Universally Speaking…

Sometimes, when you share your home with a group of feline family members, you inadvertently notice day to day details that are potential studies giving insight into feline behaviour. That happened here recently. 

Out of the four cats sharing our home, three are former strays, one was at risk of euthanasia for “behavioural issues.” One of the former strays is the most recent addition to the group. 

Initiatively, I was concerned about how well he and the others would adjust to his arrival. But an interesting development occurred in the fact that, while he was nervous around the other cats, he seemed to communicate that more effectively and less aggressively than the girl who’d lived inside with no other cats for the first four years of her life. He and the other two former strays seem to have almost formed a kind of “colony,” not where they exclude the other cat, but where they seem to be in each others company more through choice. They’ll all sit in the garden within a matter of feet of each other, and groom or snooze. The girl who had consistent human presence sporadically joins them, but seems more inclined to find a spot in the house separate to the other three. I’ve found the most recent arrival actively exposing his tummy to the other male cat, to ensure he’s aware he isn’t challenging him. 

The language cats develop to communicate with each other when they’ve lived outdoors isn’t something that my younger girl seems to have been privy to. A lot of her communications can seem almost canine. She growls if other cats come close and she wants my sole attention. She guards me in the bathroom and she growls when there’s someone at the door. 

I’m sure there are examples I’ve missed, because every day there’s something new with their interactions. But it’s fascinating to me that such a clear illustration of their unique communication when left unsocialised with people has become apparent.