Although, sometimes, domestic cats do walk behind their owners for a relatively short distance (a behaviour characteristic that I explain below), in general, it is fundamentally alien to domestic cats to walk with their owner on a lead like a dog on those nice country walks in the park. If you could talk to them, …
Fundamental reason why domestic cats don’t walk with their owners like dogs Read More »
This table comes from the sciencemag.com website. I feel the need to reproduce it verbatim in the interests of accuracy. It is a way of testing social intelligence in cats. It has been found that domestic cats are more socially intelligent than once was thought, but sadly they cling to their reputation as social misfits …
Simplified experiments to check your cat’s social intelligence Read More »
The social cat species are: the lion, the cheetah and the domestic cat including free-living cats. Scientists had thought that lions and cheetahs were the only social cat species but you have to add domestic cats to that select group. Everybody knows about the lion pride. The cheetah is considered a social animal to some …
There is quite a lot of discussion on the Internet about whether domestic cats are or are not sociable. The debate is valid because the wildcat ancestor of the domestic, the Near Eastern wildcat, is not sociable. We are told that they are solitary creatures. However, you will find that the experts agree that the …
Domestic cats’ desire to touch tells us that they are sociable Read More »
It is wrong to say that only lions live in groups because feral and stray cats live in colonies. And domestic cats in households often live in small groups too. Both the lion and the domestic cat are different species of cat (Panthera leo and Felis silvestris catus respectively). You might find that the internet …
This article is about understanding feral cat behaviour in colonies. Perhaps the first important point to note about feral cat colony behaviour is that historically the popular press still tends to describe the domestic and feral cat as an asocial, solitary species with no need for companionship and a preference for living alone. This is …
Why do some cats love dogs but hate other cats? Essentially, the answer is to do with the territorial nature of the domestic cat inherited as it is from it’s wild ancestor. Despite domestic cats being far more sociable nowadays, after about 10,000 years of domestication, they are still essentially independent minded, solitary and remain …
Contrary to what is historically portrayed, the domestic cat is not asocial. In fact the domestic cat is a decidedly social creature or at least is able to be sociable. This is due to the evolution of the domestic cat over 10,000 years. One day perhaps in another 10,000 years the domestic cat will no …
In a study in 1996 by Bernstein and Strack, some interesting observations were made regarding the interactions and movements of unrelated domestic cats in a multi-cat household. 14 cats were observed. The cats were all “non-reproductive” (presumed altered). Their ages ranged from 6 months to 13 years. The home was in America and it was …
How Cats Use Space and Patterns of Interaction (in the home) Read More »
How good is a cat’s memory? This is an important question because it affects the behaviour of a cat and it can affect the way our cat interacts and relates to us. However, you will struggle to find solid information about cat memory on the Internet. This page, therefore, is based upon what I can …
By Jo Singer When it comes to loving, Agape, otherwise known as unconditional love is its highest form. What makes this type of love so special and healing to the one that receives it is that it doesn’t matter if the love we are giving out is returned. Since we extend it freely – without …
Our Animals Teach us Unconditional Love: Can we Learn to Love One Another the Same Way? Read More »
Is there such a thing as an active cat breed? Can you group cats into active and inactive? I am not sure that you can. Although cat breed personality descriptions are notoriously variable, vague and imprecise, the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) describes some of its registered breeds as “active” or “energetic”. Some people prefer an …
“Active Cat” – Inherited, Learned or Stimulated? Read More »
Cat lovers know that people don’t own cats. Although the law says that we do. The law is outdated; old-fashioned and rooted in a time when attitudes towards companion animals were less refined and developed. We are simply companions with our cat. The relationship is mutually supportive. The behavior of many cats reflect this non-ownership. …
By Danielle (Ark on the Edge) Not long ago saw a programme on British Television, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was called; so I apologise for that. However, this programme stated categorically that cats were naturally solitary creatures that didn’t enjoy being in other feline company. I’ve personally studied …
