Social, Feeding and Predatory Behaviour 45
Most multi-cat households are made up of a combination of solitary individuals
and small social groups, with often no more than two to three in each group, although
this can vary. Even in a house with numerous cats, it is possible that none of them is
socially bonded and that all are solitary individuals.
Social bonding can and does occur between pet cats, although it is more likely to
exist between cats that have lived together from a very young age, especially if closely
related (Bradshaw and Hall, 1999; Curtis et al., 2003). It is certainly not unheard of
for cats introduced when one or both are adult to become friends but the chances of
this happening are far less than if they had grown up together.
Fighting and stress-related issues are more commonly seen in cats introduced as adults.
In a study by Levine et al. (2005), 375 owners who had adopted an adult cat from a New
York animal shelter were questioned. 49.6% reported initial fighting between the new cat
and cat(s) already owned, and 35% reported that fighting was continuing 2–12 months later.
The fact that the remaining 65% were reported not to be fighting a year later
does not necessarily indicate that these cats became close companions. Even between
unneutered males, the frequency and intensity of fighting between the same individ-
uals will reduce over time so it is very probable that the same will occur between
neutered pets. It is also common for owners to misinterpret mild to moderate aggres-
sion as play. But even if cats are no longer fighting or showing discernible signs of
conflict this is not sufficient to indicate social bonding. In many cases cats who do
not regard each other as members of the same social group can learn to live together
in a state of mutual tolerance or resigned acceptance.
The ability to tolerate the presence of other, previously unknown cats within the
core territory can be highly dependent on factors such as previous experience, espe-
cially early socialization with other cats, and the individual’s innate ability to cope
with challenging situations, which in turn can be affected by things such as general
health and exposure to stressors during development (see Chapter 5).
Cats living in the same household can also learn methods of conflict avoidance
such as time-sharing access to resources including food, resting places, litter trays and
even access to the owner. But environmental limitations, or an owner’s mistaken belief
that their cats are good friends, might impinge on their ability to avoid conflict,
resulting in fighting, long-term stress and an increased likelihood that undesirable
behaviours and/or stress-related health issues may develop.
Even when there is close social bonding between household cats a relationship
might not always be permanent, because it can easily be damaged or break down
completely if exposed to challenges such as health issues, external stressors and lim-
ited resources, resulting in competition between the cats.
Signs of social bonding
Signs of social bonding include:
● Seeking out each other’s company.
● Vertically raised tail approach and greeting by sniffing/touching noses.
● Mutual grooming (allogrooming).
● Rubbing against each other (allorubbing).
● Resting and sleeping close together, usually touching, sometimes wrapped around
each other (Fig. 4.1).