Alone in the Crowd

Although we are countering its natural independence through selective breeding and early learning, the cat remains a far more "freelance" creature than any other domestic animal.

The ways in which cats socialize, hunt, court, and mate differ from those of more communal species.

To us, the cat’s behavior, caring only for its own comfort and security can appear selfish. Such moral judgments ignore biological reality; the cat behaves like number one because it is number one.

In their natural state, cats see other cats only as competition for territory. Even mating can create conflicts; it may be the only time after kittenhood that a cat makes physical contact with another cat.

The cat's mind is flexible enough to allow it to change its behavior, in part according to how much food is available. The most sociable time in a cat's life is kittenhood, when, together with its mother and siblings, it is a part of a group.

This pattern can be extended into adulthood, with cats living in groups usually consisting of mothers and their female kittens; males are tolerated rather than welcomed.

Although they do not hunt together, their group behavior, including looking after each other's young, is not unlike that of the all-female pride of lions.