Buenos Aires. Argentina. 1998.
Morris, D. Guide to include/understand the cats. Emecé. Buenos Aires. Argentina. 1988.
Neville, P. Of pregiver to mascot. Summaries of XXIII the Congress of the World-wide Association of Veterinary Medicine of Small Animals, p 117-120. Buenos Aires. Argentina. 1998.

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