| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Michael Gray" |
| Date: |
15 Dec 2007 07:42:21 PM |
| Object: |
AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
.
|
|
| User: "chibiabos" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 01:34:44 PM |
|
|
In article <pf09m3dekhj8aqihte7io2nlefus1efc1u@4ax.com>, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
That's kinda the way it is around my house, too. (And that's how I keep
my girlish figure.)
Good story, BTW.
-chib
--
Member of S.M.A.S.H.
Sarcastic Middle-aged Atheists with a Sense of Humor
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Fred Stone" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
15 Dec 2007 08:41:55 PM |
|
|
Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote in
news:pf09m3dekhj8aqihte7io2nlefus1efc1u@4ax.com:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant
– the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although
the adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to
eat first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
That's interesting. I wonder if it has to do with the females being
pregnant or nursing.
My neutered males would always hog the food and made the spayed females
wait. Kidd was so bad, even if he was being finicky (he was worse than the
TV commercial's Morris, he wouldn't eat 9-Lives) he wouldn't let Ariel have
any either.
--
Fred Stone
aa# 1369
"The magnitude of applied anthropogenic total forcing compensates for
the model sensitivity." - IPCC Report
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Kate " |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
15 Dec 2007 08:54:02 PM |
|
|
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:12:21 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
From my observations, roosters go looking for bugs and call the hens
over for them. Hens need a whole lot more food than roosters do to
keep producing eggs.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Gray" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
15 Dec 2007 11:08:31 PM |
|
|
On 15 Dec 2007 20:54:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:12:21 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
From my observations, roosters go looking for bugs and call the hens
over for them. Hens need a whole lot more food than roosters do to
keep producing eggs.
Mmm... Interesting.
I must say that in all my years of keeping chooks, I have not observed
that biased behaviour, but must defer to your superior observational
skills! :)
(My roosters seem to gobble up any slugs that are around without
waiting for the girls, or the chicks for that matter.
Perhaps it is just Australian roosters that are greedy?)
There could be a (another?) science paper in it for you if you are
willing to take notes and write it up!
.
|
|
|
| User: "Kate " |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 12:28:02 AM |
|
|
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:38:31 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On 15 Dec 2007 20:54:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:12:21 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
From my observations, roosters go looking for bugs and call the hens
over for them. Hens need a whole lot more food than roosters do to
keep producing eggs.
Mmm... Interesting.
I must say that in all my years of keeping chooks, I have not observed
that biased behaviour, but must defer to your superior observational
skills! :)
(My roosters seem to gobble up any slugs that are around without
waiting for the girls, or the chicks for that matter.
Perhaps it is just Australian roosters that are greedy?)
There could be a (another?) science paper in it for you if you are
willing to take notes and write it up!
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Gray" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 01:42:10 AM |
|
|
On 16 Dec 2007 00:28:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:38:31 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On 15 Dec 2007 20:54:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:12:21 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
From my observations, roosters go looking for bugs and call the hens
over for them. Hens need a whole lot more food than roosters do to
keep producing eggs.
Mmm... Interesting.
I must say that in all my years of keeping chooks, I have not observed
that biased behaviour, but must defer to your superior observational
skills! :)
(My roosters seem to gobble up any slugs that are around without
waiting for the girls, or the chicks for that matter.
Perhaps it is just Australian roosters that are greedy?)
There could be a (another?) science paper in it for you if you are
willing to take notes and write it up!
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Kate " |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 07:42:04 AM |
|
|
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On 16 Dec 2007 00:28:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:38:31 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On 15 Dec 2007 20:54:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:12:21 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
From my observations, roosters go looking for bugs and call the hens
over for them. Hens need a whole lot more food than roosters do to
keep producing eggs.
Mmm... Interesting.
I must say that in all my years of keeping chooks, I have not observed
that biased behaviour, but must defer to your superior observational
skills! :)
(My roosters seem to gobble up any slugs that are around without
waiting for the girls, or the chicks for that matter.
Perhaps it is just Australian roosters that are greedy?)
There could be a (another?) science paper in it for you if you are
willing to take notes and write it up!
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
It's the one with the feathers on the legs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_%28chicken%29
.
