The effects of social isolation on the behavior of juvenile domestic cats

Abstract

The effects of social isolation on the behavior of juvenile domestic cats were assessed by rearing 4 male and 4 female infant kittens in each of the following rearing conditions: (1) mother-littermate; (2) mother-only; (3) brooder-littermate; and (4) brooder-only. They were then tested twice a week individually and twice a week socially from 2 to 6 1/2 months of age in a playroom, utilizing multiple categories of behavior. The mother-only-reared juveniles were hyperactive in both object play (when tested individually) and social play. The brooder-only-reared kittens displayed enhanced socially directed behavior and were generally hypergregarious, whereas the brooder-littermate-reared kittens displayed retarded social behavior. Observations indicated that littermate-deprived kittens did not learn social communication skills and that some prolonged separation effects existed for littermate-reared kittens. The results suggest that the determinants of social play are more complex than the determinants of object play.

Early weaning increases aggression and stereotypic behaviour in cats

“…Therefore, based on our results, we cannot conclude that early weaning is the cause of the behaviour changes seen in this study. However, our results are in agreement with previous experimental studies on cats 39 , 40 and other animals 1 , 7 , 12 .…”

“…We discovered that early weaning increased the probability for aggression. In earlier studies conducted on laboratory cats, early weaned cats have showed elevated aggression towards both people and other cats 39 , 40 . However, these cats were separated from their mothers much younger than separation usually occurs in companion cats.…”

“…Moreover, The American Veterinary Medical Association considers 7–9 weeks of age to be the ideal time to move to a new home 38 , but the effects of weaning at this life stage have not been evaluated. In a previous study, laboratory kittens reared in isolation in a brooder showed deficits in social behaviour, behaved anxiously, and showed difficulties in habituation to novel objects, displayed aggression towards other kittens and showed more random movement than kittens reared with the mother and littermates 39 . Similarly, laboratory cats separated from their mother and siblings at two weeks of age behaved anxiously in novel environments, showed aggression towards other cats and people, and displayed random movement 40 .…”

Separation anxiety syndrome in dogs and cats

“…In fact, early separation from the queen can result in fear of, or aggressiveness toward, cats and people, learning disabilities, increased activity, and increased predatory behavior. 6,36 Early human handling helps to produce more tame kittens and puppies that are more adaptive to change (stress) throughout their lifetimes. Just a few minutes a day is all that is necessary, although kittens or puppies < 2 weeks old should not be overly handled.…”

Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animal’s Behavioural Response to the Loss of an Animal Companion

“…Conspecific bonding in cats and dogs has not been extensively studied, but limited research has demonstrated that puppies have preferred play partners by six months of age [47] and are able to recognise their kin up to two years after separation [48], with social isolation of dogs documented to cause chronic stress [49]. Similarly, distress associated with the separation of littermates has been documented in kittens [50], suggesting that companion animals may form strong social bonds with peers. Indeed, some changes in the behaviour of both dogs and cats following the death of an animal companion have been anecdotally reported by companion animal owners [51].…”