Changes

Cats are not asocial, they will form colonies where resources are plentiful and they do develop [[Feline Social Behaviour|affiliative relationships]] with each other when there is a mutual benefit. For example, groups of related females may form in an area where there is an excess of hunting and sheltering opportunities. The primary means of identification between cats in a social group is through the establishment of a group odour. This requires that cats approach close enough to groom and rub against each other (allogroom and allorub). It would not be possible to establish a group odour if cats did not have some communicative mechanism for reducing distance. So, distance reducing behaviours are an essential part of communication that allows cats to approach one another.

Cats are not asocial, they will form colonies where resources are plentiful and they do develop [[Feline Social Behaviour|affiliative relationships]] with each other when there is a mutual benefit. For example, groups of related females may form in an area where there is an excess of hunting and sheltering opportunities. The primary means of identification between cats in a social group is through the establishment of a group odour. This requires that cats approach close enough to groom and rub against each other (allogroom and allorub). It would not be possible to establish a group odour if cats did not have some communicative mechanism for reducing distance. So, distance reducing behaviours are an essential part of communication that allows cats to approach one another.

===Allogrooming and allorubbing===

==Allogrooming and allorubbing==

Cats that are part of a social group will groom and rub against each other each other in order to transfer chemical odour signals between cats and establish a "group odour". This group odour is a common identifier that enables members of a social group to recognise each other. A significant benefit of this method of group recognition is that, since the odour is transferred from cat to cat throughout a group, not all cats need to groom each other, or even meet on a regular basis, in order to share enough elements of the group odour to recognise one another when they meet. It should be remembered that this system evolved to regulate interactions between related individuals, and the genetic contribution to personal odour in cats is not yet understood. It may be more difficult for unrelated cats to establish a group odour, if there is less commonality in their personal chemical identity.

Cats that are part of a social group will groom and rub against each other each other in order to transfer chemical odour signals between cats and establish a "group odour". This group odour is a common identifier that enables members of a social group to recognise each other. A significant benefit of this method of group recognition is that, since the odour is transferred from cat to cat throughout a group, not all cats need to groom each other, or even meet on a regular basis, in order to share enough elements of the group odour to recognise one another when they meet. It should be remembered that this system evolved to regulate interactions between related individuals, and the genetic contribution to personal odour in cats is not yet understood. It may be more difficult for unrelated cats to establish a group odour, if there is less commonality in their personal chemical identity.