Dominant Cat Picture and Info

Dominance hierarchies or subordinance hierarchies are formed to avoid or mediate aggression between cats due to competition for resources in groups of cats. Cats form groups and become social animals when there is a suitable food source. Group living has benefits. Mates are on hand. The downside is that competition is close by too. Hierarchies help to keep the peace in groups.

Competition for food for feral cats and even for litter boxes for the domestic cat are sources of aggression between cats. Dominant cats in a hierarchy can control a subordinate's access to the food source. Sometimes higher ranking cats may threaten lower ranked cats for no immediate reason or hog the food source while not utilising it.

A subordinate cat gives way to a dominant cat based on past experiences of interaction. You will only get simple linear hierarchies in small groups of five or less and they are rare. Large groups of cats have complex partially linear hierarchies¹, which can also change.

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What are the signs of a cat showing subordination to a cat that shows dominance? Subordinate cats:

• walk around dominant cats;
• wait for the dominant cat to pass before moving into an area;
• back off when when the dominant cat approaches;
• avoid eye contact;
• show a hunched, crouched posture;
• roll onto their back
• stick their tails 'to either side of their thigh'¹
• turn their ears down and back.

The dominant cat shows the following signs and behaviors:

• block subordinate cat movements;
• bat at the subordinate with their paws;
• chase the subordinate and sometimes mount the subordinate cat;
• hold ears up and rotated them to the side;
• arch the base of the tail;
• stare at the subordinate cat;
• when encountering the subordinate cat: hind legs are extended and stiff with base of tail elevated and ears stiff and erect and rotated laterally while staring at cat.

Dominance displays are toned down between cats that get on in groups.  Dominant cats can make life stressful for subordinate cats. In well balanced hierarchies there are rarely fights. Where there is an unresolved dispute as to who is dominant they might fight over the matter. What elese!? Regarding the photo on this page, red or ginger cats tend to be leader cats based on information that I receive.

Source: 1. The Welfare of Cats ISBN 978-1-4020-6143-1 - excellent book by the way.