42 © T. Atkinson, 2018. Practical Feline Behaviour (T. Atkinson)
4. Social, Feeding and Predatory Behaviour
Social Behaviour
Group living among members of the cat family is rare. Other than lions, almost all members
of the cat family lead solitary lives as adults, including the ancestor of the domestic cat,
the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) (Bradshaw, 2016a). The domestic cat,
however, is highly flexible in its sociality, having the ability to live alone or with others,
and can even develop close social bonds with conspecifics.
The ability to be social probably developed as part of early domestication (see
Chapter 1), when otherwise solitary animals would have been drawn together
towards human settlements by large numbers of rats and mice attracted there by
human waste and food stores. Man-made structures would also have provided ideal
protection, close to an ample food source, for females raising their kittens. The cats
that were best able to tolerate being in close proximity to other cats would therefore
have had increased hunting opportunities and better survival prospects, and as a
result been more likely to pass their genes on to future generations. As human settle-
ments grew in size and density, and the number of cats living near or within towns
and villages increased, the ability to be tolerant and to live alongside other cats would
have become even more important (Bradshaw, 2016b).
However, changes to species-specific behaviour is a very slow ongoing process
and the domestic cat has not yet evolved to be fully social and there are limitations
and constraints to this ability, so it should never be assumed that cats will instinc-
tively get along with each other just because they are members of the same species.
In fact, a major source of stress for cats is enforced close proximity and resource
sharing with other cats, especially with those not considered to be part of the same
social group.
The social behaviour of feral cats
Feral cats should not be confused with wildcats or domestic strays (ownerless cats
that were once pets). By definition a feral cat is a domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus)
that has never been socialized with people and is not solely reliant on a human care-
giver for food, shelter or care.
Studies have shown that groupings of feral cats are most likely to occur where
access to prey or other food resources are plentiful and predictable. Farmyards, refuse
dumps or areas where there are frequent handouts from people are the most likely
places to find feral cat colonies. In areas where food resources are sparse cats are
more likely to be solitary (Corbett, 1979; Liberg et al., 2000).
