Habituation of the threatening response in cats and kittens

Modifications of the threatening response occurring in cats and naive kittens were studied during repeated confrontations by a dog. Most of the kittens when confronted by a dog for the first time displayed a threatening response. There was a wide individual variation in the intensity of the first response. In some kittens initial sensitization occurred. With repetition of the confrontations the response waned. Complete habituation of the response in the kittens was achieved after 4 to 15 daily sessions, in adult cats it took from 2 to 47 sessions. In both kittens and adult cats various components, of the threatening response habituated at a different rate. This caused the pattern of the response to change during repetitive confrontations. This out of step habituation of the components has been described with regard to the cardiovascular components of the response (8). It is concluded that the threatening reaction is subject to habituation and that the components of this response may be suppressed independently from the others, thus modifying the pattern of the response.