Who’s The Boss?

Today we’re going to explore the mysteries of the social order of cats. I’ve recruited three unwitting volunteers for this informal study ― my three black cats Hugo, Beauregard and Alphonse ― and enlisted the much more scientific expertise of Dr. Christopher Pachel, owner of Twin Cities Veterinary Behavior.

By Patricia Miller

Last update: October 16, 2008 - 4:23 PM

Before we begin, let me give you a little background on our subjects. All three are rescue cats and neutered.
•    Beauregard. Six years old, sweet tempered, best buddy with Hugo.
•    Hugo. Four, bossy, demanding, Beau’s bud.
•    Alphonse. The baby at three, very well mannered, sweet, stubborn, irritates Hugo.

In this totally impromptu study, the subjects will enact typical behaviors, and Dr. Pachel will help make heads or tails of them from a social-order standpoint. But first, these words from Dr. Pachel.

“Cats are very social, but their interactions are very complicated, so it’s hard to make sweeping generalizations about their behavior that will apply to all cats in all situations,” he says. “Dogs have a

very strong social organization, but it’s much more flexible for cats. Because they can live as solitary animals, cats don’t depend on social interactions as much as dogs do.

“A confident cat with a strong personality might be able to control the interactions with other cats. But rather than rigid dominance, it’s more situation-by-situation conflict resolution. These conflicts

often are triggered by a perceived lack of resources — not enough food, not enough litter boxes, not enough attention.”

Let’s take a look at some situations:

Situation #1
Hugo is sleeping in the sun on the big chair in my office. Alfie jumps up. Hugo ignores him. Both curl up and snooze.
Dr. Pachel’s view. “This is a prime example of perceived abundance. There’s enough chair and enough sun for both cats, so no conflict. Also, the cats are comfortable with each other and neither feels

threatened by sharing the physical space. But the fact that Hugo ignores Alfie indicates he’s not all that interested in interacting, either.”

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