48 Chapter 4can often be sufficient to prevent the other cat attempting to gain access but, if not, it
might be attacked as it attempts to get past (Fig. 4.3).
ambushing. Ambush attacks are another behaviour that might be misinterpreted as
play and can also be a part of resource guarding. These attacks often take place when
and where the victim is most vulnerable, such as during or after using a litter tray,
especially when exiting a covered tray, and when entering or exiting the house via a
cat flap.
Dominance hierarchies
Dominance is a term that describes a position of power or advantage over others. An
individual who is victorious in a conflict situation and/or achieves priority access to
a resource may be described as dominant. But the term can only really be applied to
the individual with regard to the immediate outcome of the conflict or competitive
situation. Dominance or ‘being dominant’ cannot be used to describe an animal’s
temperament or behaviour.
A dominance hierarchy can develop, however, within a group or dyad when the
dominance/subordinate relationship becomes stabilized or is maintained, sometimes
by aggressive and/or deferential interactions. For some group-living species this can
be part of their normal social structure.
The question is whether dominance hierarchies exist in feral cat colonies or
within multi-cat households? Certainly where cats are placed in a situation of having
to share limited living space and resources, competition between them is almost inev-
itable, sometimes resulting in more confident and assertive individuals gaining greater
access to resources. But whether this can be regarded as evidence of a dominance
hierarchy is debatable.
Fig. 4.3. One cat may intentionally block another cat’s access to important resources such
as food, resting places, or litter trays.