Available online 26 November 2015
Abstract
Knowledge
of the organization and dynamics of the relationships between animals
and the environment and its resources is important to meet the needs of
any species. We analyzed the effect the presence of a person known to
the cats had on their feeding behavior, and the effect of how the cats
used the feeders on a colony of 35 domestic cats who lived in a
sanctuary. Cats were observed for 24 hours per day for 5 days in the
feeding area of the enclosure. Our results indicate that the individuals
in the colony organized themselves within their feeding area, with some
of these individuals using a specific feeder, whereas others used both
feeders. Individuals consistently exhibited increased feeding behavior
in the presence of a human who provided fresh food (
= 4.11 ± 0.62 minutes when humans were present compared with 
= 0.17 ± 0.01 minutes when that human was absent, P
< 0.0079). These data reveal that the members of the colony
organized themselves to access existing resources in the environment and
that the presence of a person known to the cats influences the feeding
behavior of those animals. This information helps promote a potentially
comfortable environment, with respect to intraspeficic relationships and
the animal-human relationship, an important consideration in management
of this species when living in confined environments.
= 4.11 ± 0.62 minutes when humans were present compared with = 0.17 ± 0.01 minutes when that human was absent, P
< 0.0079). These data reveal that the members of the colony
organized themselves to access existing resources in the environment and
that the presence of a person known to the cats influences the feeding
behavior of those animals. This information helps promote a potentially
comfortable environment, with respect to intraspeficic relationships and
the animal-human relationship, an important consideration in management
of this species when living in confined environments.Keywords
- human-cat;
- relationship;
- cat behavior;
- feeding;
- cat colony
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