By whom??? The stereotypical cat behaves much more like monarchist that views itself as the leading royal. Our cats have always had distinctly individual personalities from Badass huntresses (much more often than hunters) to cuddlebug lap cats.
What? You really don't know cats very well, do ya? Cats are the biggest commies anywhere:
https://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cats-are-communal/46649
Cats are communal
Cats are communal. They live in colonies and form small social alliances instead of large hierarchies.
Science has dealt a real blow to the myth that cats are aloof and uncaring. Cats are as capable of being a social creature as any other species on earth.
cats are communal
Science is starting to recognize that cats are capable of social behavior. We see high order interactions in their social structure. The belief that cats are strictly solitary has lasted for centuries. As recently as 2015, science declared:
Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus) Do Not Show Signs of Secure Attachment to Their Owners
that was the title
A more recent study did it right.
Sixty-five percent of felines formed secure bonds with their owners, a study finds
Cats may have ‘attachment styles’ that mirror people’s
The disparate results happened because the scientists building the older experiment did not understand the special ways of cats. Without realizing they were working with preconceptions, they created a test cats would always fail.
To get past such barriers we need to cultivate open-mindedness.
puzzle paradox
Zen has parables which describe impossible things, like “the sound of one hand clapping.” By thinking about the conceptually impossible, we learn flexible and imaginative ways to think about problems. Then, we can more easily think outside these internally maintained boxes. Such approaches enhances problem solving in the real world.
For myself and others in rescue, we knew science officially contradicted our own experience with cats. We were merely observers who often saw them display cooperation and compassion, whether with humans or each other. Once phone cameras and an internet to play them on came into being, we discovered how many of us had been right all along.
In my home, with their care routines in place and working well, they exhibit acts of great friendship and informative discussion. Support is key to get the best out of any system.
communal supply and demand
To understand that cats are communal, we need to recognize their social behaviors as
communal ones. Their wild ancestor, the
African Wildcat, displays the same civilization abilities for science to study. It’s about sharing.
In good hunting territories, the colony can support new kittens. The colony acts as a collective parent. They have been seen doing cooperative hunting and sharing the food with other members of the colony.
Our cats learn their needs will be taken care of, and they can turn their considerable skills to other outlets. Turns out, there’s a lot of ways they can work with humans. They are returning favors. We can be friends in many delightful and surprising ways.
there is no top cat
Since this is not a hierarchical structure, with a point at the top, cats change roles within their colonies. There are leaders, but the cat in charge will shift, based on situation and performance.
Some are better at kitten raising, like our Reverend Jim. Others teach the Hunt, like our Sir Tristan. Our new kittens divide new encounters, with Lou taking the lead with humans and Bud with mechanical things. This is true of all the
Cat Roles I see forming in my Cat Civilization.
In my post,
Are cats the most rational beings on earth? I explain how this same principle works socially, too. Cats base the depth and trust of their interpersonal relationships on their merits.
only intrinsic factors
I know cat social bonds are strong because cats want to fulfill a friend’s requests. Unless one cat is getting over being too hungry for too long. In which case, sharing a food bowl is an outrageous request. Maybe these rude cats are not their friends.
This is why cat fighting ramps up so quickly. These disagreements have social roots. Cats still in the mindset of adversity might see other cats as rivals. Older cats ready to work on their quantum theories acquire a kitten who won’t stop pestering them for play.
These are favors the cat cannot grant, and the one who asks feels rejected, which makes the other cat indignant, and now, there are hurt feelings.
It’s also about how easily and equally they can acquire and share resources. In our home, where we try to create an
Environment of Abundance, our cats do not have to fight for survival. They can be social.
build a cat civilization
Which is how I became such a fan of cats in bunches. People warned me of dire events with so many cats sharing space, and I understood why they did. However, once I began managing my colony the way feral rescuers did theirs, magic happened.
With everyone well-fed, out of the demands of their hormonal urges, and finding even one like-minded companion, cats all got along. Because, cats are communal. They prefer forming social alliances based on mutual interests.
Understanding social structure is crucial to forming a happy home for all family members. Cats have long suffered misunderstandings. This myth about their social abilities is the number one issue which gets in the way of a happy Cat Civilization.
make it egalitarian
As always, meeting everyone’s needs is the best way to manage groups. Other ways are
free riding, cheating, and demanding outsized portions of what is supposed to be shared.
Which doesn’t work in any kind of civilization.
I can’t recommend Cat 911 highly enough. I came across Cat 911 when I was about to bring two new kitties into our lives. This book, along with advice from the author’s blog, have helped in countless practical ways.
Comments1
Feral cats' videos
NOVEMBER 8, 2019 AT 11:57 AM
I’ve seen cats saw cooperation and compassion in my parents’ yard. There was a blind kitten, and the other cats let him take their food. One cat even brought her a piece of chicken. Another looked at him eating with hungry eyes, but she didn’t grab his food.
I’d put bowls of food for those cats, and when the blind kitten made his way to a bowl, they moved to give him access to the bowl. I’d seen several times how he’d grab the food out of their mouths, and they didn’t do anything. Those were feral cats, more than a dozen, and I didn’t have enough food for all of them.
So, the cats are communists, Russian spies posing as pets so they can spy and inform their supervisors, no doubt.
The facts speak for themselves.
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