The social behaviour of the dog/cat Flashcards
Social cognition
the processes specific to knowing and acting on information about social companions
- e.g. cats altering behaviour when they are on a routine and expect humans at a certain time (feeding schedule)
What other animals are capable of inter-specific communication with humans?
non-human primates and dolphins
Interspecific communication between humans and dogs/cats
- proximal dynamic pointing; proximal momentary pointing
- distal dynamic pointing; distal momentary pointing
Proximal = close by Distal = further away
- latency of looking at owner, duration of looking at owner, latency of looking at experimenter, duration looking at experimenter
Dogs performed better in every instance - dogs are far more keyed into satisfying humans
Difference between dogs/cats (warmth)
cats - will come and cuddle if the blanket on your lap looks warm/comfy (correspondence)
dogs - will do things to try and get you to interact (reciprocity)
Why is there a difference in the human-dog/cat bond?
natural social relationships (dog-dog)
- level of domestication
- early experience/socialization (we tend to get cats when they are older from non-genetic purpose breeding)
Natural social relationships - dogs
- live in packs with complex social relationships (work together)
- cooperative hunting groups/scavengers
- dominance/hierarchal structure (clear hierarchy)
–> dogs are more innately good as parts of our family since they already live in families
Natural social relationships - cats
- solitary with few social relationships
- independent hunters
- feral cats = some dominant structure (depends how much resource is available)
Domestication of the dog
12,000-20,000 BC
- opportunistic food scavenging in nomadic human camps
- -> hunting support and guidance
- artificial selection for tameness (most friendly stayed around)
Domestication of the cat
8000-12,000 BC
- attracted to human settlements due to prey availability (mice, rats)
- -> maintaining low vermin levels
- hunger and play overlap (innate hunting behaviour) - may be the reason indoor cats are highly stressed
- self-selective process for domestication
Communication between cats
- cats have well developed signals to indicate approach/avoidance
- these signals can be very subtle and humans sometimes have a hard time reading them
- cats lack play signal (dogs=play bow)
All canids communicate using
- facial expressions
- body postures
- tail wagging
- vocalization
Affect of artificial selection of dog communication?
10,000+ years of artificial selection has reduced the signalling ability of domestic dogs
- tail docking, ear cropping, brachycephalic, grooming (can’t see ears/eyes)
Examples of non-domesticated species
corsac fox, culbeo, wolf (depicts clear aggressive tendencies), black backed jackal, dingo, sechuran zorro
Sensitivity of cat/dog to human social cues depends on?
- preparedness
- human interaction during development
- learning (about our specific routines)
- depend on experience and socialization with humans
owner attitude towards the cat is changing in what direction?
- most popular pet
- more controlled breeding
- enhanced positive attitudes towards cats
Define feeding
act of consuming food
Feeding behaviour depends on:
- action/reaction
- quality/quantity
- physiological/psychological state
How do the behaviour around feeding time differ in dogs/cats?
dogs - engage, try to get attention, very bowl focused
cats - show affection
Feeding behaviour is controlled by?
- hypothalamus
- cerebral cortex
- limbic system
- basal ganglia
- brain stem, medulla oblongata
What part of the brain initiates feeding behaviour?
lateral hypothalamus
What part of the brain inhibits feeding behaviour?
ventromedial hypothalamus
What role does the cerebral cortex play in feeding behaviour?
motor patterns with both hunger/satiety
What role does the limbic system play in feeding behaviour?
controls what’s going on in the GI tract
- signalling hunger/satiety and controlling movement through
Feeding signals include
- metabolites in extracellular fluid (blood)
- lack of impulses from alimentary tract (mechanoreceptors, limbic system)
- blood glucose levels (stimulates insulin release –> satiety)
- gherkin acts on neurons within arcute nucleus
Metabolites in blood which signal fullness?
insulin and leptin
Metabolites in blood which signal hunger?
glucagon
Satiety signals include
- gastric fill
- products of digestions (AA, FA, vitamins/minerals)
- adiposity signals (leptin, insulin, amylin)
- satiety hormones (immediate action) –> cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and 2, glucagon
Physiological state affecting feeding behaviour?
gestating, lactating, growing, febrile response
- higher drive for energy consumption
Overall nutritional status affect on feeding behaviour?
obese (+/- energy balance) or starved
What led dogs to human settlements?
opportunistic food scavenging
- selected for more hungry, less picky and motivated dogs
Canid predatory behaviour
- hunt in packs
- omnivorous (eat by-products first)
- medium-large size prey
- can consume 24 hour energy requirement in a few minutes (opportunistic hunters/scavengers)
- can be deprived of food for several days
Feline predatory behaviour
- solitary hunters
- obligate carnivores
- seek small prey (e.g. mice, rats, birds)
mouse/small bird = ~30kcal ME (a cat requires ~200kcal/day –> 8-12 mice/day)
- cannot go days without food
- -> breakdown of fat –> hepatic lipidosis –> death (liver becomes overwhelmed)
- cats will still hunt even if fed
Feeding patterns - cats vs. dogs
dogs eat fewer, larger and more variable meals
Cat feeding patterns
- 12-20 meals/day
- dark and light periods
Dog feeding patterns
- 4-8 meals/day
- light period; some breeds will feed at night
Water intake differences in dogs vs. cats?
dogs drink more water (per kg BW)
Drinking patterns in cats
- can concentrate urine
- re-hydrate after drinking sea water
- slower to initiate drinking
- slower to completely rehydrate
When are dogs most likely to drink?
only during the day
When will cats consume water?
both light/dark periods
Is there a correlation between eating and drinking periods in cats?
