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Feline Aggression Towards Other Cats in the Neighbourhood (view source)
Revision as of 15:33, 8 September 2014
, 15:33, 8 September 2014→Prevalence and Risk factors
Only about 45% of UK cats are meal fed, with the remainder being meal fed or fed on demand. Wild and feral cats eat between 10 and 20 small meals each day, which is far more frequent than any owner would normally offer food. Any form of feeding other than ad-lib can therefore cause cats to experience extended periods of hunger that may force them to increase their foraging activity, and can lead to cats invading the homes of other cats to steal food. This is just one potential underlying motivation for cats to enter territory, and homes, and thereby end up in physical conflict with other cats. The same situation can occur when cats seek shelter, latrine sites, and places to hunt. Owners need to find ways to provide for their own cats' needs, so that they are not forced to seek resources elsewhere.
Only about 45% of UK cats are meal fed, with the remainder being meal fed or fed on demand. Wild and feral cats eat between 10 and 20 small meals each day, which is far more frequent than any owner would normally offer food. Any form of feeding other than ad-lib can therefore cause cats to experience extended periods of hunger that may force them to increase their foraging activity, and can lead to cats invading the homes of other cats to steal food. This is just one potential underlying motivation for cats to enter territory, and homes, and thereby end up in physical conflict with other cats. The same situation can occur when cats seek shelter, latrine sites, and places to hunt. Owners need to find ways to provide for their own cats' needs, so that they are not forced to seek resources elsewhere.
==Hybrid Cats==
There is a growing trend for people to hybridise the domestic cat with small wild felid species such as the Asian Leopard cat, Margay and Serval. These species are larger and have striking markings. Although they often come from areas of human habitation, and despite thousands of years of contact with people they have not undergone a similar process of domestication as seen in the domestic cat. There is anecdotal evidence that some hybrids, such as the Bengal (a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat), are more aggressive toward neighbourhood cats and even killing them. Some hybrids, such as the Savannah, can reach a weight in excess of 15kg, making them potentially very dangerous.
==Investigation==
==Investigation==