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Feline Social Behaviour (view source)
Revision as of 09:28, 12 February 2014
, 09:28, 12 February 2014→Social Behaviour
==Social Behaviour==
==Social Behaviour==
[[Aggression]] is seen between females that are not members of the same social group, as there is competition between groups for access to food and shelter. However, juvenile cats are more receptive to social contact with unfamiliar individuals, which may favour the formation of new groups by young adult cats.
[[Aggression]] is seen between females that are not members of the same social group, as there is competition between groups for access to food and shelter. However, juvenile cats are more receptive to social contact with unfamiliar individuals, which may favour the formation of new groups by young adult cats.
When cats rub against each other and groom each other they transfer scent to create a common group odour. In wild or feral cat groups, individuals may already share strong odour similarities since in most cases groups are composed of related females. '''Allorubbing and allogrooming''' of this kind are essential to social bonding but do not contribute to self-maintenance; cats can groom themselves successfully without assistance form others.
Male cats generally do not tolerate contact with each other, and will compete strongly for control over access to an area that encompasses the home ranges of groups, or individual, female cats. However, some authors report that well-matched males sharing a neighbourhood will occasionally stop fighting and form loose social relationships that are termed “brotherhoods”<ref name="Leyhausen" />.
Male cats generally do not tolerate contact with each other, and will compete strongly for control over access to an area that encompasses the home ranges of groups, or individual, female cats. However, some authors report that well-matched males sharing a neighbourhood will occasionally stop fighting and form loose social relationships that are termed “brotherhoods”<ref name="Leyhausen" />.
Neutering has an effect on the social behaviour of male cats, reducing their territory size and the level of inter-male conflict. This is observed in large suburban cat colonies in which neutered males participate equally with females.
Neutering has an effect on the social behaviour of male cats, reducing their territory size and the level of inter-male conflict. This is observed in large suburban cat colonies in which neutered males participate equally with females.
==References==
==References==