Domestic cats and wild cats share a number of behaviors. It’s easy to see the lion in the lap cat -- and vice versa
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Three lionesses lay napping on the sprawling branches of an acacia tree in the Serengeti, resembling nothing so much as a trio of extremely large house cats sharing different levels of a kitty condo. We don’t normally think of lions as tree climbers, but it’s a habit for some in certain areas of Uganda as well as in Tanzania, where my husband and I recently went on safari.
With the exception of size, the little lions lounging on your bed at home aren’t that different from their wild cousins. They all have certain common characteristics, being carnivorous, nocturnal and generally solitary (lions are the most social of the cats), with highly developed senses of sight and hearing. Behaviorally, cats big and small are alike in nearly every way, a scientific truth brought to life in our daily observations.
Cats love a high vantage point. Big cats don’t need it for protection from predators -- they are at the top of the food chain, after all -- but they have their reasons. Scientists believe they climb trees to escape biting insects; to reach cooling breezes; perhaps to look for prey in the distance; and, in the case of a multitude of lionesses we saw in treetops at Tarangire National Park, to escape the attentions of their cubs, who are as yet unable to scale the heights. Harassed mothers are the same everywhere.
Cats in general have little problem climbing trees, but lions, like house cats, aren’t fans of coming back down. We watched with amusement as one lioness gingerly made her way down with as much trepidation as any other cat stuck in a tree. Cats are built for going up, thanks to claws that help to anchor them in much the same way as mountain climbing crampons. But those same claws are a liability going down, making it difficult for nonarboreal species to descend smoothly.
And lions have other anatomical features that hinder their ability to make an easy descent. Their spines are not as flexible as those of our domestic felines -- perhaps the most flexible of all mammals, who can arch their back into a U shape. A lion’s large size, stiff spine and powerful forequarters are great for wrestling buffalo and wildebeest, but they’re not so great for propelling the lion’s body up high or for allowing control as they come down.
Leopards are tree loungers, too. Unlike the social lions, they are more typical felines: solitary and territorial. They’re one of the most difficult big cats to spot because they blend in so well with the foliage of the trees, which serve not only as napping spots but also as pantries where they can stash kills until they’re ready to nosh on them.
Leopards also have the benefit of being better than lions at going up and down trees. They’re not as heavy and, like house cats, the anatomy of their shoulder blades allows them to maneuver more easily -- and they have that same mobile spine. They are also better able than other cats to make use of their dewclaws going down.
Climbing isn’t the only behavior shared by cats. Big cats use the same territorial marking techniques as domestic cats, from cheek rubbing to urine marking. A gathering of lionesses engaged in face rubbing behavior while we watched, an affectionate greeting gesture by cats of all sizes that serves to reinforce social bonds.
A young male cheetah following the trail of another male paused several times to urine mark on one tree, deposit scat at another and stamp the ground with his hind paws, which contain scent glands. It’s not unusual for young males, especially related ones, to hang out together, and scent is how they stay in touch, according to a study published in December 2016 on PLOS One. In this case, the other cheetah had just made a kill, so perhaps his brother was hoping for a dinner invitation.
Q&A
Choosing a
bird cage
Q: What size cage should I get for my bird? What else should I consider when buying one?
A: Rule of claw: The bigger, the better. Get the largest cage you can afford and have room for. Here’s what else to know.
When you’re shopping in pet stores, you’ll see cages labeled for certain types of birds: finches, budgies, cockatiels or small parrots, for instance. Those cages provide the minimum amount of space those birds need. But our feathered friends need and desire room to spread their wings. Choose a cage that is at least one size larger than the one recommended for your type of bird. If you have the space and the budget for one larger than that, get it. Your bird will thank you. Remember: No cage is too large, but plenty are too small -- even for little birds.
A good bird cage isn’t just tall, it’s wide. Different birds move in different ways. Finches and canaries, for example, prefer to fly horizontally, not vertically. Parrot species like to fly horizontally as well, but they also like to climb up and down the sides of their cage.
Which brings us to cage bars. Horizontal bars are nice for parrot species because they allow birds to climb. But if you’ve bought a larger cage, you need to make sure the bars aren’t so wide that your bird could stick his head through them and suffer a serious or fatal injury.
Choose a cage from a manufacturer that offers different bar-spacing options so you can purchase just the right one for your individual bird. Here are some guidelines from "Birds For Dummies": Basic bar spacing for cockatiels is about 3/4 inch; finches require smaller bar spacing; and Amazons and macaws need larger bar spacing. -- Kim Campbell Thornton
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Employers offer
pet perks
-- Pet perks are among the amenities employers are offering to lure employees back to the office, CBS News reports. They include monthly pet stipends that can be applied to dog walking, pet sitting or doggie day care. On employment site Adzuna, 1,300 job listings claim to have dog-friendly offices. Companies advertising include Google, Purina and digital media company Refinery29. Other pet-friendly bennies include “pawternity leave” (paid time off for people who have adopted or purchased a pet so they can have time for bonding and training) and four-day workweeks so people can spend more time at home with pets.
-- If your dog watches TV, University of Wisconsin researchers want to hear about it. Their goals are to better understand dog vision as well as to gain more knowledge about what dogs like to watch. Participants will be asked about their dog’s age, sex, breed, the types of screens the dog sees, how the dog interacts with them and what content they find interesting. People completing the survey will also be asked to take one to two minutes to show their dog four short videos of potentially interesting subjects and rate the dog’s level of interest in each video. Participation takes 10 to 20 minutes and should be done on a computer, laptop or tablet so the dog can watch the videos. Here’s where to get started: uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8JjRm6LVStPovQO.
-- Did you receive a gift of lovely lilies for Easter? Cats in the home are at high risk from them. Nibbling on as little as two to three leaves or petals, inhaling the pollen or lapping at water in the vase can cause severe, acute kidney failure. The most toxic members of the lily family are Easter, Asiatic, stargazer, day, tiger and Christmas lilies, but any lily can cause problems. What about dogs? Generally they only develop mild stomach upset from ingesting lilies, but it’s always better to keep them out of reach. Give the bouquet or plant to a neighbor who doesn’t have pets. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.