Top Cat, Alpha Cat, Boss Cat The Dominance Myth in Cats

Nicky Trevorrow and Penny Alborough Cats Protection

What does ‘dominance’ mean?

“I need to show

my rabbit that I

am the ‘boss’”

“If my dog eats before

me, they will think

they are ‘top dog’”

“I need to be the

‘pack leader’ with my

animals”

“My cat

is ‘top cat’

over my other

cat”

What does ‘dominance’ mean?

Definition:

‘An individual’s ability to maintain or

regulate access to some resources’

Dominance can also be described as a

‘relationship between a pair of individuals’

It is not to do with aggression or status,

nor is it a characteristic or trait of an

individual animal

Where did it come from?

Originally from early

studies on wolves

However these were

captive wolves

Where did it come from?

Often formed of

unnatural groups

Unable to escape one

another

Where did it come from?

Old ideas for the formation of a wolf pack

Alpha pair

Where did it come from?

More recent studies from wild wolves showed the

pack consists of a family group

Where did it come from?

Family groups made up of

parents and their offspring

Parents

Do cats have hierarchies?

Is there a ‘Top Cat’?

Where do we feature?

Where do we feature?

Why is this important to animal welfare?

• Leads to misunderstanding species-specific needs

• May be used to ‘justify’ using out-dated aversive

training methods

• Can lead to behavioural problems

• Reduces the human-animal bond

• In extreme cases, can inflict abuse on the animal

and risk health and safety of the person

Let’s look at the cat’s origins…

The solitary hunter

• Highly territorial

• Prey sparsely distributed over environment

• Does not co-operatively hunt with others

The importance of scent

Avoid stress and conflict

• Can be predated upon by other animals

• Survival of the fittest

• Prefer to run away, hide and climb

• Aggression is a last resort

How does this relate to feral colonies?

It’s all about the

clumped food

resource

How would cats prefer to eat?

In a large group? Neighbour’s cat

Using one food bowl? Separately?

How do cats use space?

What happens when one cat dies?

So if you have more than two cats…

Ensure there

are plenty of

resources for

all the cats

Appropriately

spaced out

In summary

• ‘Dominance’ is not a useful term for looking at

groups of cats

• As owners, cats are part of our ‘social unit’

• Important to understand and meet cats’ needs in

order to improve welfare

Thank you for listening