when do the major changes in cat behaviour generally appear and what are some of the behaviours?
the first 2 months of life
- defensive personality
- social play
what is the purpose of understanding cats
to understand their biology, behaviour, and ecology
what is predatory and social development in cats
a complex development affected by the experience of the kitten
why is social play required
it is a requirement for predatory
behavior and hunting skills
- not proven though because kittens can display this behaviour without socialization
what is equifinality
the principle, that different starting points or pathways can lead to the same final outcome or state
cat communication
an adaptation
- the domestic cat is a combination of two process: solidary predation and domestic socialization
forms of cat communication
olfactory, auditory, visualization, tactile
- communication is often complex interactions of all or several forms
what is the main que cats use for communication?
scent ques
what is the purpose of using scent ques
it can prevent confrontation
during hunting and it may be important for reproduction receptivity
detection of females by mature males
what are the four types of olfactory scent signals
- urine
- feces
- scratching
- skin glands
how do cats communicate with urine
spraying
how do cats communicate with feces
glandular secretions in fecal material
- scent detection: used to determine social information
- unburied vs buried: buried hides from more dominant cat threats, unburied provides social information
how do cats communicate with scratching
by claw conditioning and despositing scents from glands in paws
- marks territory and the travel range, also used for avoidance behaviour
how are skin glands used in cat communication
the skin glands have sebaceous secretion components
- bunting: marking scent with head
- allorubbing: does not have cause, but may be used to establish social information in groups; determination of friendly vs hostile groups
what are the two types of auditory cat communications and who is it usually between
between cats in terms of aggression, reproduction behaviour, mother-kitten interaction
- purring
-miaowing
what is purring
a form of auditory cat communication that occurs during both inhalation and expiration and is generated by the build and release of pressure as the glottis opens and closes vocal cords
- it has different sounds
what does purring not always mean
happy times, it can indicate altered behaviour
what is miaowing
a rare form of communication between cat-cat
- it is a learned behaviour to human interaction
what is visual communication in cats and three types
general change in appearance to affect visualization communication
1. posture changes
2. rolling females
3. tail
what is the purpose of posture changes in cats
increase size: agression
decrease size: no confrontation wanted
what is the purpose of rolling
a type of sexual receptivity
what is the role of the tail in communication
it is used to signal
- between legs: submissive
- upright: affiliation
what is the most important form of communication and its two types
TACTILE
- allorubbing
- allogrooming
- more aggressive cats lick submissive animals more than submissive cats
what is the only form of communication associated with domestication in terms of visual communication
having the tail up, it is not seen in wild felids
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Companion animals and theories of human-animal relationships33
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Cat behaviour36
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Dog Behaviour42
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Learning and Modification of Behaviour44
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Working and Courthouse Dogs27
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Cat breeds, history, physiology, health66
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The big three feline viruses38
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Dog breeds, history, physiology, health40
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Nature vs Nurture19
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Dog and cat reproduction49
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Animal Bites78
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Dog viruses pt. 261
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Horses161
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Rabbits76
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Rodents & Ferrets85