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Gray" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
17 Dec 2007 12:20:37 AM |
|
|
On 16 Dec 2007 07:42:04 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On 16 Dec 2007 00:28:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:38:31 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On 15 Dec 2007 20:54:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:12:21 +1030, Michael Gray
<mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Female alley cats call the shots at mealtime
02 December 2007
"Cats live independent - some say selfish - lives, but it seems even
Rome's streetwise alley cats are chivalrous when it comes to food.
Many social animals have pecking orders in which the largest males
tend to dominate. Roberto Bonanni of the University of Parma in Italy
and colleagues found that feral cats in a courtyard in Rome also had a
pecking order, determined by displays of aggressive or submissive
behaviour. When near the food dish, however, females became dominant –
the first time this has been documented in mammals. And although the
adults treated kittens as low-ranking, the kittens were allowed to eat
first (Animal Behaviour, vol 74, p 1369).
This supports game theory predictions that smaller competitors should
become socially dominant when their need is greater, and when the
interests of the larger animal would actually be damaged by "winning".
Female feral cats are nearly always pregnant or lactating, and need
twice as much food as tomcats. Bonanni thinks toms defer to females
near the food dish and let kittens eat first to maximise their
reproductive investment. "Female cats precisely hit males on the head
with a paw, and take over the food dish," he says.
Lions, which are truly social, are different, as males hog every kill.
Unlike tomcats, they have to fight off invading males, so it's in the
whole pride's interests to keep them in top fighting form."
(From issue 2632 of New Scientist magazine, 02 December 2007, page 21)
From my observations, roosters go looking for bugs and call the hens
over for them. Hens need a whole lot more food than roosters do to
keep producing eggs.
Mmm... Interesting.
I must say that in all my years of keeping chooks, I have not observed
that biased behaviour, but must defer to your superior observational
skills! :)
(My roosters seem to gobble up any slugs that are around without
waiting for the girls, or the chicks for that matter.
Perhaps it is just Australian roosters that are greedy?)
There could be a (another?) science paper in it for you if you are
willing to take notes and write it up!
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
It's the one with the feathers on the legs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_%28chicken%29
Thanks.
I have never previously encountered that breed.
Well, not that I remember, anyway.
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Don Martin" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 08:44:15 AM |
|
|
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
Leghorns are _so_ parochial . . . . .
WOA (Wicked Old Atheist) #2278
If you can't be a dirty old man,
what is the point of being an old man?
Through a jaundiced eye darkly--rheum with a view.
The Squeeky Wheel http://home.comcast.net/~drdonmartin/
.
|
|
|
| User: "Kate " |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 10:12:02 AM |
|
|
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:44:15 -0500, Don Martin
<drdonmartin@comcast.net> wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
Leghorns are _so_ parochial . . . . .
Did I miss a cartoon reference?
.
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Gray" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
17 Dec 2007 12:21:45 AM |
|
|
On 16 Dec 2007 10:12:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:44:15 -0500, Don Martin
<drdonmartin@comcast.net> wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
Leghorns are _so_ parochial . . . . .
Did I miss a cartoon reference?
Apparently...
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Christopher A.Lee" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
16 Dec 2007 11:00:28 AM |
|
|
On 16 Dec 2007 10:12:02 -0600, (Kate ) wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:44:15 -0500, Don Martin
<drdonmartin@comcast.net> wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
Leghorns are _so_ parochial . . . . .
Did I miss a cartoon reference?
Was that a fog horn I heard?
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Michael Gray" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
17 Dec 2007 12:21:29 AM |
|
|
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:44:15 -0500, Don Martin
<drdonmartin@comcast.net> wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
Leghorns are _so_ parochial . . . . .
Ain't you got some dog to tease, son?
.
|
|
|
| User: "Don Martin" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Attn female Cat fanciers! |
17 Dec 2007 08:53:21 PM |
|
|
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:51:29 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:44:15 -0500, Don Martin
<drdonmartin@comcast.net> wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:12:10 +1030, Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
That is curious. Perhaps it's the breed that makes a difference.
These were part cochin and part rhode island red.
Cochin?
I say, I say son.
Never heard of it son.
Leghorns are _so_ parochial . . . . .
Ain't you got some dog to tease, son?
Too busy playing Fred Allen.
WOA (Wicked Old Atheist) #2278
If you can't be a dirty old man,
what is the point of being an old man?
Through a jaundiced eye darkly--rheum with a view.
The Squeeky Wheel http://home.comcast.net/~drdonmartin/
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
