Social behaviour
From Felipedia
Cats are generally solitary animals that only come together during courtship and mating or in the situation of a mother with kittens. That said, it is quite possible for cats to develop strong bonds with each other and people. The full complexity of feline social life is still not properly understood. For example, it is not really understood why neighborhood cats gather together on opposite sides of an alley and sit there looking at each other. Distances are very important to cats. Distances that have been defined include: personal space (within a very small radius or touching), social space (a distance inside which social exchanges are permitted though personal space may not necessarily be violated), territory (that area that the cat actively defends), and home range (that area that the cat traverses in the course of its outside excursions). Home ranges are much larger for males (620 hectares) than for females (170 hectares) and are also less for neutered animals versus intact animals.
If two outside-living cats meet on one or other cat's territory, a social confrontation will ensue. The aggressor will approach, walking on tiptoe with its tail lashing, making direct eye contact with the usurper. Its head may be moving slowly from side to side as it approaches the other cat. The approached cat may try to intimidate its adversary by hissing, spitting, and hunkering down whilst arching its back and piloerecting. Most often the more subordinate cat will defer and run away without physical contact, however, sometimes the aggressor jumps at the usurper and a wrestling, biting match ensues.
Social Structure of Cats
Although I've already alluded to the solitary nature of cats, the fact is that they can exist in genuine social structures depending on the availability of food resources. Japanese dockyard cats and British farm cats provided the first examples of community living in cats. The community breaks down into smaller living groups comprised of two to seven females per group. The males tend to wander far and wide, often visiting various groups in hopes of finding a receptive mating partner or for some other social reason. The reason why social structure was not appreciated before so many years is that communication between the cats is often very subtle taking the form of occasional touching of noses or flank glances. Relationships between females in a group are amicable and they develop preferred associates while other cats they may actively avoid. A group of female cats living together will repel borders against visiting females and young males and will positively attack adult males straying into the central area. The reason for this is that adult males frequently kill kittens that they have not sired. The true test of communal cooperation between individuals in breeding nests is the observation of "aunting," cross-suckling, and cooperative hunting. In the domestic situation, a despotic hierarchy sometimes forms with one dominant leader and all the other cats subordinate, perhaps operating at an equal level through time sharing and other compromised gestures. Some household communities contain a pariah cat that other cats pick on. In nature, the pariah cat would be driven away or killed. Very often, close bonds form between cats in household communities. These bonds are most likely between relatives (e.g. mother and daughter).
References
1. Dodman, NH (2009) Feline senses, social structure and aggression. Pers comm.
