We can look to history to (partially) explain this paucity of information; humans developed an interactive relationship with dogs, performing tasks together that required some form of companionship and understanding. In comparison, our cats’ ancestors hunted and existed in solitude. We had less reason to understand what was going on in their heads.
“The cat suffers a little from its legacy of just being something that lives around houses and farms and keeps the mouse population low,” says James Serpell, professor emeritus of animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “There’s this legacy of not being exactly a wild animal, but an animal that lives on the margins, so to speak, of society.”
Even though cats have moved indoors and become human companions, the view persists that they are antisocial and detached. And beyond providing fodder for grumpy cat memes, it can create obstacles for loving cat owners looking to correct problem behavior or simply maintain a happier household.
“There are so many misconceptions that cats are mean, or cats are jerks, that they’re standoffish or antisocial,” says Luke Hollenbeck, a feline behaviorist at the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Fairfax County, Virginia. . “But cats are trying to communicate with us all the time, and people need to really understand that well. If there’s a communication barrier, we won’t be able to get along very well.
Cats are indeed descended from solitary creatures, but that doesn’t mean they are hermits. In feral colonies – which form the basis of most feline social research – cats develop dynamic relationships with their peers, selecting a few “preferred associates” (in Hollenbeck’s words) with whom to spend time.
“A lot of it also depends on different personalities and social preferences: each cat is individual,” says Hollenbeck. “Just like you and I can choose to hang out with different people or attend different events, cats are no different.”
Research on feral colonies shows that cats tend to form matriarchal social bonds; women will adhere more closely to each other (usually in a community of mothers, aunts and sisters). Males, from about a year old, are more likely to move nomadically. Although existing research focuses primarily on wild cats, anyone who has lived with more than one feline can attest that domesticated felines also form bonds with each other — if they choose.
Monique Udell is director of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, which studies the social potential of domestic cats. According to Udell, cats actually have a “flexible” social structure, meaning they can exist successfully alone or in groups, depending on their early life experiences (e.g. whether they were exposed to humans when they were babies) and their environment.
“What we find is that when we give them the same types of opportunities or challenges that we regularly give dogs, cats not only can often engage in high levels of social behavior, but many “Cats actually prefer social interactions,” says Udell. .
Of course, no one – cat or human – wants to be around other people all the time. Leslie Sinn, a veterinary behaviorist in Ashburn, Virginia, says that domestic cats, like their wild ancestors, resolve conflicts by dispersing; they withdraw from an uncomfortable situation to protect themselves. “This is often where we run into problems in our home, because movement is restricted so we can avoid conflict,” she says.
“Dominant or submissive? ” It is complicated
In a multi-cat household, what may be perceived as a display of “dominance” by one cat over another is often just a way for the more cranky cat to signal a problem in its environment.
“Dominance is actually a very important trigger word in the behavioral consulting world because it is so often misunderstood,” says Hollenbeck. “Cats certainly don’t form dominance hierarchies in the sense that there is someone who is at the top, and then cats existing in ranks below them.”
Even though today’s domestic cats have evolved socially to coexist with humans and other animals, much of their behavior is still driven by their survival instinct, and encroachment on their space can spark conflict. This means that individualization of resources – having their own food, water and toilet – remains extremely important to them.
Rather than “dominant,” “territorial” is a more accurate way of describing discordant behavior that can occur in multi-cat households. A cat may obstruct the litter box entrance or block food bowls at meal times, indicating that these resources should be increased and distributed further so that each animal has its own territory. If several cats can share a bathroom harmoniously, it is important to have a box for each. The same goes for food bowls, water fountains and cozy spaces.
However, some cats will never be best friends. Differences in age, energy levels, and lived experience can all fuel conflict. And some cats’ personalities just don’t add up, Serpell says. Danish researchers are now preparing a study, he says, to understand why some cats get along more easily than others and to learn more about the roots of their individual personalities. While you can reduce the drama by creating a world where they don’t have to share all the necessities, some furry roommates just aren’t terribly compatible.
“You will be faced with what feels like… a kind of almost cruel intimidation that continues,” Serpell says. “There are some cats who just seem to enjoy constantly annoying another cat.”
They don’t destroy your couch out of spite
Cat owners may assume that their pets use the furniture as a scratching post or the carpet as a toilet to get revenge, but this is rarely the case. “They don’t wake up in the morning and plot how they’re going to ruin your day,” Sinn says.
Instead, unusual or upsetting behaviors are more likely to be your cat’s way of communicating that something is wrong, whether emotionally or medically. Signs that something is wrong may include growling and other forms of aggression, an aversion to litter boxes, and constant scratching or other destructive acts. Sometimes the underlying cause is obvious; you may need to move the scratching post to a more easily accessible location or clean the litter box more frequently.
“Many of us prefer to travel on the road, rather than using the… dirty stall at a local truck stop, so why should we expect our cat to be happy about it? » Sinn said.
Other reasons may be more difficult to detect and require more careful observation. For example, an older cat forced to live with a rowdy sibling may isolate himself, hiss or growl when he cannot be left alone; Conversely, a young cat who spends much of the day alone may create problems out of boredom.
“Much of the so-called mischievous behavior of cats is simply an attempt to get the attention of their owners,” says Serpell. “They learned by trial and error. If they sit on your desk and throw your pens on the floor, you’ll eventually pay attention to them or get up.” Taking an extra 30 minutes each day to interact with your cat could lead to a happier dynamic.
Hollenbeck points out that “bad behavior” in cats rescued from unknown circumstances could also stem from past trauma. A pet that was constantly hungry in a past life may be defensive or agitated around meals, just as a cat that was mistreated by its previous owners may be anxious around people. “As a survival instinct,” Hollenbeck says, “they’re really good at generalizing that fear.”
You can teach cats (a few) tricks
The stereotype that cats are either too independent or too uncaring to listen to an idiot human telling them to fetch or turn around is not a universal truth.
At the Human-Animal Interaction Lab, Udell and his colleagues lead classes for children and adults to strengthen their bonds with cats by participating in activities together, including learning tricks or chasing a toy. Although it depends on each animal, many cats passing through the lab have demonstrated an interest and ability to walk on a leash, play fetch, and perform tricks when given attention and time, says -She.
“People who have participated in these programs will send us photos of their cats hiking, kayaking and all kinds of adventures,” Udell says.
Separate from Udell’s findings, another study last year by researchers at the University of Sussex also found that cats can play fetch – although it’s unclear whether the behavior was more rooted in a link with the object only in the owner. Classic.
Colleen Grablick is a writer in DC covering current affairs and casual curiosity.
