Dominance relations in pairs of domestic cats

The dominance relationships in a group of adult male cats were studied by means of paired encounters in an observation arena which was equally familiar to both animals. In order to develop a good operational technique a pilot study was undertaken. Dominance relationships were determined by using criteria based upon approach/withdrawal or threatening postures similar to those described by Leyhausen (1973). During the encounters two conflicting tendencies seemed to appear: efforts to avoid confrontation and agonistic interactions. The intensity of the reaction varied from pair to pair. Some kinds of behaviour, not considered to be agonistic (such as exploration and, to a lesser extent, rubbing and urine marking), were performed more frequently by the dominant male. Furthermore it was shown that in the course of the experiments, the number of encounters in which no dominance could be assessed increased, probably due to increasing familiarity. The results of a pilot study on the effect of castration and testosterone treatment upon dominance relationships are also presented.