Changes

Groups of females form in areas where food and shelter resources are abundant, but '''group members still continue to act independently of one another'''. Unlike some species in which females are hostile to the offspring of conspecifics, nursing queens seem to show little discrimination when caregiving to kittens; they will feed and groom any kitten that approaches them<ref>Ohkawa, N. and T. Hidaka. 1987. Communal nursing in the domestic cat, ''Felis catus''. ''Journal of Ethology'' 5(2): 173-183.</ref>. This adaptation provides the basis for the formation of female social groups, as it enables kittens to be protected and cared for by members of the group whilst others are hunting. Even so, the '''only sharing of food between cats is between mothers and their kittens'''; meals are not shared between adult females.

Groups of females form in areas where food and shelter resources are abundant, but '''group members still continue to act independently of one another'''. Unlike some species in which females are hostile to the offspring of conspecifics, nursing queens seem to show little discrimination when caregiving to kittens; they will feed and groom any kitten that approaches them<ref>Ohkawa, N. and T. Hidaka. 1987. Communal nursing in the domestic cat, ''Felis catus''. ''Journal of Ethology'' 5(2): 173-183.</ref>. This adaptation provides the basis for the formation of female social groups, as it enables kittens to be protected and cared for by members of the group whilst others are hunting. Even so, the '''only sharing of food between cats is between mothers and their kittens'''; meals are not shared between adult females.

Until they are completely weaned and able to catch and kill their own prey, kittens are not a source of competition for resources with adult cats, because their nutritional requirements are met by the mother. Once young cats become fully independent, they do become potential competitors for food and shelter resources. If these are not sufficiently abundant then females may leave the group.  

Until they are completely weaned and able to catch and kill their own prey, kittens are not a source of competition for resources with adult cats, because their nutritional requirements are met by the mother. Once young cats become fully independent, they do become potential competitors for food and shelter resources. If these are not sufficiently abundant then females may leave the group.  

Whilst there are situations in which resources naturally occur in high density, human settlements appear to be a significant driving force behind the formation of more permanent feline groups<ref>Kerby, G. & McDonald, D.W. (1988) Cat society and the consequences of colony size. In: D. C. Turner and P. Bateson (eds.). ''The Domestic Cat: the biology of its behavior.'', Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.</ref>. Where people are absent, and locations of high resource density are therefore absent, cats favour a solitary lifestyle other than when they are raising kittens<ref>van Aarde, R. J. (1978) Reproduction and population ecology in the house cat, ''Felis catus'', on Marion Island. ''Carnivore Genetics Newsletter''. 3(8), 288-316.</ref>.  

Whilst there are situations in which resources naturally occur in high density, human settlements appear to be a significant driving force behind the formation of more permanent feline groups<ref>Kerby, G. & McDonald, D.W. (1988) Cat society and the consequences of colony size. In: D. C. Turner and P. Bateson (eds.). ''The Domestic Cat: the biology of its behavior.'', Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.</ref>. Where people are absent, and locations of high resource density are therefore absent, cats favour a solitary lifestyle other than when they are raising kittens<ref>van Aarde, R. J. (1978) Reproduction and population ecology in the house cat, ''Felis catus'', on Marion Island. ''Carnivore Genetics Newsletter''. 3(8), 288-316.</ref>.

==Social Behaviour==

==Social Behaviour==