In a new study published in the journal Behavioural Processes, researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center and Lyon College documented the various facial signals that domesticated cats (Felis silvestris catus) produce during affiliative and non-affiliative intraspecific interactions.
“Like domesticated dogs, the domestic cat has experienced significant socio-ecological changes due to domestication,” said Dr. Lauren Scott and Dr. Brittany Florkiewicz.
“In recent years, there has been increased interest in studying domestic cat facial signals to improve their welfare.”
“Facial muscle movements produced during pain have been used to establish assessment scales and automated recognition systems for domesticated cats. Facial signals directed toward humans have been used to infer the emotions of domesticated cats and assess their adoption rates.”
“The closest living relatives of domesticated cats, wildcats (Felis silvestris), are territorial and are likely to use non-affiliative facial signals for resolving disputes,” they added.
“Wildcats are solitary mammals that tend to avoid both humans and conspecifics. While domestic cats have adapted to a more varied diet, wildcats are facultative carnivores who prey upon small-bodied mammals.”
“Wildcats establish hunting territories that seldom overlap, while domesticated cats frequently overlap territories but hunt alone. Wildcats also produce territorial behaviors, such as scent-marking and vigilance postures, more often than domesticated cats.”
“These non-affiliative facial signals may have been preserved among domesticated cats, who often engage in aggressive interactions. However, domesticated cats display greater social tolerance and engage in more affiliative behaviors than wildcats, including play, social resting, grooming, and allorubbing.”
“The transition to intraspecific sociality among domesticated cats could also result in a greater reliance on affiliative facial…
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