Altruism (compassion) In Cats??

[shannon1984]

I have 10 cats. The family dynamics are as follows:

1 feral cat who lives in the woods behind me and mothered many of the others (4 yrs old).

2 pet cats I took in from other people (2-3 yrs old).

2 half domesticated feral kittens from the mother's 1st litter. One lives in the woods 75% of the time. The other now lives mainly in doors but still exhibits feral/territorial behaviors toward other cats (almost 1 year old).

5 sibling litter (mom's second litter) which were all raised together indoors. They occasionally exhibit territorial behavior but are pretty adaptable to outsiders due to being young and raised together (6 months old).

We went to look for the feral mom at the edge of the woods yesterday. We were all playing and carrying on when I turned around to see a skinny female kitten waiting by the food bowl.

She first showed up at the bowl a couple of months back. Same situation. I was too busy looking for mom to notice her until she was at the bowl waiting for food.

With 9 well fed assorted cats potentially in tow I usually wait to put the food down until their feral mom comes. She will protect her food from the others until she's eaten what she needs.

The first time I saw the little skinny girl at the bowl mom had been eating but had stopped and moved back and let the little kitten take over her bowl. That was 2 months ago. I was shocked. Mom never does this. I assumed she had become full quickly because I leave food accessible to her 24/7 in my shop (garage). Still, this was very out of character for her so I had to re-check my math about when she had which litter vs when she was fixed vs how much time was in between to be sure in my mind this new stranger was not her own lost kitten (it's not).

The woods get about an acre and a half deep directly behind us but have been cut and developed just to our right. This means cleared properties are to our right. The woods to our left stretch for about 20 + acres alternating in depth depending on how developed the properties they are sandwiched between have become.

After I first saw this little skinny stranger kitten I assumed she belonged to someone close by because she knew exactly what a food bowl was for and knew exactly how to charm the person putting out the food so as not to be run off. I would look out from the house and see her wandering the woods line sometimes. One day I saw her happily playing in the yard to the back right with a litter mate. They are cat people who had 3 female indoor cats so I guess one of their pets got knocked up and had a litter. Once I knew she had a home and they were cat people I stopped looking for her. Sometimes she and her litter mate would eventually show up while I and my 9 cats were out looking for my feral mother cat.

This most recent time it was just the skinnier one. Again, she went right to the bowl to wait for me to feed but I did not notice her until my feral mom didn't come out. She was so skinny that I opened the can anyway and gave it to her instead. I did not expect this to work out well for her because 9 other cats were also waiting for their turn.

To my surprise not 1 cat tried to swat her away. Not 1 cat tried to even share the food with her. Nobody attacked her. Surely the 5 sibling litter would have just all tried to grab a bite with her. Surely the half feral older kittens would have attacked her over taking the "good stuff". All 9 cats will swat and growl at each other over cheap food much more so for coveted treats and quality canned food.

Is it possible that since all of my cats are so well fed that even the half feral ones would have compassion for a starving stranger who's territory overlaps with theirs?

I sat there and watched in amazement while 9 typically competitive cats let this skinny young girl eat totally undisturbed until the plate was clean.

 

[mightyboosh]

Is it possible that since all of my cats are so well fed that even the half feral ones would have compassion for a starving stranger who's territory overlaps with theirs?

Don't know but it's a nice thought and I hope it's possible. I'm sure the wiser ones will comment in due course.

 

[ThePortMan]

They have compassion. They show it different than people, but it's definitely there.

 

[bluebirdy]

I have two litter mates, one larger than the other. The skinnier has some digestive issues and vomits often but only when she eats quickly. The chunky one always lets her eat first. If she vomits he comes right to her side as she gags to make sure she is okay. I think cats can be compassionate.

 

[abyeb]

I personally think so. Charlie is a single cat, so I don’t get to see the inter-cat interactions that other posters talk about, but when I’m not feeling well, Charlie is always extra affectionate. We did have a similar thread going a little while ago: Can This Feline Behaviour Be A Basic Form Of Empathy?


It is an interesting question for sure, though.

 

[shannon1984]

I have definitely seen signs of empathy/compassion in house mates and litter mates.

I also know feral cats will form colonies if food is plentiful but I've never witnessed how feral cats will treat each other in complex situations.

The feral cat we visit (mother of many of my cats, including the half feral older kittens) is usually very mean. She will violently attack me when I am feeding her sometimes. If I do not bring the other cats she will sometimes rub against me a few times and then attack me. It's as if she is extremely conflicted in her feelings.

when she was nursing the younger litter she stayed in my house. I saw daily signs of trauma from living feral. When a storm came she would howl at me and if I was working she would leave the house and would not come back to her babies till I got home and called her. It's as if she only feels safe inside if i'm home.

After she began to wean she would come home and restlessly wander the house looking for her "babies". She would trill but then half reject the weaning kittens when they came. I have a small furry toy that is about the size of a newborn kitten. She would trill and pick it up an carry it around and howl at me a lot. I genuinely think she has been traumatized from having the first litter in the woods and surviving a stormy summer while trying to save them. She lost one at 11 weeks out there and who knows if she lost any early on because I never saw them until they were 6 weeks old.

She is the only feral cat I've every watched much so I just assumed they are all very competitive and territorial. I have noticed the half feral older kittens are definitely more competitive and territorial that the ones raised indoors. In the mother's case, the violent extra competitive/territorial behavior may actually be down to her moody personality and a life of trauma.