Effects of early rearing experience on subsequent adult sexual behavior using domestic cats (Felis catus) as a model for exotic small felids

Abstract

AbstractZoo professionals generally believe that maternal rearing of zoo animals is preferable to human/nursery raising. The lack of consistent reproductive success in small captive exotic felids has been partially attributed to an excess of human‐raised individuals. To investigate experimentally the effects of human/nursery rearing on adult sexual behavior, domestic cats were used as a model for small captive exotic felids. Three groups of female domestic cats were reared under three different conditions (intended to mimic typical zoo rearing situations) and then paired at sexual maturity with sexually experienced males. Cats in Condition 1 were Human‐Raised Alone, i.e., had no physical or visual contact with con‐specifics until sexual maturity; cats in Condition II were Human‐Raised with a Sibling, i.e., had no physical or visual contact with any conspecifics except their respective sibling until sexual maturity; cats in Condition 3 were Maternally Raised with a female sibling, but had no other physical or visual contact with other conspecifics until sexual maturity. Individuals in Condition 3 copulated significantly more often than did the individuals in Condition 1. The individuals in Condition 1 were distinguished by the extreme aggression they displayed toward both the males with which they were paired and their human‐caretakers. Data suggest that human‐reared female cats are less likely to reproduce than are their maternally‐reared counterparts. These results suggest that, whenever possible, nursery‐raising of small exotic felids should be avoided.