The cat is a territorial animal; amazingly the territory of the cat has a radius around his home of at least 5 kilometres. The territory is bounded by emitting pheromones. The interaction with other cats is centred on the relationship with the territory. The cat is not a loner. According to the space and resources available, cats may form social structures ranging from solitary cats in rural areas, to large groups in a dense urban environment.
Cats communicate with each other mainly with pheromones and body positions.
Glands containing pheromones are found in several points on the body: anal glands; around the tail; around the mouth; cheeks and between the pads on the legs.
Pheromones are deposited also on saliva, faecal material and urine. They have the advantage of lasting a long time, even in the absence of the cat. They can be laid on them (to mark territory, to establish social contacts and when you clean the cat) or unintentionally (for stress, the mother’s attachment to her children, with sexual pheromones).
The cat uses a wide range of body positions to communicate. The general position of the body, are facial expressions or movement of its tail, eyes and ears indicate emotional state. When frightened or aggressive they pull back their ears. The tail is raised in greeting. When it is frightened and wants to install fear to the opponent, it makes a hump which allows the cat to appear larger.
Tail erect, with one ear cocked to one side, is a sign of health and pleasure. Tail rhythmically agitated, sometimes thrown with some force from side to side instead shows nervousness that can turn into aggression. At times the mother uses her tail to stimulate the hunting instinct of her offspring.
Meowing is a characteristic cry of the cat. Typically, the cat is fairly discreet and meows a little, but some breeds, like Siamese cats are more talkative than others. The cat cries frequently and strongly when seeking a mate or a companion.
In this case, the meows are emitted by females at first, and then throughout the duration of mating, both male and female do this, with many variations. More rarely, the cat mewing sounds are at a low intensity, when it sees a prey out of reach, like a bird or a flying insect. These meows are often accompanied by a click of the jaws, sometimes accompanied by live movements of the tail.
The cat in the position of attack or defence is also able to growl, hiss and spit to alert or terrify the opponent. Some researchers think their breathing mimics the behaviour of the snake. When they’re aggressive, especially in relationships with others, the cat can emit a growl at a very low, deep tone, which is considered the last warning before the attack.
The mechanism of the release of purring of cats is not yet known as cats do not seem to have the vocal equipment to actually purr. One hypothesis assumes a very rapid contraction of the muscles of the larynx, which compresses and expands the Glotta vibrating the air that passes through.
These sound vibrations are found in most cats, but their mechanism and their usefulness is not yet fully explainable. Cats are the only animals that can inhale and exhale, without “interrupting” the typical sound. Purring begins at the age of two days. Purring of the mother, in turn, reassures the children that they are safe.
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