The domestic cat: the biology of its behaviour

Description

"Humans have lived with cats for thousands of years, and there are now more cats kept in western households than any other animal. Cherished as companions, valued as rodent catchers, their enigmatic behaviour has intrigued and bewildered us for generations. Whilst accepting the comforts of human homes, cats do seem to ‘walk by themselves’. Although loved for their independence and self-reliance, myths and fables surround them, leaving them open to persecution and misunderstanding. Covering all types of cats from pampered pets to feral hunters, this completely revised new edition of _The Domestic Cat_ shows how cats live and behave in a variety of circumstances and surroundings. With new chapters on welfare issues, and cat—cat communication, this volume penetrates the enigma that is _Felis s. catus_, sorting fact from fiction, and helping both the general reader and the specialist in animal behaviour or veterinary science to understand what cats really are. DENNIS C.TURNER is founder and director of the Institute for Applied Ethology and Animal Psychology in Hirzel, and Senior Research Associate at the Zoology Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland. He has published extensively on domestic cats, and apart from the first edition of this work, has also written and edited works on cats in German. PATRICK BATESON is Professor of Ethology in the Sub—Department of Animal Behaviour at the University of Cambridge, and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge. His other books as author include _Measuring Behaviour_ (1986 and 1993) and _Design for a Life_ (1999) with Paul Martin, and as editor _Mate Choice_ (1983) and _The Development and Integration of Behaviour_ (1991)." - List of contributors - Preface and acknowledgements I. Introduction 1. "Why the cat?", Dennis C. Turner And Patrick Bateson II. Development of young cats 2. "Behavioural development in the cat", Patrick Bateson 3. "Factors influencing the mother—kitten relationship", John M. Deag, Aubrey Manning And Candace E. Lawrence 4. "Individuality in the domestic cat: origins, development and stability", Michael Mendl And Robert Harcourt III. Social life 5. "The signalling repertoire of the domestic cat and its undomesticated relatives", John Bradshaw And Charlotte Cameron—Beaumont 6. "Group-living in the domestic cat: its sociobiology and epidemiology",David W. MacDonald, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi And Gillian Kerby 7. "Density, spatial organisation and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids", Olof Liberg, Mikael Sandell, Dominique Pontier And Eugenia Natoli IV. Predatory behaviour 8. "Hunting behaviour of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations", B. Mike Fitzgerald And Dennis C. Turner V. Cats and people 9. "Domestication and history of the cat", James A. Serpell 10. "The human—cat relationship", Dennis C. Turner 11. "Feline welfare issues", Irene Rochlitz VI. Postscript 12. "Questions about cats", Patrick Bateson And Dennis C. Turner - Index