{"id":61299,"date":"2022-12-21T00:41:18","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T00:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cats.com\/?p=61299"},"modified":"2023-03-09T13:18:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:18:20","slug":"how-to-tell-which-cat-is-dominant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cats.com\/how-to-tell-which-cat-is-dominant","title":{"rendered":"How To Tell Which Cat Is Dominant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Image<\/p>\n

There is a common misconception amongst owners and professionals regarding dominance hierarchies in dogs and cats.<\/p>\n

Our understanding of dominance theory and the behavior of domestic cats has grown considerably in the past decade. Unfortunately, the terms “alpha, top-cat, and boss-cat” are outdated and dangerous labels serving no purpose or offering solutions.<\/p>\n

We must consider the natural social behavior of the domestic cat and avoid applying dominance concepts to feline behavior to treat conflict in multi-cat homes or resolve undesirable behaviors.<\/p>\n

This article examines whether a dominance theory exists in pet cats and focuses on meeting your cat\u2019s needs while balancing the relationship in multi-cat households.<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

Definition of Dominance<\/h2>\n
\"Image

Many pet owners do not understand the term “dominant” and how it applies to animals.<\/p><\/div>\n

Dominance describes a relationship between individual animals established by force and aggression of one animal and submission by the other to determine who has priority access to multiple resources like food, resting spots, and mates (Bernstein 1981; Drews 1993).<\/p>\n

Dominance or “being dominant” can\u2019t be used to describe an animal\u2019s personality or behavior since most behave differently depending on the environment and the animal they\u2019re interacting with at that time.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, in one study<\/a>, owners have recognized dominance as one of five key personality factors, which leads us to believe that owner\u2019s perception needs to center on the relationship between individuals.<\/p>\n

To better understand our pet cats, it\u2019s helpful to consider the domestic cat\u2019s complex social system.<\/p>\n

Also Read:\u00a0Why Do Cats Groom Each Other? Reasons Why Cats Socially Groom<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction to Power Structures in Feline Social Behavior<\/h2>\n
\"Image

As a solitary species, cats don\u2019t have a hierarchical structure.<\/p><\/div>\n

Domestic cats<\/a> have a common ancestry with the African wildcat. Despite selective breeding for the past 200 years, cats are genetically and behaviorally similar to their wild descendants; essentially, they are solitary species.<\/p>\n

Studies of groups of feral cats<\/a> from the past 20 years have revealed that the feline social system is flexible, allowing cats to live alone or in different-size groups depending on the density of cats and resource availability, mainly food. Feral colonies are usually matriarchal societies comprising related females and kittens with intact males at times attached to a group.<\/p>\n

In a domestic home, things are a little more complex. Felines must adjust their behavior to live in the modern world with humans and cats from different social groups. They also have to share resources supplied by their owners with little control over their territory; hence, dominant relationships between cats started to appear.<\/p>\n

How cats behave around food is a typical example of how a pet owner might view their cat as dominant. If a cat doesn\u2019t approach the food bowl first or refrains from eating, we usually assume that this cat is submissive since the dominant cat always eats first. Another misunderstanding is when an owner observes a cat blocking access to the food bowl<\/a>. This type of\u00a0resource guarding<\/a>\u00a0isn\u2019t a case of superiority; it\u2019s likely this cat doesn\u2019t recognize the other cat as a member of its group and is protecting its territorial resource.<\/p>\n

The difference in relationships in multi-cat households reflects the cat\u2019s territorial and opportunistic nature wanting all the resources for themselves. Confident or assertive cats learn which cats respond to intimidating behaviors and which don\u2019t; therefore, they might dominate a timid cat but not others.<\/p>\n

Since cats don\u2019t have a hierarchical structure, it\u2019s not a case of climbing up through the ranks to become the dominant feline member, but a combination of personality types, motivations, health conditions, resource distribution, and learned experiences that determine how a cat will behave in a given situation.<\/p>\n

Also Read:\u00a0The 8 Best Cat Bowls (Purchased And Tested)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Signs of Dominance in Cats<\/h2>\n
\"Image

Dominance might be displayed thought passive aggression such as blocking a cat’s entry to an area.<\/p><\/div>\n

A dominant cat monopolizes resources and uses active and passive aggression to control another cat\u2019s access by keeping everything to themself. Dominance starts at an early age; however, it’s most evident during social maturity between 2 and 4 years of age when a cat begins to take possession of their territory and might show personality changes.<\/p>\n

Feline behaviors identified as being dominant include:<\/p>\n