Individual differences and their relation to social structure in domestic cats.

Abstract

Two groups of domesticated cats with established social structures were tested for their response to novel stimuli in a variety of test situations. Clear individual differences in responses were consistent over a series of test sessions and remained stable despite regular environmental changes. Individual differences in behavioral response were not related to object dominance (food competition) or social dominance (freedom of movement in social encounters) unlike similar studies with social animals. No relationship was found in either group between a cat's rank in object dominance and its rank in social dominance. Significant correlations were demonstrated in the individual cat's latency to approach a novel stimulus, behavioral rank in test situations, and attention span in both groups of cats. Comparisons were made between similar studies with wolves, and inferences were drawn about the relationship between individual differences and social structure in social and nonsocial species.