No
Two alternative and opposing feeding strategies?
- primary effect
2. novelty effect
Primary effect
eat whatever mother eats
Novelty effect
“ou that’s new, let’s try it”
- initial spike, then decrease
Neophilic
variety of flavours in diet during developing
- open to trying new things
Neophobic
one dietary flavour during development
- don’t like new things
Environment and selection affect on food selection
stress and availability
Are cats capable in detecting imbalanced diets?
No
- within one offering of an imbalanced protein will choose not to eat this in pigs
What is learned taste aversion?
learn what to avoid rather than what to consume
- response heightened in herbivores –> more poisonous plants
Dogs are anatomically carnivores, but have many metabolic characteristics of a omnivore - differences in dietary choice attributed to lack of?
metabolic pressure during evolution
Where are taste buds located?
papillae on surface of tongue
Quantity of taste buds in cats vs. dogs vs humans
cat - 473
dog - 1700
human - 9000
What tastes can cats detect?
sour, bitter, salty
What tastes can dogs detect?
sour, bitter, salty, sweet
Talents of the tongue?
- Detect:
- texture of food
- temperature of food - ladle to pick up for and liquids
- heat regulator for dogs (panting)
- grooming in cats
What do cats have a taste preference for?
AA and peptides (proteins)
Why can cats not detect sweet taste?
lack T1R2
- 1 of 2 protein receptors used for detecting sweetness
What taste of cats more sensitive to?
bitterness
- rancidity detection (selection of fresh meat)
- dogs will consume rancid diets
Sense of smell in cats vs. humans
- 14x greater
- 2x the number of olfactory receptors in nose
Sense of smell in dogs vs. humans
- 1000x greater
- 220 million olfactory receptors vs. 5 million
What are vibrissae?
whiskers
What is the role of vibrissae?
Aid in navigation and sensation
- richly supplied with nerve endings at their roots
- can be a bother to cats if they hit the edge of bowl (transfer irritating sensations to the brain making it hard to continue eating)
What is known as the 6th sense?
Vomeronasal Organ (Jacobsen’s)
What is the role of the vomeronasal organ?
- relay info about smell to the brain
- primarily pertaining to pheromones but also social and feeding interactions
- Flehmen response
What is the flehmen response used for?
to detect pheromones or other aromatic compounds
Controlling feed intake in cats
Unclear results regarding the ability of cats to regulate feed intake in response to the caloric content of the feed being consumed
- do well with water dilution and an increase/decrease in fat
- do poorly with diluting diet with cellulose and kaolin (indigestible ash)
Controlling feed intake in dogs
Successfully adjust feed intake to match requirements as the energy density of the diet increases/decreases (e.g. dilution with fiber)
- only tolerate a maximum of 10% dilution
Why are feed trials useful?
give general understanding of liking/preference of one food over another in a research setting
Is the research setting really realistic?
Not really
- dogs used in feed trials aren’t typical of the average dog
Why is “feeding time” important
owners often make decisions in terms of how animal behaves at feeding time (e.g. excited behaviour)
1 reason owners switch diet?
palatability concerns
What parts of the brain a) initiate and b) inhibit feeding behaviour?
a) lateral hypothalamus
b) ventromedial hypothalamus
In general cats have been subjected to less selection than dogs. What are some ways humans have selected for traits of domesticated dogs that have reduced their ability to communicate?
tail docking, ear cropping, grooming, brachycephalic breeds
What are 3 overlaying themes that contribute to the difference in cat/dog social cognition and the human-pet bond?
- natural social relationships
- level of domestication
- early experience and socialization
What is the role of feline vibrissae?
- helo to aid in navigation/sensation
- composed of many nerve ending at their roots allowing them to send sensations to brain
E.g. when a cats whiskers touch the food bowl, it may send irritated sensations to the brain which may make it difficult to continue eating
How do cats and dogs differ in communication?
- cats are very subtle creatures, and humans have a harder time picking up on their cues
- dogs use facial and body postures much more readily, which humans find easier to read
- cat’s lack play signals
- dogs can bark, wag their tail and bow to initiate play
How do feeding and drinking patterns differ in cats/dogs?
- dogs eat fewer, larger meals while cats eat smaller, more frequent meals
- dogs eat only during leith periods, cat swill eat during light and dark periods
- dogs consume more water
(only during the day)
What special structure do cats have as a way to relay information about pheromones to the brain and what is the name of the response they show when performing this?
Vomeronasal Organ
- Flehmen response
Briefly describe 2 opposing feeding strategies
- primacy effect - eat what mom eats
2. novelty effect - preference to eat new foods
Why is the response to learned taste aversion heightened in herbivores and omnivores?
More likely to consume toxins and anti-nutritional factors due to the plant component of their diet
- since many plants produce toxins
How does the predatory behaviour of canine and felines affect how they are fed?
Canines:
- hunt in packs, omnivores, medium-large sized prey, can consume 24 hours requirement in a few minutes, can be deprived of food for several days
Felines:
- solitary hunters, obligatory carnivores, seek small prey, will hunt even if they aren’t hungry, can’t go long periods of time without food
- Cats should be fed multiple small meals a day (12-20)
- dogs are better adapted to the human lifestyle and can be fed less frequently
- cats can have food throughout entire day (night and day)
- dogs prefer eating in light periods